Timeline: How the presidential inauguration will unfold

Michael D Higgins has left Áras an Uachtaráin for the final time as President of Ireland.

Now attention turns to the inauguration of Catherine Connolly as the tenth Uachtarán na hÉireann and how the day will unfold.

Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle is where the presidential inauguration will take place, with tight security already in place around the entire complex.

President-elect Catherine Connolly will stay in Farmleigh the night before.

Like her predecessors before her, she will be driven with an escort to Dublin Castle in the morning and into the cobbled Upper Yard for her inauguration.

The ceremony takes place in the sumptuous St Patrick’s Hall, where every president has been inaugurated since 1938.

Ahead of her arrival, invited guests from around Ireland will be seated in the hall.

Among them will be the Taoiseach, Tanáiste, members of the Government and Opposition, as well as members of the judiciary and guests representing a cross section of Irish society.

When she arrives, Ms Connolly will be escorted in a procession into the room.

Signature and Seal of Office

Following some musical performances, interspersed with some prayers and reflections, the inauguration proper will get under way.

What happens is laid out clearly in Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Irish Constitution, in Article 12.8.

"The President shall enter upon his office by taking and subscribing publicly, in the presence of members of both Houses of the Oireachtas, of Judges of the Supreme Court, of the Court of Appeal and of the High Court, and other public personages, the following declaration:

"I láthair Dia na nUilechumhacht, táimse, Catherine Connolly, á ghealladh agus á dhearbhú go sollúnta is go fírinneach bheith i mo thaca agus i mo dhídin do Bhunreacht na hÉireann, agus a dlíthe a chaomhnú, mo dhualgais a chomhlíonadh go dílis coinsiasach de réir an Bhunreachta is an dlí, agus mo lándícheall a dhéanamh ar son leasa is fónaimh mhuintir na hÉireann. Dia do mo stiúradh agus do mo chumhdach."

The declaration will be read by Ireland’s Chief Justice Donal O’ Donnell and repeated by Ms Connolly.

Ms Connolly has elected to read the declaration in Irish.

She will then sign the declaration and officially be declared President of Ireland.

As the Chief Justice hands her the Seal of Office in Dublin Castle, a 21-gun salute will be fired from a gun battery in Collins Barracks, two kilometres down the River Liffey.

Guard of Honour

Once inaugurated, President Connolly will will make a short address to the assembled guests.

She will then exit St Patricks Hall back into the Upper Courtyard, where she will be met with a guard of honour from Óglaigh na hÉireann.

It will consist of 83 personnel from the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service.

As she will then be the new Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces she will carry out an inspection of the Guard of Honour.

Around the same time, there will be a fly past of four PC9 Aircorps aircraft.

Áras an Uachtaráin

Once the formalities in Dublin Castle have concluded, President Connolly and her husband Brian McEnery, will then travel by car to Áras an Uachtaráin, her official residence for the duration of her presidency.

On this first official journey as Uachtarán na hÉireann, she will be accompanied by motorcyclists from the 2nd Cavalry Squadron.

Later in the evening, President Connolly will return to Dublin Castle for a State Reception in her honour.

Where to follow live

There will be live coverage of the inauguration ceremony in Dublin Castle on RTÉ One television and the News Channel from 11.15am.

Live radio coverage will be on RTÉ Radio 1 and begins at 11.50am.

There will also be full coverage on RTÉ online.