Its official as of this week the Irish Presidential Election will take place on Friday, October 26th. On the same-day, there will vote on Thirty-seventh Amendment of the Constitution (Repeal of offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter) Bill 2018.
A number of candidates are vying to get on the on the ticket to challenge sitting President Michael D Higgins. There are three ways to get on the ballot paper, a sitting President (or former President who served only one term) may nominate themselves, nomination by 20 members of the Oireachtas or by nomination by 4 local authorities.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have both said they will not be nominating a candidate and will be supporting the President. Labour who nominated Michael D Higgins in 2011 are supporting him in this election.
Sinn Fein will also be announcing a candidate. They have a process in train and will announce a candidate on the 10th of September.
The last Presidential election in 2011 had a record 7 candidates, this year could equal that or exceed it providing that the independents in the Dail and Seanad agree on a candidate and the county councils nominate the maximum number of candidates. There are 31 councils (26 County Councils, 3 City Councils and 2 City & County Councils), 4 per candidate meaning 6 possible candidates from this route, as well as the incumbent and the Sinn Fein Nominee, meaning a possible 8 candidates from the 11 announced so far.
I hope to keep this post updated as nominations come in before the deadline on September 26th
So who are the candidates?
Confirmed
- Michael D Higgins – Incumbent, Self nomination
- Sean Gallagher – Businessman, 2011 runner-up – Roscommon County Council, Mayo County Council, Leitrim County Council, Wexford County Council, Cavan County Council
- Joan Freeman – Senator, Founder of Pieta House – Cork City Council, Galway County Council, Fingal County Council, Galway City Council
Nominations Received (4 councils or 20 Oireachtas members needed)
- Gavin Duffy – Businessman – Meath County Council, Carlow County Council, Wicklow County Council
Looking for Nominations
- Peter Casey – Businessman
- Patrick Feeney – Retired Aer Lingus Worker
- Mannix Flynn – Independent Councillor on Dublin City Council
- John Groake – Farmer
- Marie Goretti Moylan – Volunteer
- Sarah Lousie Mulligan – Entertainer
- Gemma O’Doherty – Journalist
- Kevin Sharkey – Artist
- James Smyth – Musician
Possible Sinn Fein Candidates
- John Finucane – Solicitor
- Liadh Ni Riada – MEP
Withdrawn Candidates
- Gerard Craughwell – Senator
- Pádraig Ó Céidigh – Senator, Businessman
