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LAST UPDATE | 8 Sep
ONE OF THE routes to getting on the presidential election ballot is the backing of four councils, and this afternoon, many hopefuls made their pitch to Kerry County Council.
Kerry was the first council to hear presentations from candidates, with more to come over the next few weeks.
The prospective candidates each had a five-minute slot to make their case to Kerry councillors, who will subsequently decide at their monthly meeting next week whether the council will be nominating a candidate.
The council route is predominantly used by independent candidates, whereas candidates running with the support of a specific political party will get on the ballot via support from members of the Oireachtas.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald earlier confirmed she will not be running – the party could nominate its own candidate or support Catherine Connolly.
Both Sinn Féin and Fine Gael are hosting their party think-ins today ahead of the return of the Dáil.
You can follow along with all the latest here:
Our reporter Niall O’Connor is in Tralee in Co Kerry where to report on the special council meeting for around a prospective candidates.
Greetings from Tralee, Co Kerry. I’ll be reporting from the special council meeting for around a dozen prospective Presidential candidates. Follow along on @thejournal_ie for updates. pic.twitter.com/8WBUU8ge3b
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
One of the first to arrive in Tralee is electrical contractor William P Allen, from Co Cork.
He tells our reporter Niall O’Connor that he has had a “lifelong ambition to go for President of Ireland since I saw the late presidents getting the guard of honours around the place and the respect that is shown to those people”.
First of the arrivals here. William P Allen. An electrical contractor from County Cork hopes to get the nod here today. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/9MKNtQVVCm
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
Entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan and conservative campaigner Maria Steen are amongst the candidates set to address the Kerry councillors today.
Also amongst those due to speak are: William P. Allen, Nick Delehanty, Charlotte Keenan, Dr Donncha MacGabhann, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, Lorna McCormack, Keith McGrory, Walter Ryan-Purcell, Dr Cora Stack and Gerben Uunk.
Some 14 people will be giving a five-minute pitch to be the Council’s nominee, but one of the councillors they will have to court has hit out at a lack of “respect” among many who will be appearing today.
“Only two have actually made contact with me,” said Healy Rae.
“The other 12, I have to be honest, I find it disrespectful that they feel they could potentially come here today, give a five-minute presentation, and that should be enough for us as councillors to pave the way for them to be on the ballot.
“I think it shows perhaps there is a lack of seriousness around the presidency, which I don’t like.
“It just seems that you can send in an email, say you’re running for president, and if you’re over the age of 35 you can come before the councillors.”
Meanwhile Cllr Jackie Healy Rae has called out some of the prospective presidential candidates for a lack of “respect”. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/NGvo2GNj5N
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
One of the more high profile names that will be in Tralee today, Gareth Sheridan.
He tells The Journal that “it’s a long run coming to a finish now hopefully, starting in Kerry”.
Sheridan says he’s been working on building a relationship with councillors since the beginning of the year and that he hopes this will resonate today.
He adds that this is something he’s been working on “for quite some time” and that he is “confident” of getting a nomination from Kerry County Council.
Gareth Sheridan arrives here at Kerry County Council building. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/VYuutahTEd
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
Candidates pursuing the local authority route to a spot on the ballot must be nominated by four councils.
The other two candidates already in the race – Independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys – have secured the backing of twenty Oireachtas members.
Sinn Féin has yet to decide if they will nominate their own candidate or back Connolly, while former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin is expected to be named as Fianna Fáil’s pick tomorrow.
Also on the political agenda today is the beginning of the two-day think-ins of the second and third largest political parties in the Dáil: Sinn Féin and Fine Gael.
Fine Gael is in Co Westmeath for its think-in, while Sinn Féin is at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire.
It’s expected that Sinn Féin will discuss and decide its presidential plans over today and tomorrow - Mary Lou McDonald definitively ruled herself out of the race early today.
For Fine Gael, the upcoming budget, housing, infrastructure, in particular health infrastructure, children’s disability services and special education are expected to be on the agenda.
Councillor Michael Foley is the Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council. However, he’s a Fine Gael member so will not be voting on who his council nominate.
Foley told reporters he was also only contacted by three candidates who will be appearing today and said maybe candidates “didn’t understand that part of it”.
Cllr Michael Foley the Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council speaks about the councillors’ perspective. He’s a Fine Gael member so will not be voting next week on who his council nominate. pic.twitter.com/O9BQv7yuPs
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
Councillor Kieran McCarthy, former Lord Mayor of Cork, is in Tralee and hoping for a nomination.
He said he has been inspired by previous presidents, such as Mary McAleese.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy is former Lord Mayor of Cork and he is hoping for a nomination here. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/hQAIoisJ8E
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
Nick Delehanty is perhaps among the more high profile people who will be making their pitch in Tralee today.
He told The Journal that today feels like the first fence in the Grand National.
He also said this process should be above party politics.
Another prospective candidate is Nick Delehanty speaking before he went into the meeting also. pic.twitter.com/X8DljkS2kK
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
William P Allen was one of the first to make their five-minute presentation to councillors.
He said that he wanted to be president since he saw Patrick Hillery in his home community.
From Co Cork, Allen said believes it is “the top office in the State” and the top honour.
Nick Delehanty is addressing councillors now.
He tells them that he “gave up a career in corporate law to enter public life”.
“I’ve gained enormous support because of my work delving deep into government, budgets, policy documents and expenditure reports,” he adds.
“I’ve engaged a whole cohort of young people into politics.
“I don’t have a political or party machine behind me, but what I have is something different. I have grass root support up and down the length and breadth of this country.”
Delehanty remarks that Ireland should never alienate the US or the US president.
“We should be focusing on our Irish, soft influence, and that’s something the current government admits that they are lacking.”
When asked what kind of president he would be, Delehanty says he wants the government to succeed and if there is any way he could speak out to help this, he will do so.
“My goal is not to be a disruptor to government, but to assist government.”
Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae notes that a lot of online commentary is detached from reality and asks if this is where most of Delehanty’s support comes from, noting a failed general election bid.
“I am talking about online, because that is where we can reach a lot of people.”
He said he has raised a lot of money from people contributing small fees across the country for his presidential campaign.
Charlotte Keenan is up now making her pitch.
She says she is a musician and an artist and that she hopes for a united Ireland.
She adds that the “only thing she has an issue with” in Ireland is the housing crisis.
“We need to build more houses and maintain what we already have.”
Also adds she is a “firm believer in God” and that her “plan B is to believe in Charlotte”.
“It’s just great to be here alive and healthy and I hope I can leave a legacy that my children and country will be proud of.”
She says “it’s time for change” and that “she believes in education”, while she “apologises” for her lack of Irish and expresses hope that future generations will be better than her.
She says Ireland needs to provide people with opportunities here so that they don’t have to go abroad.
“When Irish eyes are smiling, I can change people by just smiling and showing them my confidence,” says Keenan when asked how she will influence things like housing policy in the largely ceremonial role of president.
Adds that she is an influencer and that “hopefully we can work together, no shouting or fighting”.
“I can’t change things, but the government working with the president can change things.”
She notes that she has ran for office before and said the experience was “amazing”.
It’s now time for Dr Donncha MacGabhann, and he apologises for being a little hoarse as a result on canvassing.
He’s a teacher and assistant principle.
“In recent years, I’ve become increasingly aware of issues relating to the health of our democracy, and particularly adherence to the Constitution,” he said.
He praises changes to the constitution in 2015 and 2018, but criticises the failed Family and Care referendums.
MacGabhann said he has toured the 26 counties and has “enjoyed much exposure” and has described his as a “do-it-yourself campaign on a shoestring budget”.
When asked if he would convene a citizen’s assembly on a united Ireland, he said he would establish an “ongoing” citizen’s assembly that would have three or four issues to its fore at any one time.
Taking a break from Tralee for a moment, Simon Harris has been speaking to reporters from his party’s think-in in Co Westmeath.
He said he had to “dig pretty deep” to turn up at the FG think-in today after numerous threats have been made against him and his family.
Asked if he is considering his political future, Harris refused to speculate but restated he would be guided by his family
Simon Harris says he had to ‘dig pretty deep’ today to turn up at the FG think-in today after numerous threats have been made against him and his family.
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) September 8, 2025
Asked if he is considering his political future, Harris refused to speculate but restated he would be guided by his family pic.twitter.com/JaTKCp6eJs
Harris adds that it’s only a matter time until someone gets hurt, stating that it is important not to let threats of violence against politicans go up and down the news agenda.
Harris says it is only a matter time until someone gets hurt stating that it was important not to let threats of violence against politicans to simply go up and down the news agenda. pic.twitter.com/MmZ8WVFGH5
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) September 8, 2025
Back in Tralee, Councillor Kieran McCarthy is making his pitch. He’s a former Lord Mayor of Cork.
He has three messages, he says, and the theme is “bringing communities together”.
Says the presidency is about the “soul of the Irish people and our cultural heritage”.
Adds that the presidency can “bring people together”.
McCarthy says he want to collaborate with international ambassadors, as well as local authorities.
“There has to be more of a connection to the Irish president than just a photo on the wall,” he says of collaboration with local authorities.
Adds that the president can help “break down red tape”.
Councillor McCarthy is asked if someone like Conor McGregor should be on a ballot paper.
He says it shouldn’t be forgotten that anyone over 35 can ask for a nomination but says he only speaks for himself and that there is fears across local authorities on whether to “entertain” such candidates.
However, he adds that “democracy is democracy”.
“If we start saying, ‘this person can do this, this person can’t do that’, then that isn’t democracy.”
When asked if people in the North should have a vote, McCarthy says he “believes we are not there yet” but that “we should work closer with the North”.
There’s a bit of a delay here and in the interim, when the Cathaoirleach wishes happy birthday to someone, a councillor can be heard remarking: “It’s my birthday every day coming from Dingle.”
Keith McGrory is now here and the councillors have to be shushed after the break.
Lorna McCormack had been due to address the council before him, but she’d been held up.
McGrory says he brings experience from the industrial industry and points to inventions he’s received a patent for.
Says this mindset will help build up and support Irish businesses.
He notes that his brother was injured in the Omagh bombing and that experiences like this has taught him “the true value of peace, unity and compassion”.
“It gave me a deep understanding of ensuring that every Irish citizen deserves to live in a safe, inclusive and respectful Ireland.”
McGrory, from Co Donegal, adds that he would work with the Housing Minister on the housing crisis.
Adds that Ireland’s connection with the US is “vital” and he would work to strengthen this bond as president.
McGrory is asked if he would be better off starting a housing body, than working with the Housing Minister as president, to solve the housing crisis.
He said that the president would be able to “convene meetings on a monthly basis” and that he will “create means to work with the government”.
McGrory now says he could be both housing tzar and president.
“I have the answers on how to fix it – simple as that – by building it. I have the answers.”
He adds there is too much red tape and calls for deregulation.
Lorna McCormack was due to address councillors before Keith McGrory and is now by the podium.
She says Ireland “stands at a crossroads” and “we must face the difficult truth,” pointing to emergency accommodation figures which she describes as a “nation failure that erodes dignity and hope”.
“Ireland does not need a president that stands above the people,” says McCormack.
“Ireland needs a president that stands among the people.”
She’s from Ratoath in Co Meath and remarks that she wants to teach children that “success is not being the best, but being the best you can be”.
McCormack also speaking about environmental initiatives, adds that we are “no longer predicting climate change, but living it”.
McCormack says the role of president is to “be the voice of the people and connect with people on the ground”.
When asked how she would challenge issues like emergency accommodation and climate initiatives given the ceremonial nature of the presidency, McCormack says her experience is still relevant “because it’s about understanding the people you’re serving”.
“With regard to climate and housing, I am not there to offere solutions. I am there to represent the people and theire values and interests.”
When asked what she could do to get young people engaged in the presidential election, McCormack says young people need to be encouraged to vote and that she can bring “those 20-somethings into the conversation” and that she wants their voice to be “more of a whisper than a roar”.
Walter Ryan-Purcell is up next. He ran in the general election last year as Independent Ireland’s candidate for the Cork North West constituency.
A small tour operator, he says: “I intend to be a president with purpose, a president with solutions, a president with vision, and very much a working president.”
On the housing crisis, Ryan-Purcell says he plans to appoint seven ministers of government to the Council of State to initially have weekly meetings. “There are very practical solutions to solving the housing crisis,” he says.
He also raises the importance of leading talks on a United Ireland and preserving our neutrality.
Ryan-Purcell says he is “passionate” about international relations. He says that on 1 January last year, he emailed the Department of Foreign Affairs in Israel and offered, “as an ordinary Irish citizen, to mediate between the Israeli government and Hamas”.
He says that after a number of emails back and forth, he realised that there was “absolutely no interest in mediation”.
Concluding, he says: “I absolutely believe that we have to stop the Mercosur [deal] and we have to stop the Canadian European Trade Association, because that’s going to kill the price of cattle and be very dangerous.”
Asked how he would broker peace agreements in relation to the conflicts in our world at the moment, Ryan-Purcell says Ireland “is loved all around the world”.
“It’s fantastic that we’re neutral, and we must preserve that neutrality.
“We will be listened to. If the right person is going out there, we will be listened to. We can lead by example. I have no problem going anywhere.”
Gareth Sheridan is now making his pitch.
He begins by referencing the fact that he would be the youngest ever candidate on the ballot, and says that while age alone doesn’t qualify him to earn the support of the council, it is a factor that merits consideration.
Sheridan says it is difficult to engage with younger people in this country, “many who don’t even vote because they feel like they don’t have anything to vote for”.
“Our president represents us internationally, but importantly, also represents us at home, and there’s a very large group of people in this country today that don’t feel like they have very much representation,” he says.
Sheridan says it’s typically those aged under 40 who can’t afford to buy a home or start a family, and that a younger candidate of that generation reflecting their perspective “sends a positive message” that the decisions and the narrative that will shape their future has their input.
Sheridan says he respects that there are “constitutional restraints” for the role of president and that he has no ambition to become an antagonist to the government, but “a protagonist for the people on the issues of today”.
He says it’s something “that has been well demonstrated, particularly with presidents of my lifetime”, in particular Michael D Higgins.
Sheridan says housing is not the single issue that he would like to highlight, but that it is “the single most important issue that we need to tackle” in order to tackle other issues such as social justice, disability, healthcare and equality.
He says he wants Ireland to be”the land of 100,000 welcomes again, and not the land of 100,000 departures”.
Taking questions, the founder of Nutribrand is asked why he wants to become an employee.
Sheridan says the simple answer is that he is “not motivated by anything but having an impact” and that it is “not my personality to sit back if I think that I can be beneficial to a situation”.
He says he is a businessman and that his company is in “very safe hands”.
“It’s going to continue to do great things, but I think now is the perfect time in our country’s history for a younger president to welcome in that young, aspiring generation and collectively tackle these issues.”
Sheridan is also asked about his criticism of Fine Gael’s instruction to its party councillors to block opposing candidates from seeking a nomination.
He says that while he respects the party’s decision, he was “frustrated” and “troubled” by it, saying it could “create a system where as a people, we will only be able to consider candidates going forward that will come from within the walls of Leinster House”.
There’s a small break before the next candidate is due to speak. In the meantime, Gareth Sheridan has stopped to take some questions from reporters.
He says he believes his pitch went well and that the questions he was asked were fair.
Gareth Sheridan speaking to media as he’s leaving after speaking at Kerry County Council. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/R0UsCq2vV0
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
We’re back. Dr Cora Stack is at the lectern to make her pitch, and she has prepared a PowerPoint.
She says she is an independent that stands for “a republic of service, solidarity and shared dignity”.
Stack says Ireland is a nation facing real pressures and describes the housing crisis as a “national trauma”. Focusing on rural Ireland, she says it is under-invested and neglected- “in particular, the squeezed middle”.
She says that a just society ensures fair pay and dignity. “Our society should be focused on securing housing, healthcare and fair work rights,” she says, adding that carers and people with disabilities “deserve to be treated with respect and deserve recognition”.
Stack, who is a maths lecturer in Technological University of Dublin, is asked what work she has been doing in communities in the last number of years.
She says her community is students and that she spent many years teaching underprivileged students in Tallaght. “They were from underpinning backgrounds, and my job was to raise them up and to give them confidence, nurture their talents, and I was extremely successful.”
Asked what the theme of her presidency would be, she says it would be “rebuilding community from the bottom up” and supporting initiatives to bring people together and tackle problems such as disadvantage, isolation and loneliness.
Asked how much Irish she says, Stack says she “needs to do the Duolingo” to improve her Gaeilge.
She finishes with a shout of “up Kerry”.
Maria Steen is now making her pitch.
She says that while she is not an elected politician, she is a qualified barrister and has been involved in national politics for more than a decade, “taking part in a series of constitutional referenda and debating against very senior political figures, including the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Labour”.
She says she was motivated to put her name forward for the presidency “to speak out against the NGO and media-driven consensus that seemed to afflict so much of our politics and which was rejected by the people in the 2024 referenda, in which I called for a ‘No-No’ vote”.
Steen says the president can’t mend the housing market or lower the cost of living or determine the foreign policy of the state.
“These are undoubtedly important issues, and while they’re primarily matters for legislators and ministers, they seem to me to be symptoms of an underlying malaise, a detachment of our senior political leadership and media from our constitutional values, of which family is one of the most important.”
She says families “want and deserve to be defended, supported and honored”.
She also says the President has important duties and powers as the guardian of the Constitution, and says there may be “challenges ahead”, referencing the hate speech legislation.
Steen says “recent interventions from Dublin have attempted to undermine the constitutional power and privilege that you as councilors enjoy”.
She says Dublin “should not get to tell Kerry who it may propose for election, nor deprive the people of a real choice”, and that the country “deserves a president who is clear and open about what he or she stands for, who has a coherent political philosophy and, most importantly, a conscience”.
One councillor says they know where Steen stands on the abortion referendum and same sex marriage, and asks the conservative campaigner what she could bring to the presidency.
Steen says: “You may not agree with me, but you know where I stand.”
She says she would hope to be a reminder “of the goodness and values on which our constitution was founded, so that our nation can be a place for flourishing of all, and particularly families”.
Steen is asked how she would approach the treatment of Savita Halappanavar “knowing what we know now”.
Savita died in 2013 in University Hospital Galway while she was 17 weeks pregnant. Doctors on the ward believed that she was in the middle of a miscarriage or about to miscarry, but when she and her husband asked about the option of using medicine to induce miscarriage – as Savita was at risk of infection and sepsis – they were told that the doctors hands were “tied” as long as a foetal heartbeat was present, under Irish law.
Savita died after a week in hospital, and the cause of her death was recorded as severe sepsis, E.coli in the bloodstream and a miscarriage. Her death sparked widespread calls to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which happened following the 2018 referendum.
Steen, who campaigned for a No vote in that referendum, says care for mothers and babies “should be utmost in our country”.
“Mistakes were made in the case of Savita Halappanavar, and with a really tragic outcome,” she says. “I was on Prime Time just days after that happened, and as I said, I think there wasn’t a couple in the country who thought, ‘what if we were in that situation;?
“It was an absolutely tragic outcome. But of course, as the various inquiries found, she died of sepsis, which should have been managed earlier, which is a terrible tragedy.”
Steen says her position “has always been the same. I think abortion is a tragedy.” She says the 2024 referendum, “was actually an opportunity for healing”, because the 2018 referendum “had been quite divisive”.
Steen is also asked whether she thinks a candidate such as Conor McGregor is demeaning to the role of president.
She says she is “loathe to talk about other candidates”.
“I’ve experienced a lot of judgment in my own life from my role in speaking out about certain unpopular issues, and I don’t want to be casting judgment on other people, but councillors and TDs and senators will make up their own minds about things, and that is their prerogative, and I completely respect that.”
Next up is Gerben Uunk, an animal welfare campaigner who is originally from The Netherlands.
He tells the council that he believes that the rights of every living being in Ireland “must be respected and protected”.
“Yet the truth is, Ireland has fallen to one of the worst countries in Europe for animal welfare. Animal cruelty is at an all time high. This is not who we are, and it is not who we should ever be,” he says.
Uunk says Ireland needs a strong president who can function as a bridge between the government on one hand and local and national animal rescues on the other.
“Together, we can ensure that animals are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.”
Uunk says he is also standing against racism and racial hatred. He says Ireland has seen “ugly words and actions” directed at immigrants in recent times, adding: “This is not this is not the island of welcome and warmth what we know and love.”
He says the real cause of the housing crisis is not refugees, but years of failed government policy and long-term shortages.
“We can and we must demand better housing and services for every family, while still opening our hearts to those who arrive here seeking safety and dignity.”
Uunk also raises the importance of Irish neutrality. He says the president “holds a solemn duty” to protect this and that it is time for Ireland “to reconsider the use of Shannon Airport by foreign militaries”.
One of the councillors asks Uunk about how well he can speak Irish. He says he is learning at the moment but he is not proficient yet.
“If Des Bishop can learn Irish in a couple of months, like he did in Connemara, then I suppose I can,” the activist says, referencing the comedian’s 2008 documentary that focused on him learning the teanga in the Gaeltacht.
Asked whether he believes he could campaign more effectively on animal welfare in an office outside the presidency, Uunk says he believes the President “could definitely build momentum across the country” to establish a Government department of animal welfare.
The meeting has been told that it is ahead of time, and as a result, they have taken a slight detour to pay tribute to Christy O’Connor, the director of corporate services at Kerry County Council, who is retiring.
We’ve a slight break here for tributes to Christy O’Connor, one of the senior civil servants at Kerry County Council. There are two names left on the list for Presidential candidates.
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
Christy is second from right. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/Hc0s5w3Cb1
We’re back with the presidential hopefuls now. There are only two left to speak, the first of whom is Gearóid Duffy.
He tells the council that he has been working as a public servant for the last 36 years, and has been a “keen observer of current affairs for more than 15 years”.
Duffy says he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, something that he says “opened me up to a whole new chapter of social context and experience”.
He says he is seeking the council’s nomination because he “would like to reintroduce the concept of human rights into the political landscape, both here in Ireland and abroad” and make Ireland “a reference point in the world for those who seek peace through peaceful means”.
He says the EU’s response to what is happening in Gaza “speaks of an absence of a human rights perspective”.
Duffy says that no nation has a future currently due to “plummeting birth rates” and that no country in the global north is replacing itself.
“This is the real elephant in the room that you in Ireland talk about a real existential threat to our continued existence as a nation.”
He says he is “fully committed to carrying out the role of the office of president” and will not engage in any controversies that would diminish the office. “The office of president is an important one in the life of our democracy. It must remain distinct and separate from the ordinary, everyday cut and thrust of politics.”
Duffy is asked how he thinks he could advocate for others who have Parkinson’s disease as president. “I think a role model is more important,” he says, adding that he has been involved in causes and fundraising for the disorder.
Asked about his vision for the presidency, Duffy refers to his previous point that the president ”will never get involved in controversy with the government who are charged with developing policy and in committing it”.
The final Áras hopeful seeking the council’s nomination is Sarah Louise Mulligan.
However, she’s not here yet. The meeting is told that it is ahead of schedule, and Mulligan not scheduled to arrive until 6.15pm. Efforts to get in touch with her so far have been unsuccessful.
So now we wait.
Elsewhere in the country, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has voted not to nominate any presidential candidate.
Earlier today, Mayo County Council did the same. The council rejected the only proposed candidate – Maria Steen – by 19 votes to 5. There were two abstensions.
As Kerry County Council waits to hear from the final candidate seeking their nomination, our reporter Niall O’Connor has grabbed a quick word with Independent councillor Jackie Healy-Rae.
He says there is one candidate that he will give “serious consideration to” over the next week – and he has no problem sharing that it’s Gareth Sheridan.
We’ve a delay here as we’re waiting for one last hopeful. So I took the chance to chat to Cllr Jackie Healy Rae who had some choice words about some of the candidates earlier. He reveals who the council is likely to nominate. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/UZ2nLmC8Xn
— Niall O’Connor (@NiallJournal_ie) September 8, 2025
We’re back with the final candidate – Sarah Louise Mulligan. She apologises for being out of breath, saying she has run from the train station to get here.
Mulligan introduces herself by saying she worked as a carer during the Covid-19 pandemic and studied elder abuse. She says she has worked as a performing artist and activist for two decades.
Mulligan, who is an anti immigration activist, says Ireland is “at severe crossroads”.
“Our streets are unsafe, our borders are open and our voices are silenced. I say enough is enough. Together, we can save Ireland and make it safe again,” she says.
She claims that rising crime “is often linked to certain immigrants, which threatens our safety” and that Ireland must “fight back against illegal immigration”. This is a common narrative that is often pushed by anti-immigration activists. Recent claims, including those made by Fox News linking an ‘Irish crime wave’ to immigration have been debunked.
Mulligan also raises the cost of living crisis and homelessness, saying she will “prioritise affordable homes for Irish families” if she becomes president.
She goes on to say that free speech is “under attack” and that citizens are silenced “for questioning immigration or woke ideologies”. She references Enoch Burke, saying he “was imprisoned lots of times” and “had his statements removed” but that he “refused to compromise his beliefs”. False claims about why Burke has been imprisoned have been debunked.
Mulligan says her vision for Ireland “starts with real leadership rooted in common sense” and references US President Donald Trump, “who puts America first”.
“We need a president that puts Ireland first. My vision is very, very simple: safe streets, secure borders and prosperous citizens of this country,” she says.
Mulligan is asked what she would do to change the system from the Áras, and is asked if she had considered being a councillor or a TD instead.
She says she has run in both local and general elections, and she is now running as a presidential candidate for the second time “to use this as a platform to empower Irish people, to wake them up”.
Another councillor questions her views on freedom of speech, saying he has been the victim of hate speech online.
Mulligan says everybody has a right to speak their mind, “but when it comes to attacking or making any councillor or anybody that works with the government feel in fear, it should not be allowed, and I will be dead against that.”
A quote by James Connolly is put to Mulligan by another councillor: “Let no Irishman throw a stone at the foreigner; he may hit his own clansman. Let no foreigner revile the Irish; he may be vilifying his own stock.” He asks for her reaction to it.
She says: “I don’t have an issue with immigration. I just have an issue with illegal immigration, and I love all different nationalities.
“One thing I will say, we need to look after the Irish first. And I don’t believe in throwing stones on anybody, especially if somebody has a different colour or a different race or a different creed,” she says, before stating that there are “a lot of foreigners in this country who are committing crimes”.
Asked how she would support people experiencing domestic violence, she says:
“First and foremost, I want to stand up for the men here, because certain men, and Irish men and foreign men, are abused by their female partners and wives. So just in case you might think I’m a bit of a feminist, I’m far from it. I’m all for men.”
She says domestic violence “happens in every single country all over the world, so Ireland is no different”.
She adds that she will stand against violence in her campaign. “It’s no different for an Irish man. It’s no different for a foreign man. When it comes to any sort of abuse, whether that be physically, sexually, emotional abuse, every man should be taken in, handcuffed and questioned and put in prison if it’s very, very severe. And it goes for women as well.”
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