President of Ireland

The Gaping Hole in Irish Political Thinking

Soapbox on December 22, 2022, 2:32 pm

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By Billy Lawless, Emma DeSouza & Kevin J. Sullivan . The authors are all members of the Executive Committee of www.votingrights.ie Two themes currently dominate political thought regarding the future of the Irish Nation: the concept of a shared Ireland, promoted by Micheal Martin while he was Taoiseach and the quest for a United Ireland, promoted by Future Ireland and Sinn Fein. Both of these approaches ignore the fact that two large groups of Irish citizens, just under a million– …

Martin McGuinness: “I wasn’t a member of the IRA when that happened…”

Pete Baker on September 19, 2011, 6:51 pm

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Sinn Féin’s candidate in the Irish Presidential election, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, told RTÉ’s This Week programme yesterday that “If people want to examine my record, let them examine my record. I stand on my record.” But not before McGuinness declined the invitation by Colm O’Mongain for full disclosure of his role in the Provisional IRA, and quoting Tony Blair, [but not Jonathan Powell? – Ed] and citing meetings with US Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, and, of course, Nelson Mandela. …

Front-runner bows out before race to Áras begins

Pete Baker on August 13, 2011, 2:52 pm

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Front-runner in the most recent poll of potential candidates for Irish President, Gay Byrne, has told RTÉ News that he will not be entering the race. From the RTÉ report Describing it as a ‘worthy objective’, he sent best wishes to all the other candidates in the race and anyone else who may enter it. Mr Byrne said there was no particular reason why he had decided not to run. He said the option of running was foisted on him and …

Eurosceptic front-runner in race for the Áras

Pete Baker on August 11, 2011, 3:17 pm

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In the absence of independent Senator David Norris, the former Late Late Show presenter, and current chairman of the Ireland’s Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne, is reported to be polling ahead of all the declared candidates for Irish President. And he’s been holding forth on his concerns about the European Union. “Those concerns are that I think it’s a crazy notion from the very beginning. We crossed the Rubicon when we joined the single currency. I think there’s no backing out now …

Norris abandons Irish presidency bid

Pete Baker on August 2, 2011, 4:36 pm

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Having more than survived the re-emergence of controversial comments in a ten-year-old interview, independent Senator David Norris’ presidential hopes were scuppered when his campaign team resigned after being surprised by a 1997 letter to the Israeli courts pleading for clemency for his former partner and friend, Ezra Nawi, who was awaiting sentence for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in Israel in 1992. Having failed to secure the backing of local councils, and with three TDs withdrawing their support, leaving him even further away from …

“the crowning moment in the peace process”?

Pete Baker on April 7, 2011, 9:42 pm

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Both Buckingham Palace and the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, have announced the itinerary for the State visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland, from Tuesday 17th to Friday 20th May. The first by a UK monarch since 1911. The programme will include a formal welcome by President McAleese at áras an Uachtaráin, a ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance, a courtesy call on the Taoiseach at Government Buildings and a State dinner in Dublin Castle, at which both The Queen and …