Presidential menageries: Alison Healy on leaders and their pets

It took a while, but I have finally discovered that I have a direct connection with a US president.

Yes, indeed, myself and Theodore Roosevelt are inextricably linked by poultry. One-legged poultry, to be specific. America’s 26th president had a one-legged rooster, and we had a one-legged hen.

The history books are silent on how Fierce, the First Rooster, lost his leg but I doubt it involved a Massey Ferguson 35 and a transport box.

In our health and safety horror story, the poor hen was pottering about minding her own business when my father reversed the tractor into the shed and accidentally lowered the transport box on top of her. The incident gave her such a shock that she immediately expelled an egg before hobbling away to nurse her injuries.

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Despite the speed at which the egg was laid, it did not break on impact with the ground. And in a second minor miracle, the hen was soon hopping around gamely on one leg. She lived to a ripe old age.

The First Rooster also appeared to live a long life despite his disability. He was probably the least exotic of Teddy and Edith Roosevelt’s pets, for they, and their six children, had a veritable menagerie in the White House. Estimates of the pet count vary from 36 to 40 animals.

There was Josiah, the bad-tempered badger who was known to bite legs, Pete the bull terrier who tore a hole in the trousers of the French ambassador, and a six-toed cat called Slippers who didn’t attack anyone. She was instead known to fall asleep in the middle of the corridor at inconvenient times, thus forcing VIPs to step around her outstretched body on their way to banquets.

There was an Irish connection to their pet collection – Father O’Grady, the guinea pig, was named after a priest the children knew. The children seemed to have more fun in the White House than most first families. When young Archie was sick, his two brothers took it upon themselves to march his beloved pony Algonquin into the White House lift and escort him to his master’s sick bed. But when the pony caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he was so transfixed by the sight that he refused to leave the lift, according to the website of the Presidential Pet Museum.

The family also had a small bear, a hyena and a selection of snakes. Young Quentin Roosevelt took a handful of snakes into the Oval Office once, much to the alarm of the officials present.

Unusual pets were par for the course at the White House years ago. In fact, an alligator once roamed the house during the presidency of John Quincy Adams. He kept it in a bathroom and reportedly enjoyed scaring guests with it.

Things are much quieter at Áras an Uachtaráin where a succession of Irish presidents have been content to leave the care of exotic animals to their next-door neighbours at Dublin Zoo. Although, like John Quincy Adams, Irish presidents have received some exotic gifts over the years.

The president of Tanzania was so enamoured with our President Patrick Hillery that he gifted him an elephant called Mimi when Dr Hillery visited his country in 1979.

However, there was a bit of a kerfuffle over who would pay to have Mimi shipped to Dublin. Someone eventually footed the bill because the three-year-old elephant arrived in Dublin in May 1980. But unlike the US presidents, Dr Hillery had no desire to have exotic animals roaming around his living space and he was content to leave Mimi in the care of Dublin Zoo.

An Áras an Uachtaráin spokesman couldn’t find any history of exotic pets being kept at the house when I enquired. However, President Higgins has definitely boosted animal numbers at the Áras, thanks to a sustainability drive.

A pair of Connemara ponies holidayed at the Áras last year and a few Dexter cattle spent last autumn at the grounds. More will return in September for another mini-break.

As befitting our poetry-loving president, President Higgins has a hive for the honeybee, in the style of WB Yeats. In fact, he has several hives producing award-winning honey, so he certainly lives in a bee-loud glade.

Let’s hope that peace comes dropping slow there, even if the Áras is no modest cabin of clay and wattles made.

Michael D and Sabina Higgins also famously fly the flag for the Bernese Mountain dog breed, with Bród and Misneach captivating visitors.

But unlike 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there isn’t a one-legged rooster to be seen at this particular white house. Well, you can’t have everything.