Michael D. Higgins

As President, he has had a remarkable connection with the Irish people. In the 2018 election, he secured the largest number of votes in Irish Presidential Election history and topped the poll in every constituency in the country. Over the course of his 14 years as President, he has led the commemorations to mark the centenary of Ireland’s independence, ensuring recognition for groups such as women and trade unionists previously excluded from national narratives. He has placed a strong emphasis on the importance of dignity and respect for all, working tirelessly for greater solidarity both at home and around the world.

His work in support of global food security, informed by the experience of both the Irish Famine and the suffering he has witnessed first-hand across the world, including during the Somalian famine, has been recognised internationally by the United Nations. Throughout his life, Michael D. Higgins has campaigned for human rights and for the promotion of peace and democracy, from Nicaragua and Chile to Cambodia, Iraq and Somalia. In 1992, he was the first recipient of the Seán MacBride Peace Prize from the International Peace Bureau in Helsinki, in recognition of his work for peace and justice in many parts of the world.

Like many in Ireland, he has seen generations of his family emigrate. He has a strong interest in and solidarity with the Irish abroad and has been a regular visitor to Irish Centres in Britain. Michael D. Higgins previously served at almost every level of public life in Ireland, including as Ireland’s first Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997. As Minister, he had direct responsibility for the promotion of the Irish language and for the economic and social development of Irish-speaking areas in the State. His achievements as Minister included the reinvigoration of the Irish film industry and the establishment of Ireland’s Irish-language television broadcaster, Teilifís na Gaeilge (now TG4). He also established a rich network of local arts and cultural venues, bringing vital access to citizens across Ireland.

He was a factory worker and an ESB clerk before becoming the first in his family to access higher education. He studied at University College Galway, the University of Manchester, and Indiana University. As a lecturer in political science and sociology at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and in the United States, Michael D. Higgins was a passionate advocate for expanding access to third-level education beyond traditional universities. He played a central role in developing extra-mural studies at NUI Galway and travelled extensively across the West of Ireland to provide accessible evening classes for interested citizens.

He was a regular columnist for Hot Press magazine from 1982 to 1992, engaging a young audience in the social issues of the time. He has published four collections of poetry—The Betrayal, The Season of Fire, An Arid Season, and New and Selected Poems. He has also published numerous books and essays on Irish politics, sociology, history and culture.

Michael D. Higgins is married to Sabina Higgins, with whom he has four children and two grandchildren. Sabina Higgins attended the Dublin Stanislavski Acting Studio and was a founding member of the Focus Theatre.

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