an Exclusive Interview with President Michael D. Higgins - A Reflection on Language, Culture, and Our Shared Future As Global Citizens.
Watch here from Sunday 16 March 2025 at 12:00 noon.
Photograph by Tony Maxwell.
Last year, we approached President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann) Michael D. Higgins’s office with the idea of an interview rooted in his relationship with the Irish language, with support from Foras na Gaeilge. We invited him to share his wisdom and heart-centred leadership with us as a Saoi- a term in the Irish language that refers to one who is highly respected for their mastery in art, literature, and culture.
In the autumn, the President’s office granted us this exclusive interview and we asked renowned writer and broadcaster Manchán Magan to sit down with President to explore themes of language, culture, identity, and the pressing global challenges of our time. Their conversation, available to watch here from Sunday 16 March, reveals a seer, scholar and statesman whose expansive worldview offers profound insights into the spirit of our times.
He responded not only as a statesman but as a poet and philosopher, a son and grandfather, an elder and an ancestor-in-training.In the lead-up to the Winter Solstice (Grianstad an Gheimhridh), a moment in the Irish tradition symbolizing the darkest hours before the return of light, an enlightening conversation took place at Áras an Uachtaráin (interview date: December 10th 2024).
The Trailblazery founder Kathy Scott meeting President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. Photo by Tom Lawlor.
In this stirring conversation, President Higgins reflects on his journey from his childhood in County Clare to his distinguished career in academia and politics, sharing his commitment to the Irish language (An Ghaeilge) and its significance in post-colonial Ireland. He examines the broader impact of history on cultural identity and offers a sweeping perspective on societal transformation — tracing the arc of human progress from industrialism to modernity, from capitalism to socialism. He warns of the brutality of endless war and the existential threats posed by biodiversity loss and species extinction, while also emphasizing the vital role of imagination, curiosity, and creativity as tools for renewal and hope. He reminds us of the power of possibility and a golden age yet to be achieved.
Photo by Tony Maxwell
“We must make our own answer
Our liberation from the nightmare will come
Our exile will end
Not from the making of miracles
But from the strength of will and heart combines
Affirming
That we make our own history
With heart and head
We make our common fate
Together
We move on and affirm
An old promise,
Not rejected
Unfulfilled.”
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