Higgins was born on 18 April 1941 in
Limerick.[6] 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.[7][8]
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.[9] He was educated at Ballycar National School, County Clare and
St. Flannan's College,
Ennis.[10]
In his academic career, Higgins was a statutory lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Sociology at UCG[13] and was a visiting professor at
Southern Illinois University.[14][15] He resigned his academic posts to concentrate fully on his political career.[16]
His wife,
Sabina Higgins (née Coyne), is an actress and a native of Cloonrane,[19] a
townland in County Galway[20][21] near
Ballindine, County Mayo. She grew up on a farm there in a family of five girls and two boys.[22]
Higgins met Coyne in 1969, at a party in the family home of journalist
Mary Kenny in Dublin.[22][23][24] Higgins proposed over Christmas 1973, and they were married the year after. They have four children:
Alice-Mary, Daniel, and twins, John and Michael Jr.; Alice-Mary was elected to
Seanad Éireann in 2016.[23][25] He has a
Bernese Mountain Dog named Misneach (Courage).[26][27] He previously had two Bernese dogs named Síoda and Bród, who died in 2020 and 2023 respectively.[28][29]
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.[13]
In October 2010, he announced he would not be standing at the
2011 general election.[34] 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.[35]
In September 2010, Higgins indicated that he was interested in receiving the Labour Party's nomination for the
2011 presidential election.[36] 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.[37][38]
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.[39][40] His candidacy was endorsed by Hollywood actor
Martin Sheen, who described Higgins as a "dear friend".[41] 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".[42][43]
Higgins was confronted by former Tara mines workers while canvassing in
County Meath. The workers were upset about their pensions being cut.[44] 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.[45] He admitted that he had smoked
marijuana while at university in the United States.[45] 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.[46] Higgins promised he would be a neutral president if elected and not be a "handmaiden" to the government.[47] The Labour Party's budget for the campaign was within €320,000.[48]
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.[49][50] Thousands of people lined the streets of Galway to welcome him home the following day.[51][52][53] International media coverage of his win reported his humble background, poetry and intellect,[54] with The Washington Post noting "local satirists sometimes depict him as an elf, hobbit or leprechaun talking in riddles and verse".[55] 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.[56]
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.[57] That night, he presented an award to
Niall Tóibín, and received his own standing ovation as he entered the
Irish Film Institute.[58] 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".[59][60][61][62]
Presidency
First term (2011–2018)
Higgins was inaugurated as president of Ireland at
Dublin Castle on 11 November 2011.[63] The ceremony had a
humanist element, alongside Christian, Jewish and Muslim ones.[64] He receives an annual salary of €250,000,[65] having requested during his first term that the
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform reduce his salary by 23.5% from €325,000.[66][67]
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.[68][69][70] In December 2011, he hosted a children's tea party at Áras an Uachtaráin.[71] 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.[72]
Higgins made his first official trip abroad when he went to London on 21 February 2012.[73] 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.[74][75] He made his first official visit to his alma mater NUI Galway on 24 February, where he opened an autism centre.[76] On 21 March 2012, Higgins was announced as sole patron of the
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra.[77] Addressing a conference organised by youth organisation Foróige on 24 March 2012, Higgins described
homophobia and racism in Ireland as a "blight on society".[78]
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 SportLeo 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.[79] On 11 May 2012, he became the 28th Freeman of Galway.[80] In June 2012, nonprofit housing organisation
Habitat for Humanity Ireland announced that Higgins would be their sole Patron.[81] In October 2012, Higgins and his wife Sabina went to South America for a two-week trip, visiting Argentina, Brazil and Chile.[82] 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.[83] 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.[84][85]
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.[86] 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.[87] The
Chief of Staff expressed regret for any offence caused by the chaplain.[87]
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".[91]
On 10 July 2018, Higgins announced that he would stand for a second term as president in the
2018 Irish presidential election,[92] 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).[93] His nearest rival,
Peter Casey, finished on 23% (342,727).[94]
On 11 November 2018, Higgins was inaugurated as president of Ireland in St. Patrick's Hall,
Dublin Castle, in a ceremony attended by
TaoiseachLeo 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.[95]
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 in a short period.[97]
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.[98] Two days later on 17 September, Higgins defended his decision not to attend the service and decided it would be "inappropriate to attend".[99]Pope Francis described Higgins as a "wise man of today" during an audience in the Vatican.[100]
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."[101]
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.[102]
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.[103]
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.[105] The speech was criticised by Irish economists,[106][107] who responded by arguing that Higgins' 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.[108] Labour senator
Marie Sherlock defended Higgins' commentary[108] while the Minister for Public Expenditure
Paschal Donohoe stated he welcomed the debate brought about by Higgins's comments.[108][109]
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.[110]
On 29 February 2024, Higgins was taken to hospital as a precaution, after complaining of feeling unwell.[111]
Seán Ó Cuirreáin – former radio producer and Irish language commissioner [120]
Writing
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.[121][122] He has contributed widely to political and philosophical journals on numerous subjects, among them ideology, the sociology of literature, clientelism in politics,[123] 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.[124]
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).[125] His personal notes and work books reside at the
National Library of Ireland.[126]
Among Higgins' poems are "The death of the Red Cow" and "The
Ass", an ode to a donkey.[127]
Causes for Concern (Liberties Press, Dublin, 2007)[130]
Renewing the Republic (Liberties Press, Dublin, 2011)[130]
Foreword to "Delinquent Genius: The Strange Affair of Man and His Technology" by
Mike Cooley[132]
Other work
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.[133] He spoke in the Dáil in defence of the 2010
Gaza Freedom Flotilla.[134] 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.[135] 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."[136]
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!.[142]
Honours and awards
Foreign honours
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.[143]
United Nations: It was reported on 26 January 2024 that Higgins had been awarded the United Nations Agricola Medal (agricola 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."[145][146]
^"Irish President meets University President". University of Manchester. 23 November 2012.
Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015. President Higgins first arrived in Manchester in 1968 and spent much of his time attending lectures and seminars in the Dover Street Building.
^
ab"Michael D. Higgins". ElectionsIreland.org.
Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
^"Defeated TDs claim pro-abortion smear". The Irish Times. 26 November 1982. Retrieved 1 August 2016. Mr Higgins declared that the notion had been propounded throughout the campaign that he had become too radical and was in favour of abortion
^O'Leary, Jennifer (28 October 2011).
"Who is Michael D Higgins?". BBC News.
Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
^Higgins, Michael D (1982). The Limit of Clientelism. C. Clapman, Private Patronage and Public Power. London: Frances Pinter.
ISBN0312647174.
OCLC874469771.