Now that Hillary Clinton has officially conceded and we now realise that we're facing into four years of Trump's America, it's understandable to be more than a little frightened.

Still, we can take comfort in the fact that it's pretty unlikely Ireland would ever elect a war-mongering racist who looks like the product of a night of passion between a bag of oranges and a gorilla.

In other words, we have Michael D. Higgins as our President and he's pretty great. Come on, look at him.

 

12. THAT TIME HE CALLED A RIGHT-WING AMERICAN PUNDIT A WANKER ON LIVE NATIONAL RADIO

"He called him a wanker, Joe..."

 

 

11. HE ASKED FOR A PAY CUT IN HIS PRESIDENT'S SALARY

Yes, really. In 2011, just after assuming office, President Higgins wrote to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and asked for 23.5% pay cut. He asked for it. And he got it, too. 

 

10. HE WAS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF GALWAY UNITED, F.C. FOR A BRIEF PERIOD

 

9. THE SAW DOCTORS WROTE A SONG ABOUT HIM

It's no Ford Cortina, in fairness, but come on - do you see anyone writing a song about Enda Kenny?

 

8. HE WROTE A POEM ABOUT A DONKEY ONCE

As you may or may not know, Michael D. Higgins was also a published poet and wrote a number of volumes of poetry. One of his works was called The Ass, which was about a donkey. One stanza reads: "I recall the soft velvet of his ears, as he bent in habit for the winkers, the resignation too of his taking the bit past the surrender of his yellow teeth."

 

7. HE OPPOSED THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT IN 1983

In fact, it's believed that he lost his Dáil seat in Galway West to Fintan Coogan, Jr. over his opposition to the amendment.

 

6. HE REESTABLISHED THE IRISH FILM BOARD AND SET UP TG4

When acting as Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D. Higgins brought back the Irish Film Board with the sole purpose of utilising "the technical facilities available in Ireland at present and the imaginative and creative skills which exist in that industry which have been underemployed." It worked, too. Since the Irish Film Board was introduced, it's helped to fund a wide range of films, including this year's Sing Street, Lenny Abrahamson's Room, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, The Guard, Once and loads more.

 

5. HE'S A BIG FAN OF BOB DYLAN

This is our President in 1984 at Slane. Look at those sandals.

 

 

4. HE HAS A PICTURE OF HIMSELF WITH MARTIN SHEEN IN HIS OFFICE

If you had a picture taken with Martin Sheen, you'd stick it in your office. President or not.

 

 

3. HE HAS TWO DOGS CALLED SHADOW AND BRÓD

They're Bernese Mountain Dogs and they're almost as big as him. Here he is out walking his dogs around Aras an Uachtarain when he bumped into Paddy Barnes from the Dublin Barber Shop.

 

2. EVEN THOUGH HE'S PRESIDENT, HE STILL USES AN ATM LIKE YOU AND ME

Why is this so affecting? He's just using an ATM and, yet, it makes him so personable.

 

1. THAT TIME WE WON AGAINST ITALY AND HE WENT MAD LIKE EVERYONE ELSE 

SINNE FIANNA FÁIL, ATÁ FAOI GHEALL AG ÉIRINN...