President shares special birthday message for Christy Moore: "Through your music, you have lent voice to those often unheard"

President Michael D. Higgins has shared a heartfelt message to Christy Moore, celebrating the legendary Irish artist's 80th birthday yesterday.

In the letter, shared online, the President notes that Christy's "voice has long been one of the most distinctive and enduring in Irish life, one that speaks to universal human experiences, of resilience, kindness, and empathy, reflecting a rare talent, but more than that, a deeply humane spirit."

He goes on to thank the iconic singer for "the decades of service" that he has offered "to the building of a just, equal and inclusive Republic."

Christy – who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2021, and is set to be celebrated in an upcoming exhibition from the Irish Traditional Music Archive – released his latest album, A Terrible Beauty, last year. The project was named Hot Press's top folk album of 2024, and also scored the singer his first No.1 on the Irish Albums Chart in seven years.

Through the 'Christy Chat' part of his website, Christy previously reflected on a visit to Áras and Úachtaráín, to take part in the President's special Glaoch programme in 2013.

"Encounters with Michael D over many decades have always been memorable," Christy wrote at the time. "Meeting him again as the elected President of Ireland was a particular pleasure. There was a feeling of having a true 'man of the people' in Áras an Úachtaráin."

Read the President's full message to Christy Moore below:

A chara, Christy,

Agus tú ag déanamh ceiliúradh ar do 80 bhreithlá, is mian liom féin agus Saidhbhín comhghairdeas ó chroí a sheoladh duit ar an ócáid suntasach seo.

As you mark your 80th birthday, Sabina and I would like to extend to you our heartfelt congratulations and warmest wishes on this most special of milestones. Christy, your voice has long been one of the most distinctive and enduring in Irish life, one that speaks to universal human experiences, of resilience, kindness, and empathy, reflecting a rare talent, but more than that, a deeply humane spirit.

Through your music, you have lent voice to those often unheard, bringing to the public discourse the concerns, hopes, and struggles of ordinary people with extraordinary empathy and dignity.

From your early days with Planxty to your evocative solo work, your musical legacy, including such memorable songs as 'Ride On', 'Viva la Quinta Brigada', and 'Lisdoonvarna', has ensured your outstanding contribution to Ireland's cultural heritage. Drawing from the deep well of our folk traditions while never ceasing to engage with the evolving currents of social change, your work reminds us that the arts, and music in particular, are not simply forms of frivolous entertainment, but play an important role as vital expressions of our shared humanity, of our griefs and joys.

It is a gift to Ireland that you have remained, throughout your career, so firmly rooted in the values of community, equality and solidarity, constantly exhibiting such a profound sense of justice.

As you celebrate this wonderful milestone, may I express my deep gratitude for your valuable contributions to music, to our shared cultural heritage, for the decades of service, too, that you have offered to the building of a just, equal and inclusive Republic.

Ar mo shon féin agus Saidhbhín, ba mhaith linn comhghairdeas ó chroí agus ár ndea-ghuíonna a sheoladh duit ar an ócáid suntasach seo, agus guíonn muid gach rath ort sa todhchaí.

Sabina joins me in sending you every good wish on this special day. May it be a time of well-deserved celebration, surrounded by those who have travelled with you throughout your remarkable journey.

To mark Christy Moore's 80th birthday yesterday, we revisiting one of his classic Hot Press interviews. Read it in full here.