The presidency: Are you right there, Michael?
When Higgins ran for president in 2011, he secured more than a million votes and promised that he would serve only one seven-year term
Factfile
Age:79 (the office of president was established in 1938 under the new Constitution)
Appearance: a turbulent and controversial contest where the last candidate left standing wins a seven-year stint in Áras an Uachtaráin
Newsworthiness: independent senator Gerard Craughwell has promised to force a presidential election next year if Michael D Higgins seeks a second term
Had it not been for Pat Rabbitte, Michael D Higgins might never have been president.
In September ...
