And then there were two. Jim Gavin drops out of Irish presidential race…

Gavin dropped out of the race after the Irish Independent reported on Saturday that he owed €3,300 to a former tenant.

Challenged about the allegation during RTÉ’s presidential debate on Sunday, he said: “If it happened, I’m very sorry. I’m looking into it and will sort it quickly.” He also admitted he didn’t yet have “all the information” on the matter. The whole thing had more than a whiff of Father Ted’s infamous line about money “only resting in my account.”

A poll published in the Sunday Independent by Ireland Thinks placed Gavin a distant third in what had become a three‑horse race: Catherine Connolly led on 32%, Heather Humphreys polled 23%, and Gavin trailed with 15%. The so‑called scandal feels fairly minor; the bigger reality is that his campaign was flatlining, and the debt story gave him a way out.

With Gavin gone, the contest is down to Connolly and Humphreys. That creates an awkward strategic dilemma for Sinn Féin. They have already lined up behind Connolly and unleashed their formidable canvassing machine on her behalf. But some of the party’s backroom strategists must be quietly wondering if, with the possibility of a border poll looming in the next presidential term, it might actually serve Sinn Féin better to have an Ulster Protestant woman in the Áras. The optics of Heather Humphreys as president could help reassure wavering unionists that their identity would be respected in a united Ireland – a factor that might matter more in the long game than a single presidential contest.

Brian O'Neill

Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.