Integrity

As I write this blog Michael D Higgins is waiting to be confirmed as the 9th President of Ireland.

This success follows a strange final week to the election campaign, with a big shift in the voting since the last poll - 38 per cent of the electorate only made up their minds in the final 3 days before the vote. In particular, many people shifted their support to Michael D in the final days before the voting began.


So in the end what was it that pushed Michael D ahead of the others? When it came down to it, what did the Irish people look for in their President? In a poll taken on the day of the election, voters were asked what was the most important element in their decision making. The answer? Integrity.

According to the poll,  integrity was more important than experience, skills, independence or ability. And unfortunately  it seems that for the electorate, integrity did not seem to be an abundant quality in our candidates. Integrity is a tricky beast you see. As we have seen this week, one single slip or the hint of a question mark over your past, and a shadow of doubt can be cast. And once that shadow has been cast, it is extremely difficult to shake it off.

In Michael D Higgins' 71 years he has managed to avoid that shadow. He brought an aura of honesty, passion and integrity to the election campaign. For me (and many people around Ireland) that was what sealed the deal in the end. I hate to sound too much like his campaign slogan, but I really believe that he is a President who will do us proud. I can't wait to see him in the role.