Michael D. Higgins with Myles O’Reilly release ‘Against All Certainty (Extended Edition)’, on Claddagh Records. The extended edition of the critically acclaimed album features four unreleased tracks which have been beautifully curated once again by musician, filmmaker and collaborator Myles O’Reilly. The collaboration between the two has led to a stunning and significant body of work. Available HERE
Speaking on the additional tracks, O’Reilly expresses,
“Working with these four poems has been a quietly transformative experience. Each offers its own hopeful challenge: to imagine better futures, to remain open to what might yet be possible, to look more deeply and compassionately at the world, and to move through it with care. Returning to them again and again, and holding them together as a single constellation, they became something like a mantra, a gentle form of personal nurture, continually inviting a more humane and attentive way of being”.
To celebrate the release of Against All Certainty (Extended Edition), Other Voices is honoured to announce that Michael D. Higgins and Myles O’Reilly will open this year’s festival in Dingle today, Friday 28th November. This marks a special moment in the festival’s history, bringing together two of Irelands most distinctive creative voices for an intimate and unforgettable performance. The duo will perform a selection of poems from the original spoken-word release including a surprise debut recital of “Of Possibility” from the Extended Edition, out today, marking the first time the pair will perform this track together live.
Remarking on the event, Michael D. Higgins adds,
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to perform in Dingle this weekend with my friend and musical collaborator Myles O’Reilly. For nearly a quarter of a century, Other Voices has brought together so many of the best performers from Ireland and across the world for a weekend of special performances within a shared cultural community of artists. It is an honour to join them this year for what I know will be another inspiring event.”
Founder of Other Voices Philip King remarks on the inaugural recital,
“We are honoured to welcome former president Michael D.Higgins to Dingle for Other Voices this year. He will perform a number of poems from his collection All Against Certainty with musician and filmmaker Myles O’Reilly. The community of artists and musicians gathered together in Dingle for Other Voices will be delighted to welcome a fellow artist and a man who has done so much to foreground the vital importance of the arts, of the language and of the culture of Ireland over the past several decades. Beidh fáilte roimhe anseo in Iarthar Duibhneach”
As Other Voices approaches its 25th anniversary next year, the festival continues to gather musicians, poets, and visionaries in its West Kerry home of Dingle, where art is shared close-up. Michael D. Higgins’ participation honours the festival’s roots and celebrates the broader cultural community of Ireland and an ever-growing family of artists at home and abroad.
This special performance is available to watch now via the Other Voices YouTube.
“Against All Certainty”, the debut spoken-word album by President Michael D. Higgins, was released on 5th September 2025. The album entered at #3 on the Official Irish Album Chart becoming the biggest physical selling artist in the charts that week and the biggest Week 1 (volume) of any spoken-word album in the Irish Charts (on record). It features 10 original works and is underscored beautifully by a stunning musical composition from celebrated musician Myles O’Reilly.
Tracklist
The Truth of Poetry
Brothers
Katie’s Song
Dark Memories
My Mother Married My Father in Mount Melleray in 1937
The Death of the Red Cow
Against All Certainty
The Betrayal
The Death of Mary Doyle
Stargazer
*Of Utopias
*Of Possibility
*Beyond the Eye
*Take Care
“Against All Certainty (Extended Edition)” is OUT NOW via Claddagh Records https://claddaghrecords.com/
www.othervoices.ie // @OtherVoicesLive // #OV2025