“I think the important thing now is to have a celebration and then with determination move into our common, shared, different future.”
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Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins is an Irish politician, poet and broadcaster who served as the president of Ireland from November 2011 to November 2025. Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator from 1973 to 1977 and a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1981 to 1982, returning to the Seanad from 1983 to 1987 and the Dáil from 1987 to 2011. He served as minister for arts, culture and t…
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politics · President of Ireland from 2011 to 2025 · politician · poet · writer · political scientist · also Michael D. Higgins, Michael Daniel Higgins, Michael Higgins, President Michael D. Higgins, President Michael Daniel Higgins, President Higgins
Born 18 April 1941 · Q57276
60 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 19 entries
“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.”
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Extra.ie: Sister Margaret Coyne, family of Michael D. Higgins, has died
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Connacht Tribune: RIP: Galway nun dies as Michael D Higgins pays tribute to sister-in-law
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National Post: Michael Higgins: Toronto Metropolitan University is a disgrace
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Mshale: 25 Words Or Less: EP. 58 Colton Dunn, Jackie Tohn, Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins Sam O'reilly (oRToxfSAqQ)
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Yahoo News Canada: Michael Higgins: Canada to America — Make a deal or watch how angry we get
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Mshale: 25 Words Or Less: EP. 166 Colton Dunn, Jane Lynch, Jackie Tohn, John Michael Higgins Charli Xcx (2yrh3ofIbF)
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Mshale: 25 Words Or Less: EP. 60 John Michael Higgins, Jackie Tohn, Jane Lynch, Colton Dunn Reacher Season 5 Announcement (seaU9sBTV7)
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National Post: Michael Higgins: Lessons for Canada from the U.K.'s DEI plagiarism scandal
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Published video “D'óstáil an Uachtarán Connolly lón do Sheanascal na hAstráile, a Soilse Sam Mostyn”.
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Published video “Ceapann an tUachtarán Connolly Breithiúna chun na Cúirte Cuarda agus na hArd-Chúirte”.
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Published video “D'óstáil an Uachtarán Connolly lón do Sheanascal na hAstráile, a Soilse Sam Mostyn”.
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Published video “Cuireann an tUachtarán Connolly fáilte roimh chapaillíní Chonamara ó Mhainistir na Coille Móire”.
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Published video “Cuireann an tUachtarán Connolly fáilte roimh ionadaithe ó Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann”.
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Published video “Óstálann an tUachtarán Connolly Fáiltiú do mhic léinn ó Gaza”.
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Published video “Óstálann an tUachtarán Connolly Cóisir Ghairdín - President Connolly hosts a Garden Party”.
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Published video “Cuireann an tUachtarán Connolly fáilte roimh Chomhdháil Uachtarán Pharlaimint na hEorpa”.
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Published video “Ceapann an tUachtarán Connolly breithiúna chun na Cúirte Achomhairc”.
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2024· 1 entry
Book Power to the People: The Hot Press Years
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2023· 2 entries
Pivoted long ago to be highly environmentally conscious, something Higgins would be aware of if he interacted with economists more
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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
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2022· 2 entries
Irish Sun: Inside National Ploughing Championship as Michael D Higgins and celebs join 80,000 farming fanatics in 20C sunshine
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Michael McDowell criticised him after Higgins suggested Ireland had been "ravaged due to decades of attack from an orthodox, laissez-faire economics"
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2020· 2 entries
Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Rennes 2 (2020).
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And 2023 respectively, and earlier in his presidency a dog called Shadow
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2018· 1 entry
And was re-elected in a landslide victory, with his 822,566 first-preference votes being the largest personal mandate in the history of the Republic of Ireland until Catherine Connolly's election as president in 2025
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2017· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2017).
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2014· 2 entries
Awarded Doctor of Humane Letters presented by Indiana University (2014).
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The Football Association of Ireland introduced a new association football super cup, the President's Cup, in his honour
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2013· 1 entry
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
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2011· 3 entries
Campaign: 2011 presidential election.
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Career landmark: president of Ireland (2011–2025).
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After being nominated by the Labour Party
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2007· 1 entry
Career landmark: Teachta Dála (2007–2011).
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2005· 1 entry
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 cowardi
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2003· 2 entries
Published “Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses” in BMJ — cited 52,879 times.
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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
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2002· 1 entry
Career landmark: Teachta Dála (2002–2007).
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2001· 1 entry
Career landmark: Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2001–2003).
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1997· 1 entry
Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1997–2002).
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1994· 2 entries
And it drew attention even in UK government circles
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Published “CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, position-specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice” in Nucleic Acids Research — cited 52,140 times.
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1993· 1 entry
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
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1992· 2 entries
Awarded Seán MacBride Peace Prize (1992).
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Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1992–1997).
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1991· 1 entry
Higgins became Mayor of Galway for a second time
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1989· 2 entries
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
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Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1989–1992).
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1987· 1 entry
Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1987–1989).
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1983· 2 entries
Career landmark: senator of Ireland (1983–1987).
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Helped found the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee and served as the Labour Party's spokesperson on foreign affairs
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1982· 3 entries
Higgins began writing a regular column for Hot Press, something that would continue until 1992
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That Higgins became Mayor of Galway for the first time
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Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1982–1982).
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1981· 1 entry
Career landmark: Teachta Dála (1981–1982).
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1973· 1 entry
Career landmark: senator of Ireland (1973–1977).
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1969· 1 entry
At a party in the family home of journalist Mary Kenny in Dublin
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1967· 1 entry
Higgins graduated from the American Indiana University Bloomington with a Master of Arts degree in sociology
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1941· 1 entry
Born 1941-04-18.
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