President Michael D Higgins has announced that his beloved dog Sioda has passed away.
He shared a picture of himself alongside his longtime companion and confirmed that Sioda had been battling with an illness that eventually took his life.
The news of Sioda's passing was included in the president's online newsletter, with the announcement that "Sioda has passed away, after a short illness".
The Bernese Mountain dog Sioda, along with Brod, a male of the same breed, charmed scores of special guests to the president's residence in Dublin, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their visit to Ireland in 2018.
The pair of canines had an unofficial Twitter fan page with more than 18,000 followers.
Many social media users posted about the popular dog.
Ryan Tubridy recently posted a picture with Sioda and Michael D's other dog Brod.
One said: "Sioda, the President’s beautiful dog has died. The loss of a loving pet is a very sad moment."
Another said: "Just read that Ireland's favourite dog Síoda has passed away after a brief illness. This is so sad. Them two were inseparable, even during many official engagements. This is my favourite photo of them. Sending my thoughts & prayers to our President & his family."
