Ireland's Presidential Election, 2025

This year, 2025, president Michael D. Higgins' presidential term will be officially over and Irish voters will be choosing a new face for the country. It's a little early yet to know who'll be on the ballot, but who is being nominated currently, and what will each nominee mean for Ireland? 

The following candidates have enough pledged nominations to run for president:

- Catherine Connolly. Supported by 32 Oireachtas members (Labour, Soc Dems, PBP, 100% Redress and 4 Independents), Catherine Connolly is well in the running to be a presidential candidate in November. She's an Independent politician, after leaving the Labour party, with a left wing stance. Her political stances include support for the Repeal the 8th movement and "anti-Israel" statements. She has been criticised for her trip to Syria and lack of criticism for Assad.

- Mairead McGuinness. McGuinness is a Fine Gael politician and is supported exclusively by her party, giving her 55 Oireachtas members. She may be well ahead in terms of nominations, but public approval for FF/FG has been seeming to decline in Ireland as of late. McGuinness has been described as "more conservative than what she seems to be" (Politico), with strong Catholic faith and defence of family values. In fairness, though, she did at least also support the Yes vote for abortion rights. 

Currently those are the only candidates who have sufficient nominations to stand for election, so I have my fingers crossed for a female tenth president. 

However, three more candidates are currently seeking nomination. Peter Casey is an anti-immigration businessman who has already lost 5 elections. Michael Flatley is a famous Irish dancer with no political experience. Conor McGregor is a well-known alleged rapist who has young men swooning over his boxing career. Don't worry, most of his supporters are below voting age.

Here's the real concern: Bertie Ahern. Past Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Teachta Dála and minister Bertie Ahern might just be the most crooked man in Ireland. You have only to whisper the name "Bertie" around any Irish person who lived through the Celtic Tiger and the 2008 economic crash, in order to bring up all kinds of traumas. Possibly the most outrageous of his crimes is the dramatic rise in Irish suicide rates during the crash. God willing he doesn't get his corrupt hands on candidacy.

As it stands, Connolly has my vote, but I'm interested to see who else will be nominated or put themselves forward before November comes around. 

Ciao, 

Eithne