Presidential Election 2025

I am catching up on it now.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/drivetime/2025/0924/1535166-drivetime-wednesday-24-september-2025/

CC -

Was asked about her communication skills, and said she "speaks bluntly". I was thinking that is one way of putting on it. She refused to answer a question on the border poll directly. Referencing the constitution, as she said she can not put it better than that. I thought Cormac gave her a tough enough interview. She was smart peppering the interview with Abairtí i nGaeilge/Sentences in Irish. She sounded extremely proud to be getting the chance, that much is certain.

Gavin -

Sounded very shaky nervous. He never sounded like that when he was Dublin manager, was my first thought. A lot of stuttering in his interview particularly the opening part. Sarah probing as to what makes him different from HH. He repeated in the interview that he wants to be a "positive President". Holding forums, "listening to the people", "giving a voice to others who don't have a voice". Saying he will speak about issues without "fear or favour" that the people wish him to raise. Sarah asked Gavin will there be a voting pact with HH. Gavin said he would not be making pacts, just telling people to vote Gavin no1.

HH -

Sarah asked her what differentiates her from the other two candidates. Played up on the inclusiveness 1916 commemorations. Sarah questioned is she the "establishment" candidate housing crisis etc. Humphreys countered by saying she is "experienced". Sarah then asked her about how strong her phrasing would be as President as opposed to being in government. Sarah kept going and wouldn't let it go. Asking is HH going to be "President for all?". Humphreys countered that she would be President for all. She was smart I thought, in that she "agreed" with previous statements that Higgins made on Housing and Gaza. On the Orange Order and her husband and how she was accused of dodging in another forum by Sarah. Humphreys was again smart here. She said at the time she was "caught off guard". And rhetorically asked Sarah "How would you feel if you were asked first question in a job interview about your husband/partners past?" On when HH would like to see a UI. She simply answered that when the conditions are met as per the GFA.

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Overall reactions. I would agree with you Gavin was poor unsure of himself - surprised how poor he was to be honest, CC did OK but again her choice of word "bluntly"??, and HH seemed well able for any questions, seemed to relish the interview in a way.

I see HH winning. Her media performances are likely to be adequate. She will appeal to older voters who will actually turn out to vote, she resonates with people in country areas far beyond Monaghan, the credit union connection is positive. Provided she does not come third on the first count then she is likely to pick up more transfers than the other remaining candidate.

Not sure what your point is?

HH and James both got nominated, Steen still depending on lightweights like Toibín two hours before the cutoff.

Without a shadow of a doubt the worst presidential election choices ever.

Since Steen was ejected from the race I have been torn between spoiling the vote or just not voting at all, but part of me wants to vote Connolly. I do agree with some of her views, by no means all of them, and she is nominally anti-establishment.

Despite this I sadly think it’ll be Humphreys. Gavin’s transfers will get her over the line when he’s eliminated.

I think Jim Gavin will be the worst polling FF presidential candidate ever. Martin seems to be the only one who thinks he could win. I unironically believe that they could’ve won it if they let Bertie run, especially if they’d seized the moment right after McGuinness dropped out, but they squandered the opportunity. Oh well.

The last thing FF is Bertie back up on the posters. Him having a tilt at the Presidency isn't worth the damage it would do to FF.

Steen complaining about an elite clique.... Gotta laugh.

Terribly uninteresting selection. HH for me as the gaa man is useless and CC way too far out of her depth here plus her association with Wallace and Daly should be enough to scare off reasonable people.

All this SF garbage about breaking FF FG monopoly, when mickey D and Robbo were Labour.

You know she was involved in the gay marriage and abortion referendums too. She was very against the "overwhelming majority" then.

You and her other "not supporters but" forget to mention that when ye pretend not to know who she is.

People talk about her "courage of her convictions" but are too cowardly to show your own.

Definitely the worst set of candidates since the 1970s or 1980s. Martin's insistence on running a dud like Gavin ensured we would only have a tiny field of runners and also keep all the independents off the ballot paper.

Not going to vote now that Steen isn't in the race.

I absolutely hate the left and have no interest in voting for a former GAA manager or a former FG minister

I think Steen wins hands down for sheer brazen arrogance - "anti-democratic", "establishment", blah, blah blah. She enters the nomination race at the last moment and then demands that Oireachtas members nominate her to show that they are democratic? Why? There were about a dozen other candidates looking for nominations. Why should they nominate her and not them? Why come in practically at the last minute and then harangue rather than try to persuade?

It is always unlikely for anyone to get an Oireachtas nomination other than as the identified candidate of one of the major political parties, or combination of larger parties. Otherwise the route to nomination for independents is always via the Councils. And this involves getting to work early, speaking to councillors and persuading them. I have no doubt that she would have got a nomination if she had done so. Her profile and pitch would have resonated with a sufficient number of them. But this seems to have been beneath her sense of entitlement.

I wish the steen cheerleaders would just give up.

She is the absolutely last person that should be president of this country.

She is anti choice and has a nasty maga type cheerleading squad following her. A hateful shower of scum.

Thankfully they've been silenced

I don't know what you are asking me.

What does "what now" mean ?

As in were you inferring that lots of people would have liked to vote for her but are too scared to admit it? Sorry if I’m way off the mark. And just to be clear on why I commented, I think she would get max 5% of the vote