After 14 years in office – and a lifetime in social justice activism – the presidency of Michael D. Higgins came to an end yesterday, and the inauguration of his successor, Catherine Connolly, takes place this afternoon.

While the office of the president has a limited political role, Michael D. Higgins’s commitment to a number of activist causes, from opposing war to promoting social justice, was evident throughout his career.

Prior to his election as president in 2011, Higgins was a TD, representing Galway West initially between 1981 and 1982, and then again between 1987 to 2011. During his time in the Dáil, he was critical of the war in Iraq, advocated for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

In his acceptance speech following the 2011 presidential election, Higgins promised to be a president for all, and said inclusion would be a key tenet of his time in office.

Throughout his presidency, Ireland saw two particularly major referenda victories – Marriage Equality in 2015, and the Repeal of the Eighth Amendment in 2018. While the President is obliged to remain neutral during a referendum, Higgins’ support of both LGBTQ+ rights and access to abortion is well-documented.

Higgins shared annual messages of support to the LGBTQ+ community to mark Pride celebrations in Ireland. This year, he described Pride as “a vital affirmation of the rights, dignity, and joy of our LGBT+ communities”.

“In celebrating Pride this year, we are also marking the 10th anniversary of the Marriage Equality referendum, a moment that spoke of the kind of Ireland we aspire to be: inclusive, generous, an Ireland that is unafraid to affirm the equal worth of all of our citizens,” he wrote in the statement.

He also said he has been “continually inspired by the creativity, resilience, and generosity of spirit shown by Ireland’s LGBT+ community.”

With regards to access to abortion, Higgins has been a long-term supporter. He opposed the Eighth Amendment, which recognises the “equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn” in 1982. He also wrote about his support of access to abortion during his time as a writer for Hot Press.

Following the death of Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old woman who died from sepsis after her request for an abortion was denied in 2012, Higgins stressed the importance of an inquest into her death. He also said he joins the “thousands of Irish people in the streets” in expressing their sadness following Halappanavar’s death.

Higgins has also expressed his support for migrants throughout his presidency. In 2024, on World Refugee Day, Higgins wrote about the “poisonous ideals of imperialism, racism and Othering”, and stressed the importance for communities to “promote a sense of solidarity, inclusiveness and cohesion”.

In his final years in office, Higgins was particularly vocal about Israel’s genocide in Gaza, describing it last year as a “tragic period in the history of the world.” He regularly called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and criticised a “realm of unaccountability” which allowed the genocide to happen.

Higgins was accused of anti-semitism for his comments on Gaza, which he resolutely denied. He said the equivocation of criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with anti-semitism is a “slander”.

Yesterday, on his final day in office, Higgins thanked the people of Ireland for their “warmth and reception”.

“How valuable it was to be able to join with them in engaging with the issues, projects and ideas that will help us to achieve the best of our country and the best representation of Ireland and its values abroad – an inclusive citizenship and a creative society in a real Republic,” he said.