President of Ireland's dog steals the show during interview

President Higgins and his dog during the interview (Photo: Sinéad Crowley / Twitter)

Talking to RTE News, President Higgins was paying tribute to the Irish actor Tom Hickey upon his passing, but it was footage of Higgins and his pet that has gone viral.

In a "behind the scenes" tweet from Sinéad Crowley, an arts and media correspondent with RTÉ News, the playful pooch can be seen vying for the attention of its owner.

The clip was also posted on President Higgins’ TikTok page, where it has been viewed more than 250,000 times.

Comments beneath the video on TikTok included:

“Ladies and gentlemen, our president. I love living in Ireland.”

“This is the wholesome president and his dog content that I like.”

“I’m not crying, you’re crying”

“Those that show love to their animals have all of my respect. Obviously, there is a lot of love between these two.”

“An absolute gentleman. Watch him with the dog’s paw - he kept holding it never once pushed him away. A true dog lover and great president”

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