Presidential election

Liadh Ní Riada announced as Sinn Fein presidential candidate

David McCann on September 16, 2018, 4:49 pm | Readers 2638

MEP Liadh Ní Riada has been announced as the party candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Speaking about her nomination she said; My personal background has given me a deep appreciation of Ireland’s unique identity and culture, its place in the wider world and a strong commitment to a United Ireland. “I grew up in west Cork, an area with a proud republican history. I was raised in the Gaeltacht in an Irish speaking family and as the daughter of …

Sinn Fein’s options for Presidential candidate…

Mick Fealty on September 7, 2011, 11:13 am | Readers 8

Well one of the things that’s certain to become clear shortly is who is going to run for President for Sinn Fein. Niall O’Dowd’s tip is Mary Lou McDonald, whereas Fionnan Sheahan reports that Michelle Gildernew, the Fermanagh South Tyrone MP and the former Agriculture Minister is becoming the favourite. I don’t think any of us can say we really know until the announcement, possibly even including the candidate her or himself. The party’s internal centralism has some critical advantages …

‘Norrisgate’ blogger upsets ‘balanced’ relationship between Ireland’s media and politicians

Mick Fealty on August 3, 2011, 9:02 am | Readers 22

Here’s a fascinating post from the blogger who brought David Norris’ presidential campaign shuddering to a halt (see also Pete’s richer note on the wider provenance of the story). Note that ‘all’ he needed was a nudge in the right direction (from a plausibly deniable source), Google and the heavy duty journalistic search engine Lexus Nexus. Two thoughts. For all the slightness of the power invested in the office Presidential elections must be the dirtiest in the Irish electoral calendar. …

Norris abandons Irish presidency bid

Pete Baker on August 2, 2011, 4:36 pm | Readers 13

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 …

David Norris an early leader. Fianna Fail waiting to back the winner?..

Mick Fealty on July 20, 2011, 8:38 pm | Readers 2

Not sure we should put too much store on what polls say this far out from November’s Presidential election (the first one in 14 years, it should be noted). Fianna Fail are vacillating (as are Sinn Fein), pretty certain that no one but Brian Crowley, their resilient and poll topping MEP in Munster, stands a pups chance of stablising the vote. In the meantime, there’s not a huge lot between the three leading contenders, but Fianna Fail’s man is definitely …

Fianna Fail’s dilemma: Damned if they do, damned if they don’t…

Mick Fealty on July 4, 2011, 9:38 am | Readers 2

NOT sure I believe that at this stage there is much to be gauged from opinion polls on the Irish Presidential election, but John Drennan’s write up on yesterday’s Sindo Poll, finishes with this intriguing remark: Meanwhile Fianna Fail’s plans to “tiptoe gently away” from the race are in serious danger of being scuppered by the belated entrance of Eamon O Cuiv into the frame. The grandson of the party’s founder Eamon de Valera has not formally requested the nomination …

Niall O’Dowd: The emigrant’s candidate for President?

Mick Fealty on June 6, 2011, 5:57 pm | Readers 9

And in an interesting contrast with the emergence of Pat Cox as a potential ‘Berlin’ candidate for Fine Gael, Mr O’Dowd could offer himself as a ‘Boston’ candidate. Here’s his preliminary pitch on his blog: I believe the race for the Irish presidency would be immeasurably broadened by having an Irish Diaspora voice if I decided to run. The time for lip service to that Diaspora is over. It is time to make that voice for 40 million Irish Americans …

David Norris: Senator yes, President, well maybe not…

Mick Fealty on June 3, 2011, 4:21 pm | Readers 26

Lot’s of comment on Senator Norris’s much quoted ten year old interview for Magill this week… From the sort of sympathetic to the outraged to the pragmatic, he’s going nowhere fast… Now there is nothing particularly controversial in what Senator Norris said. He did not back paedophilia, and in fact he was candid about an aspect of his younger life the effects of which at the time were mostly positive in a country that has been travelling from gay negative …