The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, was joined by his Church of Ireland counterpart, Dr Michael Jackson, and the Rev Dr Trevor Morrow representing the Presbyterian Church.
Methodist Church president Rev Ian Henderson participated, as did Felicity McCartney of the Religious Society of Friends. Rev Fr Athanasius George, representative of the Coptic Orthodox Church; Rabbi Zalma Lent of the Jewish community; and Dr Nooh Al-Kaddo of the Islamic Culture Centre also attended.
An innovation of Mr Higgins’s was to have a representative of the Humanist Association of Ireland, Susie Kennedy, speak at the ceremony.
Ms Kennedy said the association was “honoured and delighted” to take part.