European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has been honoured by Ireland’s leading University for her outstanding contribution to politics.

Metsola was given the gold medal award by the University Philosophical Society in Trinity College Dublin, during an official visit she paid to the country. Previous recipients of the award include US President Joe Biden, former German chancellor Angela Merkel and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s foremost university and its philosophical society is the world’s oldest student society. Today, the society has over 10,000 members from across the globe.

Receiving the award while Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar looked on, Metsola said she was accepting the award on behalf of the European Parliament.

“This recognition gives me faith, that the actions that we have carried out in the last year are worthy of your trust. I will do my utmost to continue to repay your faith,” she said.

Metsola’s visit to Ireland marks the nation’s 50th anniversary since becoming a member of the European Union. During the visit, the EP president addressed the Oireachtas - Ireland’s Parliament - and held bilateral meetings with the country’s leaders.

Metsola also answered questions during an event with young Irish students and visited the memorial of investigative journalist Veronica Guerin at the Dublin Castle Gardens. The crime reporter, who worked with Ireland’s newspaper The Sunday Independent, was murdered by drug lords in June 1996.