Adorable Dog Steals Spotlight During Ireland President’s TV Appearance [Video]

• Another dog of Ireland President Michael D. Higgins has gone viral.
• Misneach, a seven-month-old Bernese mountain dog, stole the spotlight when he begged for attention during the president’s interview.
• The puppy playfully bit at the president’s hand and pawed at his side during the TV appearance.

Ireland citizens may already be acquainted with the beloved Bernese mountain dogs of their President Michael D. Higgins. Recently, another one of his dogs gained international popularity when he stole the spotlight during the president’s TV appearance.

President Higgins was offering a tribute to late actor Tom Hickey, who passed away on Saturday. Seven-month-old Misneach, whose name meant courage, started begging for the president’s attention during the interview. The puppy playfully bit his hand and pawed at his side, as the president calmly pat his head and offered up his hand as a chew toy.

The footage was shared on the president’s TikTok account, which was then shared by RTE News journalist Sinéad Crowley on Twitter.

“There was a lot going on in our RTE News interview yesterday,” he captioned the post.

There was a lot going on in our @rtenews interview yesterday #rtenewsbehindthescenes @PresidentIRL @PaulDeighano pic.twitter.com/2zaJo3fRiY— Sinéad Crowley (@SineadCrowley) May 3, 2021

The video has since been viewed more than 300,000 times on TikTok and nearly two million times on Twitter.

“Michael D. was talking about his lifelong friend, actor Tom Hickey, who passed away the evening before. The dog presumably picked up on his deep sense of grief. And I think he finds it comforting,” Irish actor Donal O’Kelly said. “It’s a wonderful moment.”

Misneach became the newest Higgins family member in March, following the loss of Bernese mountain dog Síoda in September.

Welcome furry baby Misneach ❤️ 🐾 pic.twitter.com/Pt5uka4WBi— Dogs For Michael D. Higgins (@DogsForMichaelD) March 2, 2021

Misneach is not the first Higgins dog to captivate the online world.

Bród, whose name means pride, also stole the spotlight back in March 2020 during the International Women’s Day event in Dublin. The equally playful pup demanded attention as he ran around the room and lay on his back at the president’s side to ask for a belly rub.

Bród stole the show @PresidentIRL event. pic.twitter.com/Gfwh2AymtH— Razan Ibraheem (رزان) (@RazanIRL) March 6, 2020

The Higgins dogs even have an “official unofficial account” on Twitter that has more than 25,000 followers.

The Bernese mountain dog breed seems to be a staple in the Higgins family.

According to the American Kennel Club, the “strikingly beautiful” breed is known for its “sweet, affectionate nature,” aside from being “big, powerful, and built for hard work.”

“Berners are generally placid but are always up for a romp with the owner, whom they live to please,” they added.

Source: Newsweek