Higgins presents 'incredible' archive to National Library

DONATION:PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Michael D Higgins last night formally presented his personal archive to the National Library of Ireland.

The 140 boxes of material, spanning 40 years of his public life, include long-hand versions of his Hot Pressmagazine contributions, original manuscripts of his four poetry books, diaries, travel notebooks, academic work and unpublished research.

Director of the National Library of Ireland Fiona Ross described the donation as “an absolutely incredible and extensive collection of a contemporary politician, academic and a poet”. She said the collection would take about a year to catalogue.

Mr Higgins said he decided to donate the collection a year ago when he resolved not to stand for the Dáil. Asked whether there was anything in it that would surprise people, he said: “It will remind people of the heat of the debate of the different referendums.”

Asked whether he had kept anything back, he said: “There are maybe some letters where I haven’t had an opportunity of talking to people at the other side of the correspondence.” Due to Freedom of Information legislation, he “couldn’t really include anything to do with constituents”.