New Irish president Michael D Higgins will visit US in May

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, January 16, 2012, 8:14 AM

Updated Monday, January 16, 2012, 11:47 AM

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President of Ireland Michael D Higgins

Photo by RTE

New Irish president Michael D. Higgins will come to America on his first official visit in May IrishCentral has learned.

Higgins will be guest of honor at the American Ireland Fund dinner held in New York which annually raises millions for worthy Irish charities.

The 70-year-old president took office in December and has proven extremely popular to date. He was mobbed by students at the annual Young Scientist of the Year award last week and has sky high approval ratings.

Higgins visited the Irish Center in London during his presidential visit there and has promised to make Irish emigrants abroad a major concern of his presidency.

While not well known in America, Higgins did take a master’s degree at Indiana University in 1967.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 18, 2012, 06:48 AM EST

An Uachtaran Micheal D[aniel] O h'Uigeann is undoubtedly a man of honour and integrity. Unfortunately, he's also an establishment man. Gore Vidal described the USA as the best democracy money can buy. Michael D. was similarly the best president successive opinion polls could manufacture. Sin e an sceal! Agus faberm1! Christ was a communist.

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Clancey | Jan 16, 2012, 01:06 PM EST

Michael D. would be welcome at the Irish Heritage Center in Portland, Maine.

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Nicomax | Jan 16, 2012, 12:00 PM EST

While on the East Coast he can go straight up to Boston College, camp out on the steps of the Burns Library and demand all those Irish documents locked away in their vaults be handed over to him for a safe return to the Emerald Isle.

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joan1954 | Jan 16, 2012, 10:40 AM EST

Would love to see Michael D in San Antonio, Texas considering San Antonio is the home of the Alamo. He would be more than welcome here as an Irish governmental official is a rarity here. I guess one might say that they go to NY all the time and it doesn't have the same effect there that it would here.

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donal1951 | Jan 16, 2012, 09:50 AM EST

We Irish in Indiana would, I'm sure, welcome Michael Higgins for a return visit as President of Ireland.

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faberm1 | Jan 16, 2012, 08:33 AM EST

There are many things I like about Michael Higgins, but I do not like that he is an avowed socialist. I wonder how he can reconcile with any intellectual honesty coming here to meet with "greedy grabbing capitalists" who make money in a free economy and give it to charities in Ireland. He's just lucky we have an economic system that creates wealth that can be used in great ways. He should support that and not campaign against it. Ar leaghad, is maith liom go bhfuil sé gaeilgeóiri. Sin é chéad cheim maith! / At least I like that he is an Irish speaker. That's a good first step!

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