Newly elected Irish president Michael D.Higgins kicks off his first US tour today when he is guest of honor in New York at a community reception hosted by the Irish Consul General Noel Kilkenny.
Higgins, 71, a Clare native who represented Galway in the Irish parliament for many years, will spend four very busy days in the Big Apple before departing to spend two equally intense days in Boston where he will give the keynote address for the annual Famine Commemoration conference.
He will also attend a major banquet for Third World aid organization Self Help Africa in Boston.
While in New York he will visit Ground Zero, meet with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and deliver a keynote address at the American Irish Historical Society as well as hold a meeting with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon. He will also visit the Irish Famine memorial in Battery Park.
He will also be guest of honor at the American Ireland Fund dinner and will visit the 9/11 Memorial as well as visit the Emerald Isle Immigration Center.
He will attend a Broadway showing of “Once” the Oscar-winning drama set in Dublin.
Higgins was elected with over one million votes last October in a hotly contested race for President of Ireland. He was elected for a seven year term.
A former government minister, he is especially remembered for removing the ban on Sinn Fein from appearing on state owned television and radio.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.BrianO | May 01, 2012, 01:20 PM EDT
It's past Paddy's day the current U.S.president has nothing to gain from Ireland, cause it's filled with"typical white people"
BrianO | May 01, 2012, 09:05 AM EDT
maryemoore, he won't encourage any business at all to come to Ireland. It's another junket. What did the dozens of them traveling to the US and elsewhere in the world over Paddy's Day and the rest of the year ever bring to Ireland? Nothing! They had junkets which is all they know how to do. We need to wise up and stop making excuses for them.
KilkennyCats | May 01, 2012, 12:39 AM EDT
Mr. Higgins, one hundred thousand welcomes to you.
maryemoore | Apr 30, 2012, 11:34 PM EDT
Don't be so ignorant. He will help to encourage more business to come to Ireland. It will not be all fun and games. Very incomplete article.
Murph46 | Apr 30, 2012, 04:05 PM EDT
Very redundant Steven Square,very redundant!
STEVENSTAR | Apr 30, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT
AS AN IRISHMAN ILL NEVER KNOW HOW THIS LITTLE WEASEL GOT TO BE PRESIDENT HE SHOULD BE RETIRED.. BUT NO SOONER IS HE IN AND HIS OFF TO AMERICA AT THE TAX PAYERS EXPENSE ...PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY AMERICAN AND WHAT EXACTLY IS HE DOING THERE BESIDES SMILING AND SHAKING HANDS TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY ...??
STEVENSTAR | Apr 30, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT
AS AN IRISHMAN ILL NEVER KNOW HOW THIS LITTLE WEASEL GOT TO BE PRESIDENT HE SHOULD BE RETIRED.. BUT NO SOONER IS HE IN AND HIS OFF TO AMERICA AT THE TAX PAYERS EXPENSE ...PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY AMERICAN AND WHAT EXACTLY IS HE DOING THERE BESIDES SMILING AND SHAKING HANDS TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY ...??
skydiver15000 | Apr 30, 2012, 12:04 PM EDT
For all of you who don't live in Ireland, the President of Ireland does not make policy. He is a figure head here in Ireland...
Bythebay | Apr 30, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
Michael Higgins actually accomplished nothing during his time in the Dail. He's good at rhetoric, lacking on actual accomplishments.
Bythebay | Apr 30, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT
Our Government spend most of their time on jaunts to the US and elsewhere. More time at home actually doing things would be more helpful obviously.