The former president Michael D Higgins has been speaking in Galway tonight at an event hosted by the Labour Party in honour of him and his wife Sabina.
The couple were being recognised for their outstanding public service and lifelong commitment to equality, culture and human rights.
He addressed a broad range of key issues including the impact of climate change, the displacement of people and the consequences of economic inequality.
He stressed the importance of activism in promoting social justice and human rights and praised activists of all ages including ones coming on board for "the world that is yet to be created".
He spoke about the need to create maps or visual displays that show places destroyed by climate related damage so that people "can see locations that may never recover".
Speaking about the impact of malnutrition and dehydration - especially in relation to children - he referred to food insecurity and going beyond the humanitarian response which is insufficient.
There was a call for the development of a programme to break food dependency by enabling local food production and exporting only surplus, to improve food sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported staples.
Mr Higgins spoke about the challenges facing democracy and described the current state of capitalism as "disastrous" with wealth concentrated among the very few.
"The question ultimately, is are you affording everyone dignity? And it is about dignity. And we must call out those who are enriching themselves by monopolising science, who are in fact insisting that there be no limit to the accumulation of wealth and also then not being accountable for their practices.
"Instead you have people saying that if you do this or that, then you're going to have a salary that is so much greater than anybody else and that will enable you to have practices and regulations that no one else will have," he said.
To laughter and applause he concluded: "You can keep consuming until you blow up."
Labour Leader, Ivana Bacik attended the event along with members of the parliamentary Labour Party, party members and invited guests.
She described Mr and Mrs Higgins as two people whose achievements in public life and in Labour history were unmatched, unprecedented and without parallel.
The Labour Party leader recalled canvassing for "Michael D" when she was a student at Trinity College Dublin and her admiration for his "great personal integrity".
"I have shared his strong stances on international issues - apartheid in South Africa, the 2003 campaign against the war in Iraq, on the immense value of Irish contributions to overseas development, and, of course, on the rights of people in Palestine," she said.
"Latterly, I have admired Michael D's fearless and eloquent advocacy on behalf of the people of Gaza, still facing brutal genocide from the State of Israel.
"And I have admired his immense solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they continue to endure Russia’s brutal invasion and war, now entering its fifth year."
Ms Bacik described Sabina as a powerful and passionate activist and the great political influence in her husband's life throughout his career.
"Courage, conviction, and compassion. Michael D and Sabina have spent a lifetime championing equality and human dignity," she said.
"As a feminist, and as a woman who - like many of us - grew up in the shadow of a more misogynist Ireland, I want to mark their contribution to women's rights in particular.
"Michael and Sabina have, each in their own way, made feminism a part of Ireland’s national conversation.
"The need for that feels as relevant now as ever, as Trump continues to wield power in the US, and as we see authoritarianism - intrinsically linked with contempt for women - recapturing power across the world."
Mr and Mrs Higgins were clearly emotional as they accepted the tribute to sustained applause and a standing ovation. The former president said they both deeply valued the "solidarity and loyalty to values and principles of the Labour tradition".
"I wish the Labour Party every good outcome and success for the future, realising as I do the great issues upon which it has campaigned: elimination of poverty, food security, the achievement of peace, the respect for international rights, all of which remain as unfinished tasks," Mr Higgins said.
