A stable Presidency was required for the country, and with Hillery’s period as E.E.C. Commissioner coming to an end, he was invited to put his name forward as the Fianna Fáil candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election. Though reluctant, he put his country first and accepted the nomination. Consequently, Hillery was elected, as he was the only candidate, becoming the sixth President of Ireland on 3 December 1976. He was elected unapposed for a second seven-year term in 1983.

Patrick Hillery delivered the stability the country required from the Office of the President during both his terms.

During his Presidency he received the following Honours and Decorations:

Honours
LLD (Honoris Causa, 1977),
University of Dublin
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1977
Honorary Fellowship,
Faculty of Dentistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1977
Honorary Fellowship,
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 1978
Honorary Life Membership,
Irish Medical Association, 1978
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 1978
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, 1979
Honorary Fellowship,
Royal College of General Practitioners, 1982
Honorary Fellowship,
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, 1984
Honorary Fellowship,
Faculty of Community Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 1986
Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa, 1985),
University of Melbourne
Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, (Honoris Causa, 1988),
Pontifical Univeristy of Maynooth
Honorary Doctor of Laws,
University of Limerick, 1990
Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin, 1991
Membre du Counseil:
Fondation Jean Monnett pour L’Europe

Decorations
The Gran Croce con Gran Cordone Al Merito Medal, 1986
Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion, 1986
Robert Schumann Gold Medal, 1986
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, 1988
Collar of the Pian Order, 1989
Collar of the Order of Merit, Order of Malta, 1990