Fianna Fáil staying schtum on presidential election, but here's the names in the mix (so far)
So far, we have two candidates in the race declared, Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness and Independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly, who has the backing from the Social Democrats and other independents.
While Fine Gael is out early, Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that his party are still taking soundings, indicating that it will be autumn before any name might be put forward.
In an interview with
The Journal
recently
, the Taoiseach said whoever it is should be above party politics.
Over the weekend, Fianna Fáiler Mary Hanafin
, who has said she is open to being asked to run for the party, said it would be an insult if Fianna Fáil chose not to put someone forward as a candidate.
The Journal
/ YouTube
With a vacuum of information, it leaves lots of room for speculation, and indeed, a lot of names have been floated.
The latest name mentioned is Derry-based Ulster University professor
Deirdre Heenan
, who the Irish Independent reports today is understood to be in the final stages of negotiations to contest the presidential election on behalf of Fianna Fáil.
Heenan was formerly Provost and Dean of Academic Development at the Magee Campus in Derry and in 2012 she was appointed to the Irish President's Council of State as one of the seven personal nominees of President Michael D Higgins.
Advertisement
Senior sources told
The Journal
that such speculation is merely 'rumour' stating that 'nothing' should be made of the reports.
There have been lots of names put forward as to who Fianna Fáil might go for, with Hanafin, as mentioned above, coming forward a couple of weeks ago stating she would happily like to be asked to run.
Independent senator and businessman
Aubrey McCarthy
has also been mentioned in the mix. He expressed an interest in a possible bid to become president in March, stating that he had been contacted by a number of people who asked him to consider entering the race for Áras an Uachtaráin.
McCarthy, founder of homeless and addiction charity Tiglin, went further last month, telling Virgin Media News that the presidency was 'something to consider'.
Peter Power
, another former minister from the party who now heads Unicef Ireland, has also been mentioned as a possibility.
Power, aged 59, was a TD for the party for Limerick East up until the financial crash. He then began as the head of Unicef Ireland in 2012 and has remained there since. He is a qualified solicitor.
Donegal TD
Pat the Cope Gallagher
has also been mentioned as possible party presidential nomination, with some local reports that grassroots members would like to see him run.
Former SDLP leader
Colum Eastwood
has also spoken about possibly being open to becoming the party's candidate for the Irish presidency. However, Martin has said he is not aware of any discussions with Eastwood.
The Journal
/ YouTube
Speaking to
The Journal
at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties over the weekend, he clarified that there has been no discussions with the leadership of Fianna Fáil on the matter.
He did state that people within the party had asked him to consider it, which he said he is doing.
Related Reads
Michael Flatley coy about possible presidential run
Catherine Connolly, presidential hopeful, gave her first press conference today — here's what she said
Forget the presidency - Joe Duffy is now doing ads for Lidl
Eastwood said he believes people want a president to have a vision for the future and ideas on how to heal the island. He acknowledged that he wouldn't be able to vote for himself if he did run, but said there should be nothing stopping anyone from the island of Ireland from running for president.
Another name that has been reported is former Irish soccer international
Niall Quinn
, with The Irish Time reporting recently that he might get the blessing of Fianna Fáil, however there has been no indications, as of yet, that he is pivoting towards run for the presidency.
Former Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
, who has long been talked about as a possible candidate, is understood to still be mulling over a potential bid.
Other new runners and riders, though not necessarily linked to Fianna Fáil, that emerged over the weekend included former chief medical officer Tony Holohan.
The Irish Mail on Sunday reported that 'plans are in progress' for Dr Holohan to announce his candidacy but it remains unclear whether he will be backed by a political party.
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers told RTÉ's This Week yesterday he was 'not aware of any engagements' between Fianna Fáil and Holohan on the matter.
Yesterday, Riverdance star Michael Flatley also indicated that he might be open to running for the president. Again, there is no information as to whether he would get backing from a political party.
Who will get the final nod from Fianna Fáil? The Taoiseach has said it will be autumn before the party makes its intentions known.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Dubliner Justin Kelly (53) to become Garda commissioner after rise through ranks
An Garda Síochána 's Deputy Commissioner, Justin Kelly, is to take over at the top of the force when Garda Commissioner Drew Harris retires at the end of August. Mr Kelly's appointment as the next commissioner was approved by Government yesterday after a recommendation from Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan . Mr Kelly, a 53-year-old married father of two from south Dublin , joined An Garda Síochána as a recruit in 1992 and has, in recent years led the organisation's response to serious and organised crime. He will become garda commissioner just 10 months after being promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner, the second most senior position in Irish policing. Mr Kelly, a marathon runner, has been appointed commissioner on a five-year contract, with a salary of €314,512. He was one of 14 candidates who applied for the role when an international recruitment process opened in May. Mr O'Callaghan said Mr Kelly was an ideal candidate for commissioner, given his vast experience in frontline policing and management. The Minister spoke of his belief that 'people want to see more gardaí on the ground'. READ MORE He said he hoped Mr Kelly's commissionership would be marked by increased high-visibility policing on the streets and the jailing of serious criminals. He also commended Mr Harris 'for the excellent work he did' during his near seven-year term. [ Who is Justin Kelly, the Garda commissioner in waiting? Opens in new window ] Mr Kelly's appointment was confirmed at a photocall at Government Buildings alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Mr O'Callaghan and Mr Harris. However, he did not take questions from the media as he is not yet commissioner. Mr Harris congratulated Mr Kelly on his appointment, describing him as 'an internationally recognised police leader'. He had 'built coalitions with other law enforcement agencies and partners that have disrupted and dismantled transnational organised crime gangs'. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors said resignations and retirements from An Garda Síochána were currently high , putting policing under pressure, with low morale. It called on Mr Kelly to take 'urgent action to stabilise the workforce and restore confidence in the future of the organisation'.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Irish renewable energy policy gets a badly needed reality check
The hype around Ireland's vast amount of potential offshore renewable energy and ambition to become an energy exporting country needed a hard reality check. It has come in a series of reports to the Government from the National Economic & Social Council on what fulfilling that national aspiration entails beyond supporting policy. Repeated political declarations of wanting to scale up renewable electricity – 40 gigawatts plus, many times current power demand – were too easily trotted out by governments getting uneasy about the climate threat on our doorstep and multibillion euro fines becoming more likely no matter how you divide up the carbon cake. The first report published in April concluded Ireland's transition to a clean energy economy risks heading into 'strategic fog' with a lack of clarity and certainty about future reliability of the country's energy supply. READ MORE The second and third were published on Wednesday. The former concluded that cost-competitiveness challenges left unaddressed would make it impossible for the State to become a renewables exporter. The issue is summed up by the observation that with 'approximately 50 per cent of Ireland's electricity produced from gas-fired power plants, [it] made Irish electricity prices the most exposed in Europe to resulting regional gas market volatility'. [ Scrapped Amazon plant a sign of Ireland hitting the infrastructural buffers Opens in new window ] There is increasing vulnerability from 'fossil fuel import dependency', while our subsea gas pipelines and power interconnectors could become the target of malign actors. The latter underlines the need for anticipation of needs and likely demand with an inevitable supply chain crunch, not helped by profound upheaval in global trade, over-reliance on China and lack of EU manufacturing capacity. The international supply chain for wind technologies highlights our exposure to emerging bottlenecks with turbine components; critical raw materials, offshore substations and installation vessels. Meanwhile, ports are not fit for purpose – not to mention planning and permitting procedures. These reports are not killing the dream of energy independence; a shift away from the most expensive electricity in Europe and an end to price volatility. They chart a way through the minefields. In particular, 'Ireland's energy strategy must adapt to the reality that strategic trade dependencies will not cease but will instead take new forms', whether it's buying our renewables or co-operating on enhanced grid connectivity. Furthermore, risk of geopolitical tensions affecting key oil and gas 'transit chokepoints' is increasing. It threatens the security of our energy supply, especially with reliance on gas supplies from the UK and crude oil from the US – after the putative tariff agreement between Trump and the EU this week, American LNG can be added to that list. The case for getting off fossil fuels couldn't be clearer, and the NESC reports are grounds for conditional optimism. With more than ample offshore resources and the correct strategic approach, we can become a clean energy exporter. Notwithstanding current uncertainties and high costs, Ireland could break into an international green hydrogen market, generating the fuel using offshore wind, provided strategic partnerships are formed with countries requiring large quantities of the fuel. [ Taoiseach to 'delve into' Amazon's scrapping of Dublin plant over failure to secure power supply Opens in new window ] Taoiseach Micheál Martin this week convened a meeting of industry leaders and Government officials to address the challenge of accelerating offshore wind delivery. He knows there is a growing risk of Ireland falling behind in the energy transition and implications this has for the country as a place to do business amid a data/AI revolution. We must acknowledge the challenges honestly, he underlined, and 'work together to expedite the development of a sector that will be central to Ireland's economic and energy future'. These NESC reports and on-the-ground know-how can help deliver the required push-through.
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
UK government pulls funding for Irish peace and reconciliation project
The UK government has pulled its funding for an internationally regarded Irish peace and reconciliation project because of budget cuts imposed by Westminster. The UK had committed to paying £4 million to the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) between 2021 and this year, in four instalments of £1 million. A UK government spokeswoman said the current British government 'inherited a very challenging fiscal position' which meant it could not afford the final £1 million instalment. The Irish Government said it 'hopes' the UK will consider funding the scheme again. The IFI is an independent international organisation set up by the British and Irish governments in 1986 to promote economic, social and peace developments in Northern Ireland and the border counties. It was designed to bring civic society groups on both sides of the border, and both Northern Irish communities, together. READ MORE The IFI funds the peace barriers programme, a community project designed to build local support for the removal of peace walls and barriers in Belfast and Derry . It also funds a Peace Impact Programme, which is designed to target communities suffering from social deprivation that have not traditionally been involved in peace and reconciliation programmes. It has also recently funded Foróige Drogheda; a youth engagement project in Milford, Co Donegal; and a social enterprise project based in the Republic that connects 20 communities on either side of the border. The biggest contribution to the fund has traditionally come from the US government, but it has also benefited from funding from the European Union, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the both the Irish and UK governments. The IFI has been credited as an initiative which helped lay the groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement, with former UK government negotiator Jonathan Powell describing it as 'the great unsung hero of the peace process'. The success of the IFI also inspired proposals to create a similar Middle Eastern peace fund for Israel and Palestine. [ UK move to lower voting age to 16 unlikely to be in place for Northern Irish elections Opens in new window ] The UK government confirmed to The Irish Times that it had pulled its contribution to the fund for 2024-2025 because of budget cuts. 'This government inherited a very challenging fiscal position, and needed to take difficult but necessary decisions to place the public finances on a sustainable footing. As a result, the government has decided not to continue with the £1m contribution to the International Fund for Ireland in 2024-25. The government remains supportive of the IFI's aims of promoting peace and reconciliation,' a spokeswoman for the UK government said. [ Don't believe the myth: Britain's services industry has been hit hard by Brexit Opens in new window ] The Department of Foreign Affairs said the UK government had committed to contributing £4 million to deliver the IFI's current strategy, which will finish at the end of 2025. 'This was warmly welcomed by the IFI and £3 million was received. We are aware that the UK government indicated they were not in a position to make the final £1 million instalment of funding in 2024,' a spokesman for the department said. 'We look forward to continuing to work with the UK in support of the IFI and hope that the UK will consider further funding to the IFI when its new strategy for 2026-2030 is launched at the end of this year. The Irish Government contributed €4 million to the IFI in 2025.'
