Packie can put 'em under pressure if he enters Áras race
A well-placed source said the party is opposed to running any veteran politicos in the race for the Áras later this year. They said Fianna Fáil has 'opened lines of communications' with Bonner, but no formal approaches have been made.
The figure also said the party 'has had conversations' with fellow Ireland soccer legend Niall Quinn. A native of Co. Donegal, Bonner is best known for his save of a penalty by Daniel Timofte at Italia '90, which saw Ireland beat Romania to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Packie Bonner. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
The 65-year-old was a victim of the FAI's botched financing of the Lansdowne Road rebuild, losing his job as technical director as part of a wave of redundancies in 2010. He rejoined the soccer body in 2021 and serves as an independent director.
Bonner has been eyed by Fianna Fáil for elections in the past, including a 2010 by-election in Donegal and the 2009 European elections. In a book published in 2010 entitled Donegal's Sporting Heroes, Bonner said: 'If I went into politics, I wouldn't want to get caught up in the system.
'I'd have to have something to achieve along with a vision and a method. If I could satisfy myself that that could be done, then I'd look at the possibility in the future.' Packie Bonner. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Party sources also noted former Manchester City striker Quinn's oration at the 1916 Relatives Association commemoration earlier this year. The GAA and soccer legend earned an MA in history from Dublin City University in 2022, having written his master's thesis on the republican and former Fianna Fáil minister Oscar Traynor.
Speaking about potential Fianna Fáil candidates for the Presidency, one TD said: 'It won't be a Bertie Ahern or a Peter Power or a Mary Hanafin. Forget about that. It will be someone completely outside – or it will be Micheál [Martin]. Packie and Niall are two names being discussed.'
Another figure said that 'nobody should rule out' Fianna Fáil leader Mr Martin running. It comes as Fine Gael confirmed Mairead McGuinness as its candidate for the autumn's election, and Independent TD Catherine Connolly sought support from Labour for her bid. Packie Bonner. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Ms McGuinness's formal ratification as Fine Gael's candidate is to take place at an event in September. Party leader Simon Harris said yesterday that the former EU commissioner 'possesses all the attributes to bring our nation together'.
Ms McGuinness is the first official nominee in the race to replace Michael D Higgins. Ms Connolly, who is expected to officially enter the race tomorrow, has received the backing of the Social Democrats and People Before Profit and is expected to garner the support of several independents.
Labour said it would 'seriously' consider supporting Ms Connolly, who is a former party member, and met with the Independent TD yesterday. It is understood that party leader Ivana Bacik is in favour of supporting her.
'We [Labour] are the ones who were leading on running a joint, left-leaning candidate,' one TD said prior to the meeting. 'Of course, we are going to consult with our membership, but Ms Connolly has many good qualities that we can get behind.'
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has also refused to rule herself out of the running for the Presidency. Prospective candidates need the support of 20 Oireachtas members to get on the ballot paper.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
20 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
‘This is a Test match and we will play it as such' – Scott Bemand welcomes return of Ireland duo for Scotland clash
Ireland head coach Scott Bemand says their first World Cup warm-up game against Scotland in Cork tomorrow is about building momentum for the tournament kick-off in three weeks' time.
Irish Independent
20 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Mark English's long dominance over 800m threatened by Cian McPhillips
Chief among them is the men's 800m, where Mark English could face the biggest challenge of his career in this setting. The 32-year-old has entered both the 400m and 800m and if he lines up for the longer event will square off with Cian McPhillips, the 23-year-old Longford native who, after a decorated underage career, is now flourishing as a senior. McPhillips, the 2021 European U-20 1,500m champion, smashed his lifetime best to clock 1:44.19 and win at the Morton Games recently, going second on the Irish all-time list behind the 1:43.92 English ran in Hengelo in June. English has won eight Irish senior outdoor titles at 800m, and nine indoors, while McPhillips – whose early senior career was hampered by injury – has never won the national outdoor title and has one senior indoor title from 2024. The men's 100m should be a duel for the title of Ireland's fastest man, with national record holder Israel Olatunde taking on Bori Akinola, who ran the fastest all-conditions 100m by an Irishman in June, clocking 10.10 with a 2.9m/s tailwind. Olatunde, who ran the Irish record of 10.12 in London last year, has won this title for the last four years and comes in with a season's best of 10.23, while Akinola's wind-legal best this year is 10.25. There should be very little between them. Multi-event star Kate O'Connor has entered the javelin, shot put and long jump, fresh off her victory at the World University Games, while fellow Olympian Sharlene Mawdsley has entries in the 200m and 400m, with long-time relay teammates Phil Healy and Sophie Becker both focusing on the 400m. Sarah Lavin will look to win her 10th national title in the 100m hurdles and should prove untouchable on Sunday, while she's likely to also race the 200m tomorrow. In-form Sarah Healy will drop down to 800m, where she's defending champion, and if Sophie O'Sullivan chooses that over the 1,500m, it could be another riveting duel between the duo who went 1-2 over 1,500m at the European U-23 Championships two years ago, with Jenna Bromell also a contender. 'I've raced so many 1,500s this year and it's very rare I get a chance to run an 800,' said Healy. 'It will probably be a good quality field and it's just a good chance for me to challenge myself in a different way. Normally, running an 800 brings me on a lot in the 1,500, so that was my thought process.' Recent European U-23 medallists Nicola Tuthill (hammer), Anika Thompson (5,000m), Eimear Maher (1,500m) and Nick Griggs (1,500m) will all be in action, while the men's 1,500m is shaping up as a cracker. If Andrew Coscoran and Cathal Doyle, the two quickest Irishmen in history, both toe the line, fans will get a rematch of their thrilling duel at last month's Morton Games, where Coscoran edged victory. Griggs, Shane Bracken and Darragh McElhinney should also go close. Both days of action will be streamed on the Athletics Ireland YouTube Channel, with live coverage on RTÉ 2 from 5-7.30pm on Sunday. Day tickets cost €15 with a special two-day ticket available for €25, while U-16s go free.
Irish Independent
20 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
High-ranking Austrian EU diplomat resigns over alleged links to misogynistic ‘rape' blog
Thomas Oberreiter (59) was reported by Der Standard, an Austrian newspaper, to be the author behind the webpage, which mixed fantasy with real-life photographs. 'The ambassador requested he be dismissed for personal reasons. [Foreign Affairs] Minister [Beate] Meinl-Reisinger accepted the request,' Austria's foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it could not offer further information because of data protection, and said its statement shouldn't be taken as confirmation of the allegations against Mr Oberreiter. One first-person piece from an archived version of the webpage recounts a woman being sexually assaulted in a nightclub Reports in Austria said the now-deleted blog could be traced using location data back to the foreign affairs ministry in Vienna. Details of his blog were reported as surfacing from an unnamed whistleblower originating from the foreign ministry. The anonymous posts, which were made under the name of 'Caro' on the website, were often made during office hours. One first-person piece from an archived version of the webpage recounts a woman being sexually assaulted in a nightclub. Others contain graphic and often violent sexual references. Mr Oberreiter has worked at Austria's foreign ministry for 30 years, and has also held senior positions at the heart of government in Vienna, including chief of cabinet to former foreign affairs minister Alexander Schallenberg. As Austria's permanent representative to the EU, the 59-year-old was his country's top diplomat in Brussels and a vital cog in shaping its European policy. ADVERTISEMENT Der Standard said Mr Oberreiter disputes what it called 'the alleged allegations'. Mr Oberreiter was approached for comment. Accusations that he was behind the blog first surfaced on Fass ohne Boden, an Austrian investigative platform run by Alexander Surowiec, a former adviser to the country's hard-right Freedom Party. This, according to Der Standard, gave the revelations a 'political dimension', because Mr Oberreiter was seen as 'part of the OVP family', referring to Austria's centre-right People's Party. A spokesman for the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs said: ' For reasons of data and privacy protection of the person concerned and their relatives, we cannot provide further details.'
