Dónal Lynch on Gareth Sheridan: We've already had the TikTok Taoiseach, could we be ready for a LinkedIn leader?
Is everything in Ireland corporate now? The upcoming Rose of Tralee, formerly mainly about gúnas, proud grannies and party pieces, has been described recently as a 'networking event' for women. Its political counterpart, the presidential election, now threatens to go that way too.
With the announcement that Gareth Sheridan, a pharma entrepreneur, is to enter the race, the vague waffly allegories of the Áras might be about to give way to discussion of roadmaps and assiduous time management. Are we ready for this? 'Pivoting' instead of poetry? Spreadsheets instead of symbolism?
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Fine Gael battle for presidential nomination set to reopen
Fine Gael is to open a second nomination process for the presidency, with two senior party members — who previously ruled out a run for the Áras — set to battle it out for the candidacy. The sudden withdrawal of Mairead McGuinness on health grounds has left Fine Gael in disarray, but former social protection minister Heather Humphreys is expected to announce her intention to seek the nomination this week. Ms Humphreys, who opted not to contest last year's general election, said in May that she would not run for the Áras following her retirement to spend more time with her family. However, in the last few days she has indicated she is considering joining the race, with sources saying she is in the process of building a campaign team. There is a growing feeling among senior members of the party that if she puts her name forward, the Monaghan woman 'has a very real chance' of winning the presidential election. Three Independent ministers back Ms Humphreys A potential run by Ms Humphreys has already received the backing of three independent ministers, with Michael Healy Rae saying he would back her "wholeheartedly", with Seán Canney saying he hoped Ms Humphreys would consider a run, while Noel Grealish said that she would be an "excellent" president. Former GAA president and Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly is also reconsidering his position and could spark an internal vote. Mr Kelly ruled himself out in July but, following the withdrawal of Ms McGuinness, he said over the weekend the "goalposts have now changed". Within the party, there is a belief that Mr Kelly was 'very interested' in pursuing the nomination last time around and would be once more. However, some believe the time constraints could mean he stands aside for Ms Humphreys. Former GAA president and MEP Seán Kelly is also considering a run for the Áras, saying over the weekend that 'the goalposts have now changed' since the withdrawal of Fine Gael nominee Mairead McGuinness. File picture: Jonathan Brady/PA The party's executive committee will meet on Monday evening to set out the process for nominating a replacement for Ms McGuinness. One member of the party's executive, Dublin MEP Regina Doherty, said if there were two candidates, the party should have a competition. Ms Doherty told RTÉ's This Week while the timeframe was "tight" and Fine Gael is "under time pressure" she said the party was confident it could run a contest. "Time is of the essence, lots of people are still on their holidays is what maybe makes it a little more difficult. "We will deal with whatever is put in front of us. We will open the contest and we will see how many contenders there are and then decisions will be made based on timelines thereafter," she said. Ms Doherty denied that the previous withdrawals of Mr Kelly and Ms Humphreys from the race would be a negative in the eyes of the public. She said those decisions had been made in a context which has now changed, a feeling which is echoed in Fine Gael. "Heather Humphreys or Sean Kelly are not second choices," a party source said. Fianna Fáil faces 'changed landscape' While Fine Gael sources say they would prefer longer to have a replacement in place, the party is ahead of both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, neither of which has confirmed if it will run a candidate at all. The withdrawal of Ms McGuinness has 'completely changed the landscape', a Fianna Fáil source said, with one saying that Ms Humphreys would 'be a different challenge altogether'. A Fianna Fáil TD said, however, that they could not foresee a situation in which the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party supports a coalition 'unity' candidate. Fianna Fáil is expected to name its candidate in September. Sinn Féin may back Catherine Connolly Within Sinn Féin, sources said, there is a growing belief that the party will support Galway West TD Catherine Connolly rather than run its own candidate. Ms McGuinness's withdrawal means Ms Connolly is the only candidate who at present has the requisite support to be on the ballot to succeed Michael D Higgins later this year.
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ryan Tubridy responds to speculation he will run for the Irish Presidency
Ex-RTÉ star Ryan Tubridy has responded to messages from fans asking if he will be running for the Irish Presidency. The father-of-two has confirmed he will not be running for the Áras this year. The presenter, who currently hosts his own mid-morning show on Virgin Radio UK, broke his silence on the matter, confirming he wasn't planning on running for the gig. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the Dubliner said: 'In answer to many Insta questions, two things I'm NOT doing this weekend: 1) Going to Oasis. 2) Running for President. He added: 'Coffee and crossword for now.' Alongside the comments, Ryan shared a screenshot of a message from a follower which read: 'Come on… run for President!!!! You know middle-aged women vote in Ireland and you know you want to!' Ryan opened up about how tough the Presidential election is in Ireland, saying he is "baffled by the unhinged nature of presidential election coverage". "As someone who has interviewed the last three presidents (and their rivals in the various elections) I am repeatedly taken aback at the level of acrimony, cruelty and let's face it, prurience that goes with the task of running for the Áras," the former RTÉ star wrote in the Mail on Sunday. "The bizarre thing about it is that as soon as the president is elected, the mob stops as if switched off with a button. The President is generally respected and afforded a dignity that tends to go with the ceremonial nature of the august position. "I continue to be baffled by the unhinged nature of presidential election coverage. I understand that there must be scrutiny and that the campaign is one long job interview but is there a need for all that frothing at the mouth? "In the past few days, Mairead McGuinness withdrew her candidacy for health reasons (and I wish her a speedy recovery). For the other candidates (real or imagined) it was gloves off before they barely opened their mouths. The Irish Times went for Tony Holohan as soon as he suggested that his private polling had him at a healthy 15 per cent." The race to the Áras is set to take place in the coming weeks ahead of Michael D Higgins' retirement from the role. President Michael D Higgins will be replaced later this year Among the names hoping for a nomination include Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley, Catherine Connolly, Bertie Ahern, Gareth Sheridan and Mary Lou McDonald. Last week, Mairead McGuinness was forced to pull out of the Presidential Race on medical advice with Catherine Connolly now favourite to win the vote. A presidential election is expected towards the end of October, as it must take place in the 60 days before the term of current president Michael D Higgins ends on November 11. To be eligible to run, a candidate must be an Irish citizen who is 35 or older. They must be nominated either by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or at least four local authorities. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Extra.ie
14 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Ryan Tubridy: Why I'm baffled by the unhinged nature of presidential election
In a recent interview with former president, Mary McAleese on my Bookshelf podcast, she spent some time reflecting on her experience as a candidate for the highest office in the land. As she spoke, I noticed how upset she was as she recalled the savagery of that time and how she feared for her own safety as well as that of her family. As someone who has interviewed the last three presidents (and their rivals in the various elections), I am repeatedly taken aback at the level of acrimony, cruelty and let's face it, prurience that goes with the task of running for the Áras. Ryan Tubridy and Mary McAleese. Pic: Supplied The bizarre thing about it is that as soon as the president is elected, the mob stops as if switched off with a button. The President is generally respected and afforded a dignity that tends to go with the ceremonial nature of the august position. I continue to be baffled by the unhinged nature of presidential election coverage. I understand that there must be scrutiny and that the campaign is one long job interview, but is there a need for all that frothing at the mouth? In the past few days, Mairead McGuinness withdrew her candidacy for health reasons (and I wish her a speedy recovery). For the other candidates (real or imagined) it was gloves off before they barely opened their mouths. The Irish Times went for Tony Holohan as soon as he suggested that his private polling had him at a healthy 15 per cent. Immediately there were cries of 'But what about?_____ or _____ or _____ (fill in the gaps as you see fit). Then the young tech boss, Gareth Sheridan (who I never heard of before this week) stood up and found himself talking about some row or other with former candidate, Sean Gallagher. Michael Flatley got grief for some property deal and God help Bertie Ahern if he gets near the nomination (just wait for the 'But what about _______ and _______ and _______ and on and on'). I'm not trying to be Pollyanna here; candidates must be accountable and have their ducks in a row but why the constant negativity rather than a balanced look at our putative presidents? Why not counter the bloodthirsty coverage with a nod to Riverdance as an international success story or the largely successful navigation through Covid when we were scared out of our wits – or indeed the masterful negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement (depending on your preferred candidate). In other words, by all means haul people over the coals but at least give some credit where it's due. Is it any wonder that people are moving away from news coverage when it's either too sad or simply (and arguably) gratuitously negative? Pic: The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy/ Instagram Maybe if the coverage of, and investigation into, the various candidates was a little more reasonable and less hysterical, we might have a bigger and better field of high-calibre candidate and while I admire anyone for getting into this particular arena, I would argue that with more level-headed reportage, this would be a better election for everyone, particularly the voters. To those families waiting on Leaving Cert results let me just wish you good luck and urge you not to panic. I'm not talking about what we used to call the 'straight A' students who have nothing to worry about, but rather the students like me (back in 1991) waiting on a clutch of 'C' grades (except English and History, my pet subjects!). The reality is that what's done is done, so we're into what I believe is known as 'radical acceptance', a phrase my partner Clare taught me soon after we got together. Life can be complicated and it is coming down with brickbats and curveballs as well as the bouquets and golden moments. So when the results roll in and they aren't what you expected, take a breath and look at the situation with new eyes because life has decided that you're hopping on a different bus and heading down an unexpected road. The college you wanted to attend or the apprenticeship you were counting on may be off the agenda for now. This is where 'radical acceptance' comes in. It takes a while to take this on board (get all those pent-up expletives out of your system too, that's healthy) but look at the new bus as a new adventure rather than a cruel challenge. Now you'll meet different friends in other places to the ones you had planned for, and the key to that is the fact there are options when it comes to friends and places at your age. Yes, your plans have been upended. Yes, it feels like fate is conspiring against you. Yes, it's OK to feel like you got a bad deal, BUT if you flip all of that, things are looking up already. Clare Tubridy and Ryan Tubridy join Elgin Loane, Publisher of The Irish Post, for The King George for a day of hospitality curated by Zafar Rushdie at Ascot Racecourse. Pic: Getty Images I'm sorry if that feels like gobbledegook, but I have felt all of the above, and I urge you to take it from one who knows. Good luck and well done for getting this far, now go forth and be brilliant. I WAS delighted to accept an invitation to be part of a Celebration of Michael D Higgins at the National Concert Hall on Friday September 5. It looks like a potentially beautiful evening of music and poetry with Tommy Tiernan, left, acting as master of ceremonies. The likes of Paul Brady and Imelda May, far left, will be performing and a few people, myself included, will be reciting one of the president's poems to the accompaniment of the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. Claddagh Records have been working closely with the president to ensure his writing is recorded and available to all and this coming event promises to be a fitting evening and part of an overall national thank you to the president himself.
