Mary Coughlan on Michael D. Higgins: "What he’s done in the past few years is what I’ll remember him for – speaking out so strongly against genocide and what’s happening in Gaza"

Mary Coughlan:

I met Michael D. when I was about 14 or 15, at my grandmother’s house. He was canvassing, at the time, for Labour Youth, and both of my uncles, as well as a lot of people I knew, were interested in that. I’ve known him since then, and I would have seen him all around Galway for many years. He was a wonderful politician when he was in the Labour Party – he did a lot for local people, and everybody loved him.

I thought he was magnificent as President. Especially in the last two years, since the Gaza war, he’s been very outspoken – but he’s always been very outspoken on human rights. He went to Chile, at the time of the coup, and he went on to set up the Irish Chilean Refugee Society.

Local Galway families welcomed Chilean refugees in our homes. A family – a mother, a father and three children – lived with me for about a year. So he was always very active in the community, and everybody supported him. I have great admiration for him, always.

He was also brilliant as TD. I was sad to see him leave, actually, when he was running for the presidency. He was very, very astute and very intelligent, very well-informed about everything – world politics and stuff that was going on in the world. But as much as I was sad to see him leave, he has been a wonderful president. He didn’t stay quiet, even when he was told to shut up, he still spoke out passionately and wonderfully about what was going on in the world, always.

I think it’s brilliant that he is so involved in politics. He has to actually sign everything into law, nothing would happen if it wasn’t. So he’s not above politics – I don’t agree with that sentiment at all. By being so outspoken, he’s risked criticism – he’s gotten a lot of it directly from Israel, and the Israeli ambassador – but it never stopped him talking.

His commitment to social justice was very important to me. Him, and Sabina as well – when there was things going on with the Magdalene laundries, Sabina would have had some discussions about it. I was always banging on about that stuff, and she was very supportive, and he was too.

I think what he’s done in the past few years is what I’ll remember him for – speaking out so strongly against genocide and what’s happening in Gaza. He should be remembered for that. But that just didn’t come out of the blue. He’s always spoken about that – like I said, when he was a TD, with the Irish Chilean Refugee Society. He always practised what he preached.

On a personal level, he is very funny – I know he doesn’t come across like that but he is! He used to wander around Galway, years ago – I knew him when he was a politics lecturer, and I think both of my uncles studied under him. He was around a lot. He was very available to people.

He’s a wonderful poet. In Ireland, we’re renowned for our poets and our writers, and our arts in culture, and he added to that. He speaks so brilliantly and he’s very articulate.

If I had a farewell message to say to him, I’d say: ‘Thank you, Mr. President.’

Against All Certainty, A Celebration of Michael D. Higgins at The National Concert Hall on September 5th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Read our in-depth cover story interview with Michael D. Higgins – and tributes from Cillian Murphy, Bob Geldof, Niall Horan, Dermot Kennedy, Denise Chaila and more – in the current issue of Hot Press, out now: