PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has thanked the people of Ireland for 'placing their trust' in him as he celebrates his final St Patrick's Day as the nation's head of state.
The President and his wife Sabina will lead the national celebrations in Dublin today, which will see them travel from Áras an Uachtaráin to St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral where they will attend St Patrick's Day Mass.
Later they will be guests of honour at the St Patrick’s Day Parade on O’Connell Street, where the theme of today's festivities is ‘Eachtraí’, the Irish word for 'adventures', which "represents the unique essence of Ireland and of Irish people", the festival organisers explain.
With a busy day ahead, President Higgins issued a poignant St Patrick's Day message to the people of Ireland.
"As we reflect on Patrick’s message on our national day, let us do so, taking it as inspiration to develop a greater shared consciousness of the existential plight facing humankind, both of now and the future, of life as it is being lived and experienced, exploitatively with unnecessary strife and suffering, seeking instead an institutional framework that sees difference as an opportunity for an enriching co-operation towards shared goals," he said.
He further highlighted the fact that today will be his last St Patrick's Day as Ireland's president, as his term comes to an end in November.
"As this St. Patrick’s Day of 2025 will be my 14th and thus the final occasion when I will be wishing you the very best in your hopes and lives at home and abroad, as President of Ireland, I have thus felt encouraged to reflect on the themes that I have addressed in two sessions of the Presidency," he said.
"They were themes that included the need to think of the economy in an embedded if instrumental way within a set of values that sought equality, inclusion, the fullest capacity to participate and share creativity, and that we would seek to achieve this by doing so beyond any borders other than the best instincts of our shared humanity.
"That, I suggested, is the best expression and achievement of our Irishness," he added before sneding a special message to the people of Ireland.
"To the people of Ireland, muintir na hÉireann, may I thank you for the trust you have placed in me over these past 14 years," he said.
"It remains the greatest honour and privilege to serve you, to meet so many of you in your communities, to witness your compassion, empathy and kindness in so many different ways.
"It is something that I will always cherish - what you offered to Sabina, my partner in all that I have sought to achieve and myself - and we both appreciated and will always recall the warmth and support that you offered us, and the joy of your company," he explained.
"I am convinced beyond any doubt that, in spite of all the challenges we face, there remains within the Irish people a profound and unyielding commitment to seeing beyond the self, to seeing the other as a friend, the principles of generosity, decency and care for one another," he added.
This evening, the President and Sabina will host a St Patrick’s Day reception at Áras an Uachtaráin.
The theme of this year’s reception is ‘Samhlaíocht agus an Náisiún – Imagination and the Nation’ and the event will celebrate the contribution of community arts to inclusion and creativity.
They will be joined by community-based artists and arts officers from across the country for the reception, with a particular emphasis on those working in diverse communities, including within the Traveller community.
Music will be provided by the Beartla Ó Flatharta Céilí Band, who were the All-Ireland Champions at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024.
The reception will be addressed by President Higgins, with a response from Professor Ciarán Benson, whose 1979 framework document, 'The Place of the Arts in Irish Education’ prompted a discussion on the role of education in involving young people in the arts, and the report provided the first blueprint for the arts in Irish education.
The President further urged Irish people across the globe to "invoke the spirit of St Patrick" today.
"On this St. Patrick’s Day 2025, let us invoke the spirit of Saint Patrick by acknowledging our shared responsibilities to each other, to our global family," he said.
"Let us resolve to forge together a renewed sense of solidarity, reaffirming our commitment to the dignity and well-being of all, in building a just and compassionate world, one which reflects the best instincts of our humanity," he added.
"May I wish you all, wherever you may be and in whatever circumstances, a joyful, peaceful, and hopeful St. Patrick’s Day.
"Beir beannacht an lá is do’n todhchaí."
See More: Dublin, Ireland, President Higgins, St Patrick's Day
