Following a 1982 interview by John Waters, then senator Michael D. Higgins was asked to write a regular column for Hot Press.
In our special collectors' edition 900th issue, the now-President Of Ireland recalls enjoying "the discipline" of contributing to Ireland's most fortnightly magazine for over a decade.
"I wrote for Hot Press from 1982 to 1993. I had lost my seat in the Dáil, but at the last minute, I stood for the university panel of the Senate and I was elected. So between ’82 and ’87, I was a Senator. During that period I began travelling more and more. I went to San Salvador and Nicaragua and so forth, so a number of the pieces I wrote for Hot Press were kind of diaries from the field."
Difficulties often arose, as you can imagine, when he tried to file copy from the field.
“One of the more innovative ways of getting copy from the Galway end was to give it to the man who worked in the dining car of the train – and he would then be met at the station or go up to the Hot Press office, where he would be rewarded with tapes and CDs and concert tickets or whatever. I remember times as well when I would be somewhere like Chile and I’d have to find someone to take it back. There were very rare occasions, when I tried to call it down the line."
President Higgins remains a strong supporter after all these years.
"There may have been times when the odd piece that I wrote got them into some trouble!" he laughs. "I wrote about some very prominent personalities and some very prominent issues in Ireland and I think the wrath fell on the paper rather than me, on occasion. But I’m very happy that I was associated with it. I have great respect for Hot Press. I still get it every fortnight. And I so wish it great good fortune going forward, in the different, changing and very challenging circumstances we’re in in 2015."
For more reminiscing from President Michael D. Higgins., pick up the current issue, on sale now.
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