‘I want my grandchildren to be the first to have the next President’s autograph,’ says Louth man

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

It wasn’t the sunniest of days to meet at a coastal landmark in County Louth, but Heather Humphreys brought the bright lights of the media pack to Blackrock as her Presidential campaign swung into the village on Wednesday morning.

Locals sipping their cappuccinos and chai lattes had an unexpected arrival as she breezed into The Village Garden cafe, pressing the flesh, cooing at the babies and their exhausted mums, and even signing autographs for an unsuspecting resident of Dubai.

"I want my grandchildren to be the first to have the next President’s autograph!” said local man John Pepper.

He hadn’t expected to bump into the former government Minister turned Presidential candidate, but John, who is visually impaired, wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.

Along with written proof of her best wishes for his grandchildren, including one who has moved to Dubai, he asked for her support for people with disabilities if she becomes the next President of Ireland. That was a given, she said, pledging to make it one of her priorities.

Smiling for selfies, and leaning in for a chat, she shared stories of her time visiting Blackrock as a child.

"We used to come here in the summertime, my granny used to say it was healing to dip her feet in the water, and I can still remember the chips we would get from the chip shop up the street.”

Saccharine as it may have been, her knowledge of the area peaked the interest of locals, before she made a quick dash to the shorefront, where Blackrock’s Millennium Sundial is a well known meeting point and visitor attraction.

"I love the smell of the sea!” she said, unwittingly raising a key talking point in the area, which has suffered from a stench emanating from the coastline earlier this summer and led to calls for a council investigation.

A group of Tidy Towns volunteers were eager to meet with the former TD who they praised for ensuring the national competition survived the Covid pandemic shutdown.

"The work you do is incredible, you do the hard yards,” she told them.

Blackrock is a multi-medal winning village in the Tidy Towns movement, scooping a series of gold medals, and is an entrant for the 2026 Entente Florale competition.

That success hadn’t gone unnoticed, said Heather, and she pledged to continue her personal support for Tidy Towns if her bid for the presidency succeeds.

She pointed out that during her time in government she had worked to extend the CE scheme, adding: “I know how important it is for voluntary groups around the country, and for CE workers, it is good for their mental health to be working in the outdoors.”

“As President I want to be able to shine a light on the vital work of volunteers and community groups. You are at the heart of your community.”