Speech by President Higgins at the 2023 Distinguished Service Awards

At a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin President Michael D. Higgins presented the 2023 Presidential Distinguished Service Awards.
The Awards are presented by the President every year, in recognition of the service given to this country, or to Irish communities abroad, by those who live outside Ireland.
The Awards were created in 2011, as a means to recognise the contribution of members of the Irish diaspora, and the first awards were presented by President Higgins in 2012.
The 2023 recipients are:
Arts, Culture, and Sport
Mr. Aidan Connolly (USA)
Ms. Pauline Turley (USA)
Dr. Beatriz Kopschitz Bastos (Brazil)
Mr. Philip Treacy (Britain)
Mr. Fritz Senn (Switzerland)
Business and Economic Development
Dr. Howard Keeley (USA)
Charitable Works and Advocacy
Ms. Caoilfhionn Gallagher K.C. (Britain)
Dr. Stanley Quek (Singapore)
Education, Science, and Innovation
Dr. Patricia Lewis (Britain)
Inclusion and Equality
Ms. Maria Doyle (France)
Irish Community Support
Ms. Sinéad El Sibai (UAE)
Mr. Séamus Sullivan (Australia)
Peace, Reconciliation, and Development
Fr. Gabriel Dolan (Kenya)
Throughout his term in office, President Higgins has emphasised the global nature of Ireland’s cultural heritage, the significance of the diaspora and the common history and identity we share “despite the borders, oceans and miles that may separate us”.