2025 Irish Presidential candidates

ELM327

I'd vote for Bertie. One of our greatest Taoisigh who led the country out of the doldrums into the rise (and fall!) of the celtic tiger.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121819454#Comment_121819454

Bruton's Government did the start of that, the unbanked liar took the credit.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121819940#Comment_121819940

John Bull Bruton did the start, yes, but it was predominantly Ahern. If you ask 100 people on the street who caused the celtic tiger for good and bad, 99+ would answer FF/Ahern

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121820048#Comment_121820048

And 99 of them would be wrong, having been conned by the conman.

Ahern inherited a working system and was lucky that his profligate Minister for Finance didn't manage to kill it.

Bertie got exceptionally lucky with being one of the only people ever elected to take over from a competent, non failed Government - this applied to NI also; and also that the UK had got rid of the Tories at the same time.

pixelburp

I'm also not sure the lasting cultural footprint of "the Celtic tiger" can be regarded as a net positive either, such that it'd work in any candidates favour to be associated with it. While Bertie is very much a politician of the "cute hoor" mould that would similarly prove toxic to many voters.

The Phantom Jipper

Fergus Finlay seems like an interesting option. Currently second favourite in the bookies. Ruairi Quinn who was not on my radar at all for this is third favourite.

Water John

Finlay would be good. Advocate for disability and children.

notJoeJoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821555#Comment_121821555

I hadn't realised that there was a lot of support behind him. Maybe? But he would be 75 in 2025. He may be only a one-term president.

Less keen on Quinn, and he would certainly have to be a one term president at 79 years old.

I think if any party is going to nominate someone, they need to be 70 or under. I understand the presidency isn't a particularly intensive or important role - unlike Biden as the American president - but I do think we need some middle-aged candidates.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822955#Comment_121822955

This year is going to be dominated by Biden vs Trump and a lot of conversation is going to be had about how old they are. I agree that our Presidency is nothing like theirs but nonetheless I think the average voter will be affected by that, even on a subliminal level, and thus be more inclined to pick a candidate in the 55-70 range rather than 75+.

Mairead McGuiness will be 66 by the time of the next election so falls right in that range.

Pete_Cavan

Of former Taoisigh, I think Martin would be the best of them. I assume he'll step away from parliamentary politics ahead of the next GE.

blackwhite

Mairead McGuinness would be an excellent president, likely in a similar mould to two Marys.

However I'm surprised that she's the front runner with the bookies.

Politics has become so polarised in this country that any presidential candidate from any of the "big 3" political parties will be seen as a proxy for voting for that party. I don't have huge faith in the electorate to vote based on who would be the best president, as opposed to voting based on what party they want to see in Government.

Brussels Sprout

It'll be interesting to see who SF nominate. They're in an interesting bind, in that a lot of their senior party grandees, who would be the natural picks, have a whiff of cordite off of them. They ran into this issue in 2011 when they nominated Martin McGuiness but sidestepped it in 2018 when they went for the relatively low profile candidate, Liadh Ni Riada.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823490#Comment_121823490

At this early stage, I'd say "big names" get trotted out without any resting volume of interrogation or public discourse. I daresay you ask the average person on the street and they'd not even know there was an Election next year. Christ I had forgotten 'til this thread popped up!

So until there are quantifiable candidates the ones that are floating about get a free pass 'til the rubber hits the road.

Water John

McGuinness isn't anything like the two Mary's, except she's also female. Much more right wing, not sure she'd have the social democrat view.

notJoeJoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823226#Comment_121823226

I think Martin wants to become an EU Commissioner after his term as Taoiseach, but a lot of that is speculation

Field east

And poor Miriam O Cal has not been mentioned to date . What’s going on with ye. She made all the runnning at one particular point in time!

mattser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121840911#Comment_121840911

Genuineeeellllyyyy ? Eh, no.

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823226#Comment_121823226

another boom and bust cycle politician

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121822800#Comment_121822800

and Diageo

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121840911#Comment_121840911

Oh God forbid !! Imagine Precious O'Callaghan as President !! No thanks, that squakey voice would finish me off.

AMKC

Don't forget Ryan Tubridy. Could see him going for it of it kept him on the country for a bit. He would have to give up his gig in the UK do but maybe better hours.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857659#Comment_121857659

I don't see why Tubridy would find the role appealing, given it's a full-time ambassadorial role with a limited but specific legislative responsibility.

Again though, worth reminding that one doesn't just fill an application form 'cos you want to be President here: it requires support from 20 TDs or 4 Local Authorities before you're on the ballot; IIRC Gemma O'Doherty infamously failed to do so despite a whirlwind tour around the country's councils pleading support. While sure, Tubridy would probably curry more favour and wriggle-room than Conor McGregor ever would - he'd have to get that support in the first place.

blanch152

Looking outside of politics, there are few potential candidates.

In previous decades, someone like T.K. Whitaker or Peter Sutherland, as non-politicians, might have been good Presidents, but similar figures from the present such as Robert Watt, or in the private sector, like Michael O'Leary or Denis O'Brien, simply aren't suitable.

Sam Russell

Anyone in business would be unlikely to be interested, or suitable.

Mairead McGuinness might be a possible. She will be at a loose end after the new Irish Commissioner is appointed.

Éanna Ní Lamhna might be another possible. She has a lot going for her and little against.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858183#Comment_121858183

She'd be absolutely pilloried by Rural Ireland as anti-farmer purely because she's an advocate for nature and wildlife

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860793#Comment_121860793

Rural Ireland isn't enough to prevent a candidate winning. I suspect that vote went Casey last time and he was distant second.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858132#Comment_121858132

The likes of Sean Gallagher and Peter Casey's campaigns demonstrated that businessmen and entrepreneurs can be pig bloody ignorant about the actual nature of the role in the first place, begging the question as to how they made their wealth in the first place. I can only imagine the blather O'Leary or O'Brien might come out with, though neither would feel enthused about the idealistic, ambassadorial aspect of the role.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860829#Comment_121860829

No but it doesn't help to have a sizable minority against you in an election that requires a majority to win

Typically the people who win these contests attract support and preferences from all across society

Sam Russell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860793#Comment_121860793

I would think there are many more voters concerned about nature, the environment, and global climate change than those vociferous farmers.

Anyway, I doubt she is anti-farmer - more pro-nature.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121861011#Comment_121861011

The examples of Gallagher and Casey only confirm my view that there isn't really anyone outside of politics likely to make a good President.