Catherine Connolly is wildly believed to be the candidate of the so-called ‘left’ and the Sinn Fein Party finally decided to bless her with their support. I’m sure this will have come as a great relief to Ms Connolly who must have been having sleepless nights thinking about whether the largest opposition party in the Dail would grace her with their support!
The party had been deliberating as to whether to stand a candidate of their own with party leader, Mary Lou McDonald, first ruling herself out then suggesting she might run and finally announcing they would be supporting Catherine Connolly. The party leader described Sinn Fein's decision as a “game changer” and whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen. “Game changer” might be a little bit strong but time will tell.
My own view is if Sinn Fein had stood a candidate of their own, Mary Lou in particular, that candidate would have lost and with such a loss much credibility would also have gone. No doubt Sinn Fein were considering other possibilities from within their ranks and after an inflated length of time pondering they came up with what should have been the obvious decision. Such a decision, to stand a candidate of their own, may also quite possibly have cost them the next election, something which I’m sure party strategists would not have allowed to go unnoticed.
The race for the Presidency is looking like a three-horse race with Fianna Fail backing Jim Gavin, the former Dublin GAA Football Manager, with Fine Gael standing Heather Humphries who comes from an Orange Order background, and the Independent, Catherine Connolly, being the choice of the ‘left.’
The role of the President in the Twenty-Six-Counties is supposed to be non-political which is a nonsense to say the least. Firstly everything in life is political, not party political, granted, but political all the same. In everyday life we have the politics of the trade union movement, the politics of the street, the politics in the workplace, the politics of the European Union, the list is endless. Most people believe politics begins and ends every five years or so when they cast their vote. That is reducing the very broad, long, and deep subject of ‘politics’ and ‘Political Theory’ to the very tiny tip of the iceberg. To suggest the Head of State in the Twenty-Six-Counties is ‘apolitical’ is just not true. To further this observation if the role is ‘apolitical’ why then are two of the three candidates coming from a political party while the third is an Independent TD in Dail Eireann? The President may not be allowed, by convention, to voice party politics but that is not the same as being ‘apolitical’. If Mary Lou McDonald had decided to stand is anybody seriously suggesting she would ‘park her political baggage’ and the politics of her party at the front door of Aras an Uachtarain anymore than the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail or Independent candidate would? No, of course not, so let’s drop this silly notion that the position is ‘non-political’ because that is not the case. Everything the President does in their everyday life is political, and political at the highest level at that! Representing the state overseas is political, expressing an opinion on global affairs is political. For example, the present incumbent, Michael D Higgins, has voiced strong opposition to the Israeli onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza which is a geopolitical statement. The fact we all have an opportunity to vote in presidential elections is again political.
The Sinn Fein position not to stand a candidate of their own can only be, from their point of view, a good thing. Remember the last time they stood a supposed fancied candidate, the late Martin McGuiness? It did not end well and no reason exists to suggest such a move would have ended any differently this time round! Sinn Fein will find the next election difficult enough without having this baggage to carry particularly if such baggage is full of negatives, like a failed presidential campaign!
The role of the President in the Twenty-Six-Counties is supposed to be non-political which is a nonsense to say the least. Firstly everything in life is political, not party political, granted, but political all the same. In everyday life we have the politics of the trade union movement, the politics of the street, the politics in the workplace, the politics of the European Union, the list is endless. Most people believe politics begins and ends every five years or so when they cast their vote. That is reducing the very broad, long, and deep subject of ‘politics’ and ‘Political Theory’ to the very tiny tip of the iceberg. To suggest the Head of State in the Twenty-Six-Counties is ‘apolitical’ is just not true. To further this observation if the role is ‘apolitical’ why then are two of the three candidates coming from a political party while the third is an Independent TD in Dail Eireann? The President may not be allowed, by convention, to voice party politics but that is not the same as being ‘apolitical’. If Mary Lou McDonald had decided to stand is anybody seriously suggesting she would ‘park her political baggage’ and the politics of her party at the front door of Aras an Uachtarain anymore than the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail or Independent candidate would? No, of course not, so let’s drop this silly notion that the position is ‘non-political’ because that is not the case. Everything the President does in their everyday life is political, and political at the highest level at that! Representing the state overseas is political, expressing an opinion on global affairs is political. For example, the present incumbent, Michael D Higgins, has voiced strong opposition to the Israeli onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza which is a geopolitical statement. The fact we all have an opportunity to vote in presidential elections is again political.
The Sinn Fein position not to stand a candidate of their own can only be, from their point of view, a good thing. Remember the last time they stood a supposed fancied candidate, the late Martin McGuiness? It did not end well and no reason exists to suggest such a move would have ended any differently this time round! Sinn Fein will find the next election difficult enough without having this baggage to carry particularly if such baggage is full of negatives, like a failed presidential campaign!
Why they took so long over deliberating this issue is beyond me, unless it was due to their self-perception of ‘delusions of grandeur’. Personally my mind was made up some time back as to who I would be voting for and whichever way Sinn Fein had decided would not have changed that view point.
Michael D. Higgins will leave big boots to fill for whoever succeeds him in Aras an Uachtarain and his fourteen years in the post can only be described as one of the more progressive presidencies. Whatever the outcome the race promises to be interesting to say the least and, despite claims to the counter, very political. Let us hope it does not become personal and embittered!
Voting for the tenth ‘president of Ireland’ will take place on 24th October 2025, and today the Presidential Office represents all the people of Ireland which in post-modern times incorporates many racial and ethnic groups. A long way from the days of Dr Douglas Hyde back in 1937.
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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