{"id":"michael-d-higgins","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/michael-d-higgins","language":"en","name":"Michael D. Higgins","name_en":"Michael D. Higgins","name_ne":null,"description":"President of Ireland (2011–2018; 2018–2025)","headline":"President of Ireland (2011–2018; 2018–2025)","also_known_as":[],"summary":"Michael Daniel Higgins is an Irish politician, poet and broadcaster who served as the president of Ireland from November 2011 to November 2025. Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator from 1973 to 1977 and a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1981 to 1982, returning to the Seanad from 1983 to 1987 and the Dáil from 1987 to 2011. He served as minister for arts, culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997 and as mayor of Galway from 1981 to 1982 and 1990 to 1991.","summary_more":[],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"18 April 1941","date":"1941-04-18"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Limerick","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133315"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P19"}},{"key":"citizenship","label":"Citizenship","values":[{"text":"Ireland","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P27"}},{"key":"occupation","label":"Occupation","values":[{"text":"politician","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82955"},{"text":"poet","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q49757"},{"text":"writer","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36180"},{"text":"political scientist","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1238570"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P106"}},{"key":"party","label":"Political party","values":[{"text":"Labour Party (1968–2011)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q503614","start":"1968","end":"2011"},{"text":"Fianna Fáil (until 1968)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216517","end":"1968"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P102"}},{"key":"education","label":"Education","values":[{"text":"University of Galway","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q644478"},{"text":"Indiana University Bloomington","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1079140"},{"text":"University of Manchester","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q230899"},{"text":"Indiana University","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6608367"},{"text":"St. Flannan's College","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7587917"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P69"}},{"key":"spouse","label":"Spouse","values":[{"text":"Sabina Higgins","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23727205"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P26"}},{"key":"positions","label":"Positions held","values":[{"text":"president of Ireland (11 November 2011 – 10 November 2025)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q213702","start":"2011-11-11","end":"2025-11-10"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (14 June 2007 – 1 February 2011)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"2007-06-14","end":"2011-02-01"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (6 June 2002 – 26 April 2007)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"2002-06-06","end":"2007-04-26"},{"text":"Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (22 January 2001 – 27 January 2003)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65494714","start":"2001-01-22","end":"2003-01-27"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (26 June 1997 – 25 April 2002)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1997-06-26","end":"2002-04-25"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (14 December 1992 – 15 May 1997)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1992-12-14","end":"1997-05-15"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (29 June 1989 – 5 November 1992)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1989-06-29","end":"1992-11-05"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (10 March 1987 – 25 May 1989)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1987-03-10","end":"1989-05-25"},{"text":"senator of Ireland (23 February 1983 – 17 February 1987)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18043391","start":"1983-02-23","end":"1987-02-17"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (9 March 1982 – 4 November 1982)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1982-03-09","end":"1982-11-04"},{"text":"Teachta Dála (30 June 1981 – 27 January 1982)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654291","start":"1981-06-30","end":"1982-01-27"},{"text":"senator of Ireland (1 June 1973 – 22 June 1977)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18043391","start":"1973-06-01","end":"1977-06-22"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P39"}},{"key":"awards","label":"Awards","values":[{"text":"Seán MacBride Peace Prize","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15376017","date":"1992"},{"text":"Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Sun of Peru","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q99395826","date":"2017"},{"text":"honorary doctor of the University of Rennes 2","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20859404","date":"2020"},{"text":"Doctor of Humane Letters","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9301216","date":"2014"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276#P166"}}],"office":null,"sections":[],"cited":[],"cited_from":null,"videos":[],"last_reviewed":null,"organizations":[],"same_as":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Higgins","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276"],"faq":[{"q":"When was Michael D. Higgins born?","a":"Michael D. Higgins was born on 18 April 1941 in Limerick."},{"q":"What positions has Michael D. Higgins held?","a":"Positions held by Michael D. Higgins include: president of Ireland (2011–2025); Teachta Dála (2007–2011); Teachta Dála (2002–2007); Representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2001–2003); Teachta Dála (1997–2002)."},{"q":"Where did Michael D. Higgins study?","a":"Michael D. Higgins was educated at University of Galway, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Manchester, Indiana University."}],"related":[{"name":"Éamon de Valera","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/eamon-de-valera"},{"name":"Mary McAleese","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mary-mcaleese"},{"name":"Mary Robinson","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mary-robinson"},{"name":"Douglas Hyde","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/douglas-hyde"},{"name":"Patrick Hillery","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/patrick-hillery"},{"name":"Seán T. O'Kelly","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sean-t-o-kelly"},{"name":"Ruairí Ó Brádaigh","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/ruairi-o-bradaigh"},{"name":"W. T. Cosgrave","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/w-t-cosgrave"}],"places_in":[],"nearby":[],"image":{"url":"https://diginpl.com/kb-img/michael-d-higgins-c0960de826.jpg","width":500,"height":706,"license":"CC BY 2.0","credit":"Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022_Michael_D._Higgins_(51988246304)_(cropped).jpg"},"sources":[{"label":"Wikipedia (English): Michael D. Higgins","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Higgins","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikidata item Q57276","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57276","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},{"label":"Image: 2022 Michael D. Higgins (51988246304) (cropped).jpg by Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (CC BY 2.0)","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022_Michael_D._Higgins_(51988246304)_(cropped).jpg","license":null}],"license":{"text":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","facts":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},"attribution":"Text from the Wikipedia article Michael D. Higgins, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: 2022 Michael D. Higgins (51988246304) (cropped).jpg — Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten, CC BY 2.0.","cite":"\"Michael D. Higgins\". DigiNepal. Last updated 6 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/michael-d-higgins. Retrieved 6 November 2026.","date_modified":"2026-11-06T07:57:51Z","facts_checked":"2026-11-06","alternates":{"html":"https://diginpl.com/people/michael-d-higgins","en":"https://diginpl.com/people/michael-d-higgins","ne":null}}