Presidential Election 2025

Drivetime on RTE had some interesting speculation about the FF race. They said while Martin's choice is indeed Gavin, many ministers and TDs favour Billy Kelleher as a loyal FF man and this latter group are a bit bemused at an outsider being parachuted in. They think Gavin might have the numbers, but it would be far from a universally popular choice.

Would they prefer a 'loyal FF' man to come in third or fourth or have a shot at winning it. This is politics.

I suppose the issue is are we prepared to elect an Ulster Presbyterian from a strongly unionist background. We've always been okay, or let on we were, with cuddly liberal arty Protestants like David Norris.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/08/29/labours-alan-kelly-tells-colleagues-of-regret-over-radio-interview/

Labour TD Alan Kelly has expressed “regret” to party colleagues if his intervention on the presidential election earlier this week caused “confusion or concern”.

What is he apologising for?

I have to agree with this.

Even as a Mayo season ticket holder i can see that not only is Gavin the best candidate but he's the best by a long way.

If he gets the nomination I'll be voting for him.

Bacik gave him an earful about not supporting Connolly I'd imagine,

on the basis of his hatred of Fine Gael…

She is a substitute candidate for a candidate (McGuinness) with a proven ability to attract a much larger vote across a wider geographical region. When McGuinness was the FG candiate, FF was rather hesitant about nominating a candidate and Martin was talking about FF endorsing a non-FF candidate. Once McGuineess dropped out on health grounds, it was open season and there was a stream of potential FF candidates being namedropped. Now, some of the genuine potental FF candidates (Kelleher, Gavin, and even Bertie Ahern) are declaring. FG people may have underestimated FF.

Regards…jmcc

If nothing else, it's a very underwhelming bunch of cancidates from all sides. Catherine Connolly (who as of now I'd probably vote for) is not what I'd call charismatic or anything like that. Heather Humphreys doesn't appeal, neither does any of the 3 FF candidates.

When they were talking previously about Micheal Martin having a mystery candidate I was expecting somebody with a bit of life in them. Not grouchy Jim Gavin.

All of the candidates (except Bertie obviously) come across as competent people who'll do the constitutional job well. But the other part of the job, representing the country on the international stage, none strike me as people who would be in any way memorable. Maybe the election campaign will change that. Maybe once elected it'll be different. But all of the candidates right now strike me as a more 1970s/1980s person in the park to stay quiet rather than being out there like the 2 Mary's or Michael D.

Exactly, the first president Douglas Hyde was Protestant as was Erskine Childers. Heather Humphreys being Protestant won't be the reason she isn't elected as president.

The protestant thing is an absolute non-issue.

We have had protestant presidents before; Hyde, Erskine Hamilton Childers, and Mary Bourke-Robinson who's paternal family were Anglican and who married into a protestant family herself.

Some of Ireland's most venerated nationalist patriots were from protestant faiths; Parnell, Casement, Emmet, Tone, Grattan, Horace Plunkett, JGS McNeill, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Napper Tandy, Henry Joy McCracken, Thomas Davis, Archie Hamilton Rowan.....

In fact the whole feckin leadership of the 1798 Rebellion were prods.

In actuality, a Presbyterian Irish Nationalist from a border county could be a just the sort of president to make Jim Allister and Sammy Wilson turn ghostly white at the prospect.

Manifesting itself how?

*awaits for anti FG criticism to be pathetically spun as having a sectarian basis. Will the real sectarian person please stand up.