Speeches By President Of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins

https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-hosts-afternoon-tea-reception-for-community-groups-october-2019

President Michael D. Higgins hosted an event for families campaigning for justice for the Birmingham bombing victims, and for representatives of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. After the event, President and Sabina Higgins invited the families of the victims to ring the Peace Bell at Áras an Uachtaráin. See: https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-hosts-dinner-for-relatives-of-the-victims-of-the-1974-birmingham-bombings

President Higgins took part in an interview hosted by journalist Dan Barry. The event took place in New York’s Public Library. With nearly 53 million items, on 92 locations, New York’s public library system is the second largest public library in the United States, and the third largest in the world. The library hosts regular informal lunch-time talks and public “In Conversation” events. See: https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-participates-in-in-conversation-event-at-new-york-public-library

https://www.wnyc.org/story/unga-irish-president-michael-higgins/

See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-gives-keynote-address-at-fordham-university

See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-visits-irish-american-society-for-nassau-suffolk-and-queens

See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-addresses-un-general-assembly

"On Responding to the Interacting Crises of Our Times – Ecology, Economy and Society" See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-delivers-keynote-address-at-new-york-university President Higgins gave a keynote address at New York University, a private research university founded in 1831. In his address the President spoke about the importance to Ireland of the United Nations and of the need for greater international cooperation to address global challenges. The President reflected on the nature of these global challenges, and the importance of re-connecting economic thinking with ecology and ethics, saying that public discourse and policy making must be based on an understanding of the complexities of our inter-dependent world. The President delivered his speech in the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium at the Kimmel Center to students, faculty, staff of the University and of Glucksman Ireland House, the centre for Irish and Irish-American Studies at the University.

See event details and background at https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-receives-american-irish-legislators-society-of-new-york

President Higgins hosted an event to mark the first ever gathering of Ireland’s Honorary Consuls. For more information, see https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-and-sabina-host-a-reception-for-honorary-consuls-in-recognition-of-their-work-overseas

President Higgins opened the inaugural Phoenix Park Biodiversity Festival and Honey Show, taking place on Saturday 14 September. An initiative of the Office of Public Works (OPW), the aim of the show is to celebrate the Phoenix Park’s rich and natural biodiversity through a programme of events consisting of free activities, including walks, talks, tours, documentaries, music and art. The festival incorporates the Phoenix Park Honey Show, which has been held in the Visitor Centre for a number of years now, and the Centre has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of the importance of biodiversity. Earlier this year, President Higgins spoke about the importance of biodiversity, highlighting both the importance of pollinators (in his statement of World Bee Day) and the impact of current farming and economic practices on our natural environment (in his address to the National Biodiversity Conference)

President Higgins delivered the Opening Address at the national event marking the centenary of the founding of the ILO, the International Labour Organisation – a U.N. agency that brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-delivers-opening-address-at-national-ilo-centenary-event

On Tuesday, 17 September, President Higgins will formally open the 88th National Ploughing Championships, taking place in Ballintrane, Co. Carlow. Since his inauguration in 2011, the President has attended the Ploughing Championships each year and he has described the festival as “an outstanding example of the Irish genius” and “the most beloved rendez-vous in Ireland’s rural calendar.”

President Higgins hosted an event to mark the establishment of the Heritage Council and the County Heritage Officers Association 20 years ago. See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-receives-the-heritage-council-and-county-heritage-officers-on-the-occasion-of-their-20th-anniversary

See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-hosts-defence-forces-values-awards

See event details at https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-visits-holy-family-secondary-school President Higgins visited the Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge, to mark the school’s 60th Anniversary. The school first opened its doors in 1959, as the town’s first secondary school for girls. First based in the Holy Family Sisters convent, the school moved into its own building in 1967, which was extended in 1982 and again in 2003. President Higgins has made education one of the key themes of his Presidency. The President has hosted teachers and educators at Áras an Uachtaráin and visited many schools and colleges. In his speeches, the President has spoken about the need to cultivate independent thought, and argued that schools should not be viewed as places to educate future workers, but as places to empower future engaged, informed and active citizens.

President Higgins travelled to Belfast, to announce the name of the new Ireland Professor of Poetry. Every three years a poet of honour and distinction is chosen to represent the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust as Ireland's Professor of Poetry. During their tenure the holders spend a year attached to each of the three participating universities – Queen's University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin – and resides for a period of approximately eight weeks at each. The Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust was set up in 1998 following the award of the Nobel Prize of Literature to Seamus Heaney. https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-announces-the-new-ireland-chair-of-poetry-2019

See https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-attends-lunch-of-salute-on-board-the-tall-ship-cuauhtemoc-in-dublin-port

President Higgins bestowed the honour of Saoi on Roger Doyle. Roger Doyle received the highest honour open to an Irish artist and was presented with the symbol of the office of Saoi, a golden torc. Roger Doyle became the twentieth artist to receive the honour since its inception in 1984. The title is awarded for life, and can only be held by at most seven people at the same time. See: https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-to-confer-the-torc-symbol-of-the-office-of-saoi-on-mr-roger-doyle

President Higgins received Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-receives-mr-filippo-grandi-un-high-commissioner-for-refugees