The Stunning's Steve Wall on Michael D. Higgins: "Being a writer himself, he’s got a very close affiliation with the arts, and he understands artists"

Steve Wall of The Stunning:

We campaigned for Michael D. Higgins the first time around. The Stunning played a fundraising gig in what used to be called the Village, on Wexford Street. Michael D. and the family came along, and it was great.

I’ve known Michael D. since my Galway days, when he used to live in Galway. We first met on a train to go to Dublin – we were sitting beside each other. He would have been a TD then, and we got chatting about literature and poetry, and remained friends ever since. And of course then, when he ran for the presidency, we were natural candidates to get behind the wheel and support him.

I think he’s been a wonderful president. I like a president that speaks out. I don’t expect him to be just a mute head of state. I know there are regulations and laws and everything around that, but I actually prefer a president who voices an opinion. Michael D., before he became president, did a lot of work in Central America and all over the world. He’s very clued into humanitarian issues.

I thought his inaugural speech was terrific. It really did lay out what Ireland was like, just pointing out things about housing and poverty, the haves and the have-nots. He set a new path for the presidency, which was started by Mary Robinson.

Before The Stunning split up in ‘94, and sometime in ‘93, we did a series of live concerts in An Taibhdhearc in Galway. We put one of his poems to music and he performed with us. The poem is called ‘The Mountain’. He wrote it for his daughter, Alice Marie, who is now a fantastic senator in her own right, and cut from the same cloth, in her pursuit of truth, integrity and justice.

It’s all on the album called Tightrope. It was great to hang out with him that day. I remember in the theatre, soundchecking and rehearsing the music and the poem with him: it was really good fun!

The way he spoke up about the genocide in Gaza was very admirable, and how he refuted very eloquently these charges of anti-Semitism, which is such a cheap shot by the Israelis. He basically accused them of slander.

In the case of a president like that, I think those strongly worded statements are absolutely necessary, because the president is the figurehead. They represent Ireland. With Michael D., what has really impressed me, and a lot of people, is the passion with which he speaks. And you can tell that he is really hurt by what’s been going on in the world. It affects him profoundly and deeply.

As Minister for Arts, he revolutionised the film industry. He completely got behind that. Being a writer himself, he’s got a very close affiliation with the arts, and he understands artists. He was the one that started the tax incentives – most people in the film industry would attribute that to Michael D., that he kickstarted the film industry here.

He’s somebody that you would have full confidence in when he makes a statement, when he addresses the world stage, that he’s going to represent us in a very educated and informed manner. A president should be literate and eloquent, because we’re an intelligent race of people, here in Ireland.

I would like to thank him and his wife Sabina for being so hospitable during their time in the Áras. It was wonderful how he opened up the place and brought in different community groups, everyone from carers to artists, to people in medicine and all different areas.

It was so respectful to open up the gates, let everybody in and meet people, talk to people and hear what they have to say. He was very approachable. I’d like to thank him for his service, and to thank them both for their hospitality and warmth.

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: