Higgins, Michael Daniel (1941-…), became president of Ireland in November 2011. Before his successful run at the presidency, Higgins was the leader of Ireland’s liberal Labour Party. In the October 2011 election, Higgins defeated six other candidates, including those of the center-right Fine Gael party and of Sinn Féin, an Irish nationalist political party. Higgins succeeded Mary McAleese, who had been president since 1997. Voters reelected Higgins in 2018. The president is Ireland’s official head of state, but the role is largely ceremonial.
Higgins was born in Limerick, Ireland, on April 18, 1941. Higgins’s father died while the boy was young. At age 5, Higgins was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in County Clare. Higgins graduated from University College Galway (now National University of Ireland, Galway) in 1965. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from Indiana University, in the United States, in 1967.
Higgins entered Ireland’s lower house of Parliament, Seanad Éireann, in 1973. He served in the higher house, Dáil Éireann, from 1981 to 1982 and from 1987 to 2011. Higgins was also minister for arts, culture, and the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking regions). Higgins was twice mayor of Galway, first in 1981 and 1982 and later in 1990 and 1991. He also served on the Galway City and County Council.
Higgins has worked to promote human rights in such countries as Cambodia, Chile, El Salvador, Iraq, Nicaragua, and Somalia. He has also written poetry, taught sociology, and served as president of Galway United Football Club. Higgins is married to the Irish actress Sabina Coyne. The couple have four children.
