Based on the evidence of his first visit to America as president, the Irish have chosen well by selecting Michael D. Higgins as their head of state.

In both New York and Boston Higgins made a very positive impression on both community groups and business leaders as he forged his way through his maiden voyage to America.
 
His speeches on the consequences of the Irish Famine, on the current state of Ireland and the need for the Irish to reinvent themselves were true intellectual exercises, but thought provoking as well.
 
As a former politician representing the west of Ireland Higgins understands the emigrant mindset very well, and he certainly came across as warm and approachable in his visits to the Bronx and Queens to visit the Irish centers.
 
Higgins impressed all those who met him, and we can look forward to having an advocate for the Irish abroad installed in Aras an Uachtarain, his official residence, for the next seven years.