The Presidential Election 2025

[deeahgwitch]

Your thoughts.
i’m in the ABB camp.
I accept he did a great job re The Good Friday Agreement but his government pre the economic crash !!!🙄🥲

I had forgotten until someone mentioned it on TV yesterday: HH was a last minute replacement, it was supposed to be Mairéad McGuinness, who - whatever you think of the EU and her role in it - would have been a fine president. In fact, I thought that about her years ago.
I hope the illness that stopped her from running isn't a serious one.

I hope CC is not continuity Michael D! I hope she brings more wisdom and apolitical balance to the role, as the presidency requires.

I don't think MDH and CC like each other at all, so I am sure she won't want to be seen as a continuity candidate.

Whatever about their personal relationship I think CC has a lot in common with MDH. They won't interfere in party politics but , on the other hand , they won't leave morality and basic human decency outside the door.

Why do you think that? I know CC went Independent but I didn't think there was a personal or professional falling out between them

Didn't she leave the labour party?

They had a big falling out when he was backed by the Labour party when he first went for the presidential election. She wanted Labour to back her but they went with him.

I thought she wanted to run for Galway West in 07. Mickey D thought there wasn't room for two in that seat ?

Interesting piece by Justine McCarthy in the Guardian. Some bizarre comments BTL. A lot of Brits are prisoners of the past still. Seems counter intuitive to say that as an Irish person....but we seem to have swapped places.

I still can't get my head around Sir Bob Geldof offering his services to Micheál Martin. Fine Gael are historically the more pro British pro NATO of the main parties. Surely they'd have been a better fit for the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire?

I mean the punks and Fianna Fáil....Rocky de Valera etc all. Although an even better fit would have been the turbo charged Thatcherite Progressive Democrats. Slash , burn , privatise , cut taxes for the rich and devil take the hindmost. Just can't see Sir Bob in De Party. It might have been fun mind.

Sir Bob Geldof of “….Banana Republic, Septic Isle..” fame.

Exactly. He's never made much secret of his cordial loathing of the place and its people. His book 'Is that it?' is a good read. He went to Ireland's Eton, Blackrock College. If the band flopped he'd have been successful in advertising or in RTÉ. Probably thinks the Presidency is only his due after all he suffered.

Hi all, I wonder if there is any info on how many votes Jim Gavin got? Does anyone know?
I saw the number of spoiled votes, but could not find a figure for him, would his be counted separately to that?
Just curious if there are any lessons to be learnt about this campaign or if it is just business as usual now.

Jim Gavin was legitimately on the ballot, so votes for him were counted as such - they're not spoiled votes.

According to RTÉ website...
Catherine Connolly (IND): 914,143 (63.4%)
Heather Humphreys (FG): 424,987 (29.5%)
Jim Gavin (FF): 103,568 (7.2%)
Invalid / Spoiled 213,738 (12.9%)

So more spoiled votes than JG votes.

Thank you, I don't know why I couldn't find that. He did pretty well all told - though the spoiled votes are a shocker!

Did he get his deposit back? It said 12.5% needed but that could be first round votes.

I don't believe he got the deposit back.
CC won by such a landslide there was only one count.

The Ivan Yates twist is possibly the most exciting part...he advised Norma Foley before the general election. Goodness.

Why am I not surprised by Ivan Yates.