NCH tribute to Michael D Higgins for TG4 screening next week

Tommy Tiernan hosts celebration of poetry, music, and performance

TG4 presents 'Against All Certainty – Ceiliúradh ar Mhicheál D Ó hUiginn', a powerful and uplifting celebration of poetry, music and performance honouring the former president and the release of his debut spoken-word album, 'Against All Certainty', on Claddagh Records. The programme airs on TG4 on Saturday 3rd January at 9pm and will be available to audiences worldwide on TG4.ie.

Recorded at a special event presented by the National Concert Hall (NCH) in September 2025 while he was still in office, the programme captures an extraordinary gathering of many of Ireland’s most celebrated artists, who came together to mark the release of Higgins’s first spoken-word album on Claddagh Records and to celebrate his profound contribution to Irish cultural life.

Hosted by Tommy Tiernan, the evening features readings of poetry from Against All Certainty by leading literary voices including Paula Meehan and Sebastian Barry, alongside a remarkable musical line-up featuring Mary Coughlan, Paul Brady, Imelda May, Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Andy Irvine. All performances are accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, conducted by David Brophy, creating a rich and moving fusion of word and music.

The concert was organised as a tribute not only to President Higgins’s poetry, but also to his enduring legacy and advocacy for the arts, culture and creative expression throughout his presidency.

Michael D Higgins is the author of four poetry collections—'The Betrayal', 'The Season of Fire', 'An Arid Season', and 'New and Selected Poems'. Against All Certainty marks his first recorded spoken-word project, created at Áras an Uachtaráin, and brings his poetry to new audiences through the voices of some of Ireland’s most distinctive performers.