Michael D. Higgins, 9th President of Ireland

Michael Daniel Higgins (Irish: Mícheál D. Ó hUiginn; born 18 April 1941) is the ninth and current President of Ireland, in office since 11 November 2011.

Higgins is a politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency and was Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 to 1997.[3] He was the President of the Labour Party from 2003 until 2011, when he resigned following his election as President of Ireland.

He made the first state visit of an Irish president to the United Kingdom in April 2014.