On 29 October 2011, two days after the presidential election was held, Higgins was declared the winner with a total of 1,007,104 votes, far more than any Irish politician in the history of the republic. Thousands of people lined the streets of Galway to welcome him home the following day. International media coverage of his win reported his humble background, poetry, intellect and short stature (he stands 163 cm (5 ft 4 in)), with The Washington Post noting "local satirists sometimes depict him as an elf, hobbit or leprechaun talking in riddles and verse". He is the first President of Ireland to have served in both Houses of the Oireachtas having previously been a member of Dáil Éireann (Lower House) and Seanad Éireann (Upper house). He has a presidential dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog named Bruno.
Before his inauguration he and his family met his predecessor Mary McAleese and her husband Martin for lunch at Áras an Uachtaráin on 3 November. That night, he presented an award to Niall Tóibín, and received his own standing ovation as he entered the Irish Film Institute. On 5 November, he attended an important football game, featuring his beloved Galway United versus Monaghan United in the second leg in the League of Ireland promotion/relegation play-off at Terryland Park, wrapped in the scarf of his favourite team, and being greeted by a large banner hanging from a stand declaring "Welcome home to Galway, Mr President".
Presidency
Higgins was inaugurated as President of Ireland at Dublin Castle on 11 November 2011 giving a speech as part of the ceremony. The ceremony had a humanist element, alongside Christian, Jewish and Muslim ones.
Higgins receives an annual salary of €250,000.[49] After assuming office, the President wrote to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to request that his salary be reduced by 23.5 percentfrom €325,000 to about €250,000.
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