Hi °C | Lo °C Michael D Higgins drew a capacity crowd to reminisce about his '40 years in Public Life'. The event organised by NUI Galway Dublin Alumni Group was expected to attract only 80 people, but 150 turned up, requiring additional seats to be put out twice in the Davenport Hotel.
A line in a poem by Michael D refers to a general giving a speech that lasted two episodes of Dallas and sure enough the conversation lasted a full two hours.
Among the highlights were Michael Twee's tales of traipsing the byroads of Louth with the late Labour leader Frank Cluskey for an election campaign.
Above in Hackballscross to canvass massgoers, Frank wasn't too keen on going into the church so he sent in Michael D to see "have they reached the washing up stage yet?".
Afraid of offending any locals, the lads were careful about how they pronounced the location.
Irish Independent
