Sabina Higgins honoured with Mayo Person of the Year Award at Dublin ceremony
Sabina Coyne Higgins was honoured as the 2026 Mayo Person of the Year at a gala event in Dublin on Saturday, April 18.
She received the Virginia Gallagher Mayo Person of the Year Award from the Mayo Association Dublin at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, in recognition of her decades-long advocacy for women’s rights, empowerment and gender equality.
The award also acknowledged her longstanding commitment to community arts, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
She is the wife of former President Michael D Higgins who served two terms in the Aras from 2011 to 2025.
Her strong Mayo connection is on her maternal side; her mother, Mary Kilkenny, was from the Ballindine area in south Mayo, while Ms Higgins herself was born in Cloonrane on the Mayo-Galway border in 1941.
She attended school in Ballindine and later at the Convent of Mercy in Claremorris.
A lifelong champion of the arts, Ms Higgins co-founded Dublin’s Focus Theatre and has been widely recognised for her commitment to social activism, public service and the arts.
Particular reference was made to her role in promoting the United Nations goal of achieving gender equality by 2030, a cause for which Ms Higgins has been a vocal and committed advocate.
In 2015, she launched and championed the National Man Up Campaign to help combat domestic violence by encouraging men to respect women and engage in equality.
During her time as First Lady, she hosted the 50th anniversary of the National Women’s Council in 2023, further underlining her commitment to women’s rights.
She also represented Ireland alongside President Higgins at global climate conferences, supporting sustainability initiatives throughout her tenure in Áras an Uachtaráin.
The Mayo Association in Dublin described her as “a true advocate for a kinder, more equal Ireland.”
The evening also included the presentation of the Paddy Joe Moran Meitheal Award to Cuimsiú Mhaigheo, an initiative recognising the importance of inclusion in traditional music.
Launched by Mayo Comhaltas in 2024, the Cuimsiú competition at Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo in Westport provides an inclusive platform for performers of all ages with additional needs or disabilities.
Following its initial success, the competition returned in 2025 with support from groups including Áirc Mayo, Ballina Autism Friendly Town, and Down Syndrome Mayo.
Designed around flexibility, dignity and joy, Cuimsiú allows participants to tailor their performance environment, including the option to perform without an audience, use notes or visual aids, choose whether to receive applause, and have a support person present.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.