President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has wished singer Bob Dylan a happy 80th birthday in an official statement.
Bob Dylan turns 80 years old today and Irish president Michael D Higgins has wished him a happy birthday by releasing a statement.
In the statement, Michael D says, "Dear Bob, a chara,
"As one 80-year-old to another, and as one poet to another, I felt I should share with you my view that the best poem on an 80-year-old is William Wordsworth's poem 'Michael', which deals with the consequences of the enclosures in England in the 18th Century, and their making of a working class of men, women and children for the factory system at the cost of intimate rural life. I feel it's a beautiful work and would love sometime to talk to you about it.
"In 2016, I said of you: 'Bob Dylan's linking of the American folk tradition to the moral, economic and political challenges has been a significant achievement, and the appeal of his music has been inter-generational. His lyrics, with their rhythms, have linked followers of country, jazz and rock to counter-cultural and politically engaged movements. In doing this, he has narrowed the space between the poetic, the musical and the political'.
"My opinion hasn't changed."
https://twitter.com/PresidentIRL/status/1396762395251335175
Higgins also turned 80 this year and to mark the occasion, Ryan Tubridy was invited to Áras an Uachtaráin for a special Late Late Show interview, during which Higgin was full of praise for his wife, Sabina. TG4 also broadcast a special programme to celebrate the president's birthday, featuring music, song, dance and poems. Some well-known guests appeared during the special, such as Van Morrison, former president Mary Robinson, and many artists and musicians.
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