Why I am voting for Michael D. Higgins for Irish president

Gaza blockade activist explains his choice in Ireland's presidential election

FIACHRA O'LUAIN,

IrishCentral Contributing Writer

Published Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 7:47 AM

Updated Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 10:18 AM

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Labour Party candidate Michael D Higgins

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Michael D Higgins was there for us when hundreds of us travelled to Sellafield in February 2002 to protest the introduction of the MOX reprocessing plant. Michael D turned up at 7am in Dun Laoghaire on a Saturday morning to simply wish us his support before we sailed for Britain.

Michael D. Higgins never fails to show genuine warmth, appreciation and even love of his fellow citizens. Our voyage to Sellafield was during the height of the boom when protesting was seen by many as something to be sneered at and undermined. You can see real joy and pride in Michael D’s eyes when he witnesses young people organising politically. Michael D never forgot the importance of protest; this is of course due his own distinguished record of speaking out.

Whether in boom or bust, government or opposition Michael D Higgins’ judgement and behaviour are just the sort of role models that our increasingly disenfranchised young brothers and sisters need. No matter how powerful our friends are, we owe it to the spirit of that friendship to always be frank about what is and what is not right. About what is legal and what is illegal. We need a man like that to have the final word on legislation.
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This May 12th we waked Patrick Galvin, one of our great national poets in Connolly Hall in Cork. His remains had been brought there from his home in Douglas in a horse drawn hearse. Patrick was the first man to ever be waked in Cork’s Connolly Hall, and this on the very day that James Connolly’s was killed in 1916; we knew that Paddy would have been honoured. I knew Paddy and his wife Mary ever since I used to play with their children Gráinne and Macdara in Ballycotton, Co. Cork.

When we finally said our goodbyes to Paddy at the Island Crematorium in Cork Harbour Michael D. Higgins was invited to read one of Paddy’s poems. It was a poem called ‘Letter To The Editor’ about a self-important man who upon dying, realises that society is not celebrating him as his ego had mislead him to think it would.

The poem is a letter from the dead man to the editor of a newspaper’s letters page and it is really one of the funniest of Paddy’s poems. Michael D read it exquisitely and afterwards I heard Mary say that Michael D was one of only two politicians who Paddy would have wanted at his funeral, and how it was especially fitting seeing as another one of the poems read was ‘Roses for the President’.

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GeorgeDillon | Oct 27, 2011, 12:32 AM EDT

I'd vote for Dana if I was in Ireland, as she's the only candidate who opposes the criminal strongarming of the EU. As to Higgins, he's not the worst politician Ireland has produced, but he's no more a socialost than Bill Clinton is. Higgins is a liberal, he's interested in things like abortion, he does not stand with the Irish working class in their hour of need, and indeed his own lifestyle is a million miles from that of Irish workers.

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AlunPalmer | Oct 25, 2011, 03:17 PM EDT

You mean Windscale, don't you? The only place in Britain so notorious that they had to change the name to Sellafield!

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DublinCitizen | Oct 25, 2011, 02:14 PM EDT

CanadianPat you can't vote in the election thank God or we would have McGuinness foistered on us. The horror of it!

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CanadianPat | Oct 25, 2011, 12:57 PM EDT

Nice old man and life long Labour ,but too old & his party that have turned against their own principles and sold out for power.Seems to be doting a little with repeating "this is important" over and over for every point he wishes to make when it is usally far from important!If all you want is a figerhead , and if he can make it through a full term ,fine. But if you want a President that will shake things up and push moves for the people and the entire Irish Nation ,then only McGuinness will do!

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cillowen | Oct 25, 2011, 10:15 AM EDT

MOX niks - nothing ever came of this elf's poetry.

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