Michael D. Higgins

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Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator from 1973 to 1977 having been nominated by the Taoiseach.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> Elected in 1981 as a Teachta Dála (TD), he represented the Galway West constituency from 1981 to 1982 and 1987 to 2011.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> Between these terms, he returned to Seanad Éireann from 1983 to 1987 as a senator for the National University.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He served as minister for arts, culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997 and mayor of Galway from 1981 to 1982 and 1990 to 1991. Higgins was the president of the Labour Party from 2003 to 2011, until he resigned following his election as president of Ireland.<ref name="ExP">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins has used his time in office as president to address issues concerning justice, social equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism, anti-racism, and reconciliation. He made the first state visit by an Irish president to the United Kingdom in April 2014.

Higgins ran for a second term as president of Ireland in 2018 and was re-elected in a landslide victory. Higgins attained the largest personal mandate in the history of the Republic of Ireland, with 822,566 first-preference votes. Higgins's second presidential inauguration took place on 11 November 2018.

Early lifeEdit

Higgins was born on 18 April 1941 in Limerick. His father, John Higgins, was from Ballycar, County Clare, and was a lieutenant with the Charleville Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army. John, along with his two brothers Peter and Michael, had been active participants in the Irish War of Independence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

When John's father's health grew poor, with alcohol abuse as a contributing factor, John sent Michael, aged five, and his four-year-old brother to live on his unmarried uncle and aunt's farm near Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. His elder twin sisters remained in Limerick.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was educated at Ballycar National School, County Clare and St. Flannan's College, Ennis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As an undergraduate at University College Galway (UCG), he served as vice-auditor of the college's Literary and Debating Society in 1963–64, and rose to the position of auditor in the 1964–65 academic year. He also served as president of UCG Students' Union in 1964–65. In 1967, Higgins graduated from the American Indiana University Bloomington with a Master of Arts degree in sociology.<ref name=INDIANAPRESS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also briefly attended the University of Manchester.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In his academic career, Higgins was a statutory lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at UCG<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> and was a visiting professor at Southern Illinois University.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He resigned his academic posts to concentrate fully on his political career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins is a fluent Irish language speaker<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and also speaks Spanish.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Political career (1973–2011)Edit

Seanad and Dáil Éireann (1973 to 1993)Edit

Higgins originally joined Fianna Fáil in UCG while a mature student and was elected its branch chairman in 1966; he switched to the Labour Party shortly thereafter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was a Labour candidate in the 1969 and 1973 general elections but was unsuccessful on both occasions.<ref name=elecs_irl/> One of the people who canvassed for him was future leader of the Labour Party and Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore, who was then a UCG student. Higgins was appointed to the 13th Seanad in 1973 by Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.

Although placed in the senate by Fine Gael's Cosgrove, early in his career, Higgins quickly established a reputation as a "leftist firebrand" who opposed Labour going into coalition with Fine Gael.<ref name="britannica">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Higgins, alongside Emmet Stagg and Joe Higgins, were considered the main opponents of coalition within Labour following the departure of Noel Browne over the issue in 1977.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the 1980s Higgins involved himself in foreign affairs issues such as Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Cambodia.<ref name="britannica"/>

He also involved himself in issues such as equal pay for women and the rights of people with disabilities.<ref name="britannica"/>

Higgins was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1981 general election as a Labour Party TD.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> He was re-elected at the February 1982 election; he lost his seat at the November 1982 election (blaming his loss in part on his opposition to the Eighth Amendment),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but returned to the Seanad when he was elected by the National University constituency. After returning to the Seanad in 1983, he helped found the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and served as the Labour Party’s spokesperson on foreign affairs. Speaking about Higgins' interest in foreign affairs, former Labour leader Frank Cluskey once quipped: “When it comes to running the Labour Party or saving the world, Michael D always chooses the easy option.”<ref name="O'Leary Jan 2025"/>

In 1982 Higgins began writing a regular column for Hot Press, something that would continue until 1992. The columns covered major issues of the time, including opposition to the Eighth Amendment, the campaign for divorce legalisation, critiques of US foreign policy, the Enniskillen bombing, and observations on Irish and international affairs. Higgins also tackled broader social issues like patriarchy and economic inequality, with a focus on marginalised communities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

It was also in 1982 that Higgins became Mayor of Galway for the first time.<ref name="Melbourne">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In early 1982, Michael D. Higgins visited El Salvador to investigate reports of the El Mozote massacre, where over 1,000 civilians were killed by government forces. Initially deported by the army, Higgins later gained access and, along with Trócaire, helped expose what had occurred. His efforts, including contacting major U.S. newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post, sparked international outrage and congressional hearings in the US. Higgins faced criticism but persisted in highlighting human rights abuses, aiding in El Salvador’s peace process by advocating recognition of the FMLN as a legitimate political force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In June 1984, Higgins protested against US President Ronald Reagan speaking at University College Galway. Higgins criticised the US government for supporting the Contras in Nicaragua, opposing its stance toward the country's democratically elected left-wing government.<ref name="Brennan 29 Oct 2011">Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins returned to the Dáil at the 1987 general election and held his seat until the 2011 general election.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1989, Higgins and Stagg voted against the expulsion of the "Militant Labour" faction within Labour (led by Joe Higgins) after the faction was accused of being entrist Trotskyites.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The measure passed and members of Militant Labour subsequently formed the Trotskyist Socialist Party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1991, Higgins became Mayor of Galway for a second time.<ref name="Melbourne"/>

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (1993 to 1997)Edit

When the Fianna Fáil–Labour coalition came into office in 1993 under Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, Higgins, who had long challenged every Labour leader and opposed coalition arrangements, was appointed Ireland’s first Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht.<ref name="Melbourne"/> Although some accused him of compromising his principles, Higgins argued that Fianna Fáil, unlike Fine Gael, was a party rooted in "na gnáth-daoine" (the ordinary people). Higgins felt comfortable with Fianna Fáil’s self-declared left-of-centre stance and their republican ideals.<ref name="O'Leary Jan 2025">Template:Cite news</ref>

During his period as minister re-established the Irish Film Board and set up the Irish language television station, Teilifís na Gaeilge (later renamed TG4).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins also repealled Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, which had banned Sinn Féin from appearing on Irish media. This decision allowed Sinn Féin voices on air months before the Provisional IRA began a ceasefire in 1994, and it drew attention even in UK government circles.<ref name="Devenport 29 Dec 2022">Template:Cite news</ref> Tánaiste Dick Spring defended Higgins's decision, citing civil liberties concerns and pointing to Sinn Féin’s low public support in the Republic. He also suggested that media exposure would subject Sinn Féin policies to greater scrutiny.<ref name="Devenport 29 Dec 2022"/>

Higgins' stint as Minister also saw him initiate a network of local arts venues and community cultural centres across Ireland. In addition, his department spearheaded a major inland waterways restoration program. Under this policy, Ireland’s canal network was extensively rehabilitated: over 1,000 km of waterways were made navigable, creating jobs and tourism revenue in rural areas.<ref name="Melbourne"/>

Post-Ministerial career (1997 to 2011)Edit

Higgins was appointed to the Labour Party front bench in 2000. In 2003, Higgins succeeded Proinsias De Rossa in the symbolic position of the president of the Labour Party, while continuing as the party's spokesman on foreign affairs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In January 2003, Higgins was actively involved in efforts to prevent the Iraq War. He met with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, and proposed a peace plan to help avoid conflict. Higgins expressed deep concern about the devastating effects of war on Iraq’s civilians, particularly women and children, citing the horrors of 1991's Gulf War. He warned against the destruction of essential infrastructure, which violated international laws. Higgins believed Ireland could play a role in peace efforts, but he accused the Irish government of lacking a clear position, which undermined the country's neutrality. He also condemned the aggressive U.S. foreign policy under figures like Donald Rumsfeld and denounced the use of religious justification for war. While he opposed Saddam Hussein's regime, he stressed that war was not the solution and that a civil society in Iraq could only be achieved through non-violent means.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February, Higgins was a prominent figure in the anti-Iraq War protests in Dublin, where around 100,000 people gathered to voice their opposition to the invasion of Iraq. The rally began at the Garden of Remembrance, with Higgins addressing the crowd. Higgins joined others in urging the Irish government not to allow Shannon Airport to be used by U.S. troops en route to the Gulf.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In September 2004, as Labour Party spokesman on foreign affairs, Higgins was contacted by Paul Bigley, the brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who was being held in Iraq. Higgins reached out to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat through his representatives in Dublin, and brought up Bigley’s Irish heritage and Ireland’s neutral stance on the Iraq war. Arafat instructed his officials to lobby Iraqi political factions for Bigley’s release. Higgins also appeared on Al Jazeera to appeal to the captors and offered to travel to Iraq to assist in negotiations. Despite these efforts, Bigley was executed by his captors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Brennan 29 Oct 2011"/>

Higgins indicated his interest in contesting the 2004 presidential election for the Labour Party. The party decided on 16 September 2004 against running a candidate in the election, seeing Mary McAleese as unbeatable.<ref name="Brennan 29 Oct 2011"/>

In August 2005, Higgins took part in a European fact-finding trip to Israel and Palestine, organised by United Civilians for Peace. The aim was to assess the situation after Israel pulled out of Gaza. Over a week, they visited Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Gaza. The group met with Israeli and Palestinian politicians, mayors from various towns, and representatives from NGOs and civil society groups, as well as diplomats from the countries involved in the delegation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2010, he announced he would not be standing at the 2011 general election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had until this point been living in a two-bed apartment at Grattan Hall on Mount Street, Dublin. He also has a family home in Galway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2011 presidential campaignEdit

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File:Michael D Higgins, Ivana Bacik campaigning 2011.jpg

Higgins and Ivana Bacik campaigning during the 2011 presidential race

In September 2010, Higgins indicated that he was interested in receiving the Labour Party's nomination for the 2011 presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He said prior to and during the election campaign that he would serve only one seven-year term as president, and not seeking a second term of office if elected.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He was selected as a candidate for the presidency at a convention in Dublin on 19 June 2011, beating former senator Kathleen O'Meara and former party adviser Fergus Finlay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His candidacy was endorsed by Hollywood actor Martin Sheen, who described Higgins as a "dear friend".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins assisted his rival David Norris by urging his party colleagues on Dublin City Council "in the interests of democracy" not to obstruct Norris's attempts to get onto the ballot at the last moment, adding that the nomination criteria were "outdated".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Higgins was confronted by former Tara mines workers while canvassing in County Meath. The workers were upset about their pensions being cut.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins was also pursued by his past links to Fianna Fáil, and admitted on 13 October that he had been elected chairman of the UCG Fianna Fáil university cumann in 1966.<ref name=Higgins_Smoked_Dope_Inhaled>Template:Cite news</ref> He admitted that he had smoked marijuana while at university in the United States.<ref name=Higgins_Smoked_Dope_Inhaled/> However, media reports said he was "spared the intense grilling Miriam O'Callaghan meted out to some of the others" during the Prime Time debate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins promised he would be a neutral president if elected and not be a "handmaiden" to the government.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Labour Party's budget for the campaign was within €320,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 29 October 2011, two days after the presidential election was held, Higgins was declared the winner with a total of 1,007,104 votes, far more than any Irish politician in the history of the republic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Thousands of people lined the streets of Galway to welcome him home the following day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> International media coverage of his win reported his humble background, poetry and intellect,<ref name="AP">Template:Cite news</ref> with The Washington Post noting "local satirists sometimes depict him as an elf, hobbit or leprechaun talking in riddles and verse".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is the first president of Ireland to have served in both Houses of the Oireachtas, having previously been a member of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Before his inauguration, Higgins and his family met his predecessor Mary McAleese and her husband Martin for lunch at Áras an Uachtaráin on 3 November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That night, he presented an award to Niall Tóibín, and received his own standing ovation as he entered the Irish Film Institute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 November, he attended an important football game, featuring Galway United versus Monaghan United in the second leg in the League of Ireland promotion/relegation play-off at Terryland Park, wrapped in the scarf of his favourite team, and being greeted by a large banner hanging from a stand declaring "Welcome home to Galway, Mr President".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

PresidencyEdit

First term (2011–2018)Edit

File:Nicola Sturgeon meets Irish President Michael D. Higgins.jpg

Higgins meets with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, June 2016

Higgins was inaugurated as president of Ireland at Dublin Castle on 11 November 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ceremony had a humanist element, alongside Christian, Jewish and Muslim ones.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He receives an annual salary of €250,000,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> having requested during his first term that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform reduce his salary by 23.5% from €325,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins travelled to Derry to attend the final of the All-Ireland School Choir of the Year competition on 13 November 2011 for his first official presidential engagement in Northern Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In December 2011, he hosted a children's tea party at Áras an Uachtaráin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He attended the Bon Secours Hospital in Galway on 13 December for surgery on the kneecap that was broken in a fall during a visit to Buenaventura, Colombia in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins made his first official trip abroad when he went to London on 21 February 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While there he was given a tour of the Olympic Stadium by Sebastian Coe, and attended a production of Juno and the Paycock at the Lyttelton Theatre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He made his first official visit to his alma mater NUI Galway on 24 February, where he opened an autism centre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 21 March 2012, Higgins was announced as sole patron of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Addressing a conference organised by youth organisation Foróige on 24 March 2012, Higgins described homophobia and racism in Ireland as a "blight on society".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In January 2012, Higgins agreed to become the patron of Clans of Ireland, including its Order of Merit. On the president's behalf, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar, awarded "Companionship" in this Order of Clans of Ireland to several nominees at a ceremony in the Mansion House, Dublin on 28 April 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 11 May 2012, he became the 28th Freeman of Galway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2012, nonprofit housing organisation Habitat for Humanity Ireland announced that Higgins would be their sole Patron.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In October 2012, Higgins and his wife Sabina went to South America for a two-week trip, visiting Argentina, Brazil and Chile.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins rushed home from a visit to Rome, Italy, to sign the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Bill 2013 into law at Áras an Uachtaráin early on 7 February 2013, on the urgent request of the Government of Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 29 July 2013, he convened a meeting of the Council of State, the first of his presidency, to consult on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:President Higgins Receives Order of Clans of Ireland.jpg

Higgins received the Order of Clans of Ireland in April 2012. Also pictured are Sabina Higgins (left) and Dr. Michael J. Egan, Chairman of Clans of Ireland (right)

Special advisor to the president, Mary van Lieshout, who formed part of the management team in Áras an Uachtaráin under Secretary General Adrian O'Neill, resigned in November 2013. The departure raised criticism over presidential management of the team.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The presidential Christmas messages delivered by Higgins from 2011 to 2013 did not mention Christianity or religion, which was criticised by the Defence Forces' chaplain in a homily on Christmas Eve 2013.<ref name="ind29889058">Template:Cite news</ref> The Chief of Staff expressed regret for any offence caused by the chaplain.<ref name="ind29889058" />

In April 2014, Higgins paid the first state visit to the United Kingdom by an Irish president. He stayed as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and addressed both Houses of Parliament.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also met various people, including British prime minister David Cameron<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and opposition party leaders at Westminster, and the lord mayor of London, Alan Yarrow. In December 2014, Higgins made a week-long state visit to China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2016, Higgins received criticism from some sections of the Irish media for praising Fidel Castro, saying in a statement that he learned of Castro's death with "great sadness".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 25 August 2018, Higgins received Pope Francis at Áras an Uachtaráin during the Pope's visit to Ireland.

Second term (2018–present)Edit

On 10 July 2018, Higgins announced that he would stand for a second term as president in the 2018 Irish presidential election,<ref name=RTE_20180710>Template:Cite news</ref> despite having previously stated during the campaign for his first term that he would not. Higgins won the 2018 presidential election with 56% of the vote on the first count (822,566).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His nearest rival, Peter Casey, finished on 23% (342,727).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 11 November 2018, Higgins was inaugurated as president of Ireland in St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, in a ceremony attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and former presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, as well as representatives of all political parties. The ceremony was held in the evening so that Higgins could attend Armistice Day commemorations in the morning.<ref name=RTE_20180711>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 3 July 2019, Higgins began a three-day state visit to Germany. While visiting Germany, Higgins met with German chancellor Angela Merkel and President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In July 2021, Higgins sent a letter to the Oireachtas expressing concern that there had been a tendency in recent years for him to be sent a large volume of complex legislation to be signed quickly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:President Joe Biden stands with President Michael Higgins of Ireland.jpg

Higgins meets with U.S. President Joe Biden and rings the Peace Bell, April 2023.

On 15 September 2021, Higgins declined an invitation to attend a church service with Britain's Queen Elizabeth in October to mark Northern Ireland's centenary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two days later on 17 September, Higgins defended his decision not to attend the service and decided it would be "inappropriate to attend".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Pope Francis described Higgins as a "wise man of today" during an audience in the Vatican.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 15 June 2022, Higgins described housing in Ireland as "our great, great failure," saying, "It isn't a crisis anymore — it is a disaster."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 19 September 2022, Higgins was among 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal family members and dignitaries who attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 24 January 2023, Higgins began a five-day state visit to Senegal, his first time in Africa since 2014. While visiting Senegal, Higgins met with Senegalese president Macky Sall.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 13 April, Higgins received U.S. President Joe Biden at Áras an Uachtaráin during his four-day visit to the island of Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Buckingham Palace reception (52873232406).jpg

Higgins and his wife, Sabina, with Charles III, at a reception in Buckingham Palace, May 2023.

On 28 April, Higgins made a speech from Áras an Uachtaráin in which he criticised economists for being "obsessed" with economic growth and consumption and for promoting "neoliberalism". The same speech urged economists to be more environmentally conscious and to imagine a greener future.<ref name="IT 28 April 2023">Template:Cite news</ref> The speech was criticised by Irish economists,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> who responded by arguing that Higgins's criticisms were outdated by several decades and that the study of economics in 2023 pivoted long ago to be highly environmentally conscious, something Higgins would be aware of if he interacted with economists more.<ref name="IT 30 April 2023">Template:Cite news</ref> Labour senator Marie Sherlock defended Higgins's commentary<ref name="IT 30 April 2023"/> while the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe stated he welcomed the debate brought about by Higgins's comments.<ref name="IT 30 April 2023"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 6 May, Higgins was at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, marking the first time that a President of Ireland had attended the coronation of a British monarch.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 29 February 2024, Higgins was taken to hospital as a precaution after complaining of feeling unwell.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 24 April, Higgins confirmed he had suffered a mild stroke.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 20 December 2024, Higgins delivered his final Christmas Message as President of Ireland, in which he called against worldwide conflict and the ensuing human rights violations, praised the Irish communities worldwide, wished well all new citizens welcomed to the country and thanked the people of Ireland for their support over his two terms as President.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 27 January 2025, Higgins was accused by multiple Israeli Ministers and former Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich of "politicalising" a Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration in Dublin to commemorate 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. One protester was removed and others left the event during Higgins's speech, when he said "Those in Israel who mourn their loved ones, those who have been waiting for the release of hostages, or the thousands searching for relatives in the rubble in Gaza will welcome the long-overdue ceasefire for which there has been such a heavy price paid."<ref name=RTE250127>Template:Cite news</ref> Tom O'Dowd, the chairperson of Holocaust Education Ireland (who organise the commemoration), said "It turned out to be a very small protest. It didn't stop the President in his stride. And I think it is worth pointing out that the President has spent a lifetime fighting for civil and human rights, and I don't think he would object to people objecting either." This was the seventh occasion on which Higgins had been invited to speak at the annual commemoration.<ref name=RTE250127 /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Political positions and viewsEdit

Higgins is generally described as a left-wing socialist.<ref name="Poet PresidentHenry"/><ref name="Old School"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His political career has been marked by a focus on human rights, social justice, and opposition to neoliberal economics.<ref name="britannica"/> He has been involved in causes such as gender equality, minority rights, and the protection of civil liberties, both in Ireland and internationally.<ref name="britannica"/> Throughout his life, he has been a critic of militarism and imperialism, notably opposing American interventions in Latin America in the 1980s and the Iraq War in 2003. Higgins also places strong emphasis on cultural development, climate justice, and the idea of a more inclusive and compassionate Republic. A fluent Irish speaker and writer, Higgins has advocated for greater emphasis on the Irish language throughout his career. As part of this, he created TG4 in late 1996, establishing a dedicated Irish-language television station aimed at promoting the language and culture.<ref name="britannica"/>

Those critical of Higgins' views have called his views outdated and stuck in the 1970s. In 2022 Michael McDowell criticised Higgins after Higgins suggested Ireland had been "ravaged due to decades of attack from an orthodox, laissez-faire economics". McDowell counterargued that Ireland had grown by leaps and bounds economically since the 1970s and to use terms like "ravaged" did not reflect reality.<ref name="Old School">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, Irish economists called Higgins out of touch after he suggested they were prioritising neoliberalism over environmental concerns, and argued they had already incorporated such viewpoints long ago.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Others have been critical of Higgins' views of Cuba and Iran, arguing that these countries run counter to Higgins' anti-authoritarian values.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Council of StateEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Presidential appointeesEdit

Higgins appointed his Council of State nominees on 6 January 2012 for this first term as president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The nominees were:

Michael Farrell – solicitor with Free Legal Advice Centres
Deirdre Heenan – Provost and Dean of Academic Development at the University of Ulster
Catherine McGuinness – former Senator, member of the Council of State, and former Supreme Court judge
Ruairí McKiernan – community activist and social entrepreneur
Sally Mulready – London-resident campaigner for the rights of survivors of Irish institutions and local councillor in the London Borough of Hackney
Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh – Professor emeritus in history at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Gerard Quinn – Director of the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the NUI Galway School of Law

Higgins's nominees for his second term of office are:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cara Augustenborg – a fellow in environmental policy at University College Dublin<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sinéad Burke – writer, academic and disability activist
Sindy Joyce – Irish Traveller human rights activist
Maurice Malone – chief executive of the Birmingham Irish Association.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Johnston McMaster – a Methodist minister and assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mary Murphy – senior lecturer at Maynooth University<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Seán Ó Cuirreáin – former radio producer and Irish language commissioner<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

WritingEdit

File:MD Higgins poem.jpg

A piece of Higgins's poetry on a plaque in Cahir

As well as having a successful political career Higgins has had a career as a poet and broadcaster and has produced works of non-fiction.<ref name="Poet PresidentHenry">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He has contributed widely to political and philosophical journals on numerous subjects, among them ideology, the sociology of literature, clientelism in politics,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> regionalism and the politics of the media. He wrote and presented a television film on Montserrat, entitled The Other Emerald Isle for Channel 4 and his documentary on the life of Noel Browne, for RTÉ, has also been screened.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins has had poems published in a number of periodicals, as well as publishing four collections of his poetry, including The Betrayal (1990), his second book of poems The Season of Fire (1993) and his latest book An Arid Season (2004).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His personal notes and work books reside at the National Library of Ireland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Among Higgins's poems are "The death of the Red Cow" and "The Ass", an ode to a donkey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins wrote for Hot Press from 1983 to 1983 contributing with a forthnightly column. His writing tackled global issues like apartheid, US foreign policy, and Irish referendums on divorce and abortion, while celebrating arts and culture.<ref name="Hot Press">Template:Cite news</ref> A selections of these works were re-published in 2024 book Power to the People: The Hot Press Years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Poetry

The Betrayal (Salmon, Galway, 1990) Template:ISBN<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Season of Fire (Brandon, Dingle, 1993) Template:ISBN<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

An Arid Season (2004)
New and Selected Poems (Liberties Press, Dublin, 2011)<ref name=poetry_international>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Prophets are Weeping (M.D.H. 2014)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Non-fiction

Causes for Concern (Liberties Press, Dublin, 2007)<ref name=poetry_international/>
Renewing the Republic (Liberties Press, Dublin, 2011)<ref name=poetry_international/>
Foreword to "Delinquent Genius: The Strange Affair of Man and His Technology" by Mike Cooley<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Template:ISBN</ref>

Power To The People: The Hot Press Years (Hot Press Books, Dublin, 2024)<ref name="Hot Press" />

Other workEdit

File:Michael D. Higgins with Derek Nolan and Eamon Gilmore 2009.jpg

Higgins, Derek Nolan and Eamon Gilmore on the campaign trail, Galway, 2008

Higgins has campaigned for human rights and written of conflict in many parts of the world, including such areas as Nicaragua, Chile, Cambodia, El Salvador, Iraq and Somalia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He spoke in the Dáil in defence of the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In recognition of his work for peace with justice in many parts of the world, he became the first recipient of the Seán MacBride Peace Prize of the International Peace Bureau in Helsinki in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was a noted critic of U.S. foreign policy under the Ronald Reagan administration. In 2005, in response to a column for the Irish Independent by Kevin Myers about the riots then erupting across immigrant areas in France and Britain, he said "the contents of his column today go beyond his usually crafted cowardice, staying one step on the safe side of prosecution for incitement to hatred or racism."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins has voiced his support for the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which campaigns for democratic reformation of the United Nations, and the creation of a more accountable international political system.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins's eclectic mix of interests also extends to sport; he is a regular at the Galway Races each summer. He has also previously served as president of Galway United F.C., is a well known football supporter and regularly attends League of Ireland games.<ref name="irishexaminer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2014 the Football Association of Ireland introduced a new association football super cup, the President's Cup, in his honour. On 25 February 2014, the cup itself was officially unveiled with a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin.<ref name="rte1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="lfaprescup">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Higgins subsequently attended the inaugural final at Richmond Park on 2 March 2014.<ref name="president">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Higgins is the subject of the song "Michael D. Rocking in the Dáil" by popular Tuam band The Saw Doctors. The song first appeared as a B-side on the 1994 single "Small Bit of Love" and is also on the 2002 compilation Play It Again, Sham!.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours and awardsEdit

Foreign honoursEdit

El Salvador: Grand Cross of the Order of José Matías Delgado. Awarded in 2013 after Higgins returned to El Salvador as president of Ireland, where 31 years earlier he had visited on a fact-finding mission to investigate the El Mozote massacre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Peru: Grand Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru. Awarded in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

United Nations: It was reported on 26 January 2024 that Higgins had been awarded the United Nations Agricola Medal ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} means farmer in Latin). He would be presented with the award by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, in a ceremony in Dublin later in the year. Higgins was selected by the FAO "in recognition of your contribution and commitment to the welfare of all peoples, your extraordinary support for FAO's fundamental goal of attaining universal food security, and the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

His wife, Sabina Higgins (née Coyne), is an actress and a native of Cloonrane,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref> a townland in County Galway<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> near Ballindine, County Mayo. She grew up on a farm there in a family of five girls and two boys.<ref name="vincent43663">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Higgins met Coyne in 1969, at a party in the family home of journalist Mary Kenny in Dublin.<ref name="vincent43663" /><ref name=new_lady_of_the_aras/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Higgins proposed over Christmas 1973, and they married on 8 July 1974 at St Mary's Catholic Church, Haddington Road, Dublin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They have four children: Alice-Mary, Daniel, and twins, John and Michael Jr.; Alice-Mary was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2016.<ref name=new_lady_of_the_aras>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ITstand>Template:Cite news</ref>

Higgins has a Bernese Mountain Dog named {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("Courage").<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He previously had two Bernese dogs named {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, who died in 2020 and 2023 respectively.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project links

Biography at Áras an Uachtaráin website
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