Leabharlann na Meán

Statement by President Higgins following the 18th meeting of the Arraiolos Group of EU Presidents

At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic, President Higgins participated in a meeting of the ‘Arraiolos Group’ of EU Presidents. 

The meeting was attended by14 non-executive Presidents of European Union member states who discussed contemporary issues.

The Arraiolos Group is an informal meeting of Presidents of European Union member states. Meeting once a year, the Arraiolos Group, named after the Portuguese town where the first meeting took place in 2003, provides a political forum for the Presidents of parliamentary republics in the EU to consider responses to the challenges facing their societies, and to promote the principles of multilateralism.Statement by President Higgins following the 18th meeting of the Arraiolos Group of EU Presidents

Speech at National Ploughing Championships 2023

President Higgins formally opened the National Ploughing Championships, taking place place in Ratheniska, Co. Laois.

The President has attended the Ploughing Championships since his inauguration in 2011, and has described the festival as “an outstanding example of the Irish genius” and “the most beloved rendez-vous in Ireland’s rural calendar.”

Speech by President Michael D. Higgins at the Presentation of the Gaisce Gold Awards July 2023