IrishCentral michael D Higgins - b5cc3275d518416eacb61d676e8d84d1

President Michael D Higgins defends statements against austerity policy (IrishCentral)

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:56:39 PDT

By: IrishCentral Staff Writers

Ireland’s President, Michael D Higgins, has spoken out against accusations that his comments on the austerity policy imposed by Europe went beyond the constitutional remit of his office.

Michael D Higgins gets standing ovation at EU Parliament - 'we cannot ignore the suffering of Europeans' (IrishCentral)

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:56:02 PDT

By: AMANDA DRISCOLL

President Michael D Higgins received a standing ovation from his audience at the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

Irish president Michael D Higgins says hunger greatest ethical challenge facing world (IrishCentral)

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:02:30 PDT

By: MICHELLE K SMITH

President Michael D. Higgins opened the Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice conference at Dublin Castle and said that hunger is the grossest of human rights violations and the greatest ethical challenge facing the world. Former president Mary Robinson will address the conference on hunger and climate change on April 16.

Michael D. Higgins launches festival to mark 400th anniversary of Carrick on Shannon (IrishCentral)

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:01:41 PST

By: JANE WALSH

Carrick on Shannon in county Leitrim is preparing itself for a tourism boost of approximately €8m during 2013 as in excess of 26,000 additional visitors are expected to celebrate and take part in a major landmark in the town’s history, as 2013 marks the 400th anniversary since King James 1st granted the town charter.

Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins pay tribute to Pope Benedict XVI - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 04:36:20 PST

By: IrishCentral Staff Writers

Irish leader Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins led tributes to Pope Benedict XVI after he announced his retirement on Monday.

President Michael D Higgins calls on Irish to focus on what is really important - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 04:58:29 PST

By: JAMES O'SHEA

In his annual Christmas message President Michael D. Higgins has urged Irish people to be upbeat despite tough economic times and to focus on what is important in life.

Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins feels shame over Ireland’s greed and arrogance during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ (IrishCentral)

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:34:05 PST

By: SEAN BROSNAN

Irish President Michael D Higgins has declared himself ashamed of the boastful way some Irish people conducted themselves during the Celtic Tiger.

Irish president defends Gabriel Byrne after ‘Gathering’ remarks (IrishCentral)

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 06:00:57 PST

By: DARA KELLY

Irish president Michael D Higgins has defended actor Gabriel Byrne, who received criticism for his controversial remarks about The Gathering. Earlier this month, Byrne called The Gathering a "scam."

President Higgins makes dramatic intervention in Savita case (IrishCentral)

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 05:06:53 PST

By: JAMES O'SHEA

President Michael D. Higgins has made a dramatic intervention in the case of Savita Halappanavar, saying that an inquiry must satisfy her family.

Chuck Feeney and Jim Stynes receive honor from President of Ireland Michael D Higgins (IrishCentral)

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 06:52:56 PST

By: ANTOINETTE KELLY

Billionaire Irish American philanthropist Chuck Feeney, Australian Rules Footballer Jim Stynes and Sister Lena Deevy don't live in Ireland but this year they are being honored for their distinguished service to the nation.

Irish government expresses new hope for U.S. immigration reform (IrishCentral)

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:45:51 PST

By: ANTOINETTE KELLY

Ireland’s Deputy Leader Eamon Gilmore has stated that the win by President Obama gives new hope for comprehensive immigration reform.

President Michael D Higgins pays tribute to Argentina's Irish diaspora (IrishCentral)

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:08:00 PDT

By: DARA KELLY

In his address at a reception in Buenos Aires for Argentina's 500,000-strong Irish community on Saturday, Irish President Michael D Higgins focused on the contributions the Irish had made in creating modern Argentina.

Michael D Higgins says Ireland has a lot to learn from Latin America (IrishCentral)

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 04:54:06 PDT

By: CATHY HAYES

Irish President Michael D Higgins, says Ireland and Europe has a lot to learn from Latin America, in terms of economical development.

President Higgins' last big push to hear the voice of the diaspora - Seeking a new vision of Ireland (IrishCentral)

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:32:35 PDT

Ireland's President Michael D Higgins wants to hear from the DiasporaThe President’s landmark series of Young & Irish seminars may nearly be at an end (the final seminar takes place this weekend in Galway) but there is still a chance for young Irish people abroad to have their say on the burning issues affecting them, with the deadline for submissions to The President being the 29th September In fact, that’s why the seminars are so-calledSpeaking to a small group of reporters (of which I was one) on Saturday in Monaghan, President Higgins revealed that originally the title of the series was Young in Ireland, but was amended to facilitate the great throngs of young people who have since left the country and to make sure they were not forgotten Higgins takes his role as President of all the people of Ireland very seriously and is confident that the emigration of now is not the same as that of the 50’s or 80’s, due in no small part to the advances in technology READ MORE

Being Young And Irish - what are Ireland's young people saying about their country? (IrishCentral)

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:32:26 PDT

Michael D Higgins and Ireland's Youth at the Being Young & Irish launchThis weekend is going to be an eventful one for me Not only are my home country of Donegal playing in their first All-Ireland since before I received my first holy communion, but it's also the northern leg of President Higgins' series of Being Young & Irish seminars, with Monaghan following on from Dublin and Cork So what have been young people's priorities so far?On a daily basis the Being Young & Irish Facebook page post submissions made by young people all over the country and they range from impassioned ideas on how to improve mental health awareness and facility, equality and preserving cultural identity, but on both seminar days so far some large themes came to the foreOne of the striking areas where ideas and interest was high was in education, where there was a near unanimous wish for wholesale reform of the educational system READ MORE

Being Young and Irish - President Higgins wants to know your vision for Ireland's future - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 05:31:27 PDT

President Michael D Higgins at the launch of the 'Being Young & Irish' campaignThis time last year, President Michael D Higgins was making his case for becoming the ninth President of Ireland All through that campaign, in many different places and in many different ways, he stressed the importance of embracing the young people of the country as being the key to a prosperous future By encouraging them, by empowering them, by inspiring them to, as the President said at the landmark SpunOut youth debate during the campaign, "be the arrow, not the target" The President wants to hear young people's opinions READ MORE

Should Ireland listen to its public intellectuals? Are they "overpaid, indolent and selfish"? (IrishCentral)

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:46:08 PDT

There has been a good deal of discussion in Ireland recently about academics A piece in The Irish Times in March by Dr Paul Mooney, former president of the National College of Ireland, called for far-reaching reform of Irish universities and alleged that academic staff are not sufficiently challenged and/or do not work hard enough Dr READ MORE

How to claim your Certificate of Irish Heritage - VIDEO (IrishCentral)

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 05:30:18 PST

Representative of the Certificate of Irish Heritage with President Michael D HigginsThe Irish Government has (finally) had a good idea! in deciding to award anybody who can claim Irish descent with a Certificate of Irish Heritage And while it is a government endorsed document, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself, Deputy Eamonn Gilmore, just to be absolutely clear, it does not have any legal standing ie it is definitely not a passport But that certainly isn’t deterring the 1000’s of people who have applied for their own personal Certificate of Irish Hertitage on behalf of themselves or a relative, since the scheme was first rolled out last SeptemberWho can apply? Literally, anybody who was not born in Ireland themselves but who has a relative that was and obviously some sort of proof of identity will be needed READ MORE

Aras an Uachtaran in the Phoenix Park - President Michael D Higgin's new home (IrishCentral)

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:45:17 PST

Susan outside the Aras an UachtaranAras an Uachtaran, in the Phoenix Park is the house where the ninth Irish President Michael D Higgins, who was inaugurated on Friday in Dublin Castle, will live for his seven years in office Not many people know that you can actually visit Aras an Uachtaran yourself on Satrudays, unless it is being used for official state business, which means tours can be cancelled at short notice While admission is free, tickets are limited to about 100 which are allocated on a first come first served basis from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, close by at Ashtown CastleVisitors are then transferred by coach and given a guided tour of the state rooms and a short history of the building itself that used to be the Vice Regal Lodge when it was occupied by the then governing body of Englands various Lord Lieutenants, one of whom the Duke of Marlborough who was Winston Churchill’s father READ MORE

Galway welcomes new president Michael D Higgins home and a proper scare at Halloween (IrishCentral)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:45:25 PDT

Michael D opens 2011 Cruinniu na Mbad festival in KinvaraFive thousand people greeted our new president Michael D Higgins in Galway city on Sunday And there are a lot of smiling faces in Kinvara Halloween went well, if you judge it by the mountainous pile of sweets the girls managed to accumulate trick or treating They dressed as a witch and her cat READ MORE