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LAST UPDATE | 15 Sep 2025
MULTIPLE CANDIDATES SEEKING a spot on the presidential ballot via the council route addressed councillors around the country today.
But of the local authorities holding special meetings to hear from aspiring presidential candidates today, six of them voted not to nominate any of the candidates they heard from.
Laois, Roscommon, Galway City, Longford, Cork City and Dublin City Council all voted in favour of motions not to back any Áras hopefuls.
They join Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Mayo and Fingal County Council in voting not to support anyone.
Councillors in Kildare and Westmeath – who also held special meetings today – will decide next week whether to support anyone.
It comes after Kerry Council Council, after hearing from contenders last week, voted this morning to give its backing to businessman Gareth Sheridan.
Separately, Conor McGregor this morning decided to call it a day on his presidential bid.
Candidates need the backing of four local authorities to get on the ballot.
Updates from Jane Moore and earlier from Diarmuid Pepper and Lauren Boland.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today’s Áras race developments. Lauren Boland here with you this morning.
It’s set to be a busy day with Fianna Fáil also holding their pre-Dáil think-in in Cork and and People Before Profit hosting their own think-in meeting in Dublin.
There was one significant development in the race early this morning, with Conor McGregor confirming in a post on X that he wouldn’t be pursuing a spot on the ballot.
He’d been due to speak to councillors in Kildare this afternoon and Dublin this evening.
Muintir na hÉireann, a chairde Ghaeil,
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 15, 2025
I recently announced my sincere and genuine intentions of running for the office of Uachtaráin na hÉireann.
I am a very passionate Gael and take great pride in our Country.
I have demonstrated this fighting Irish spirit on a world stage…
His appearances had been expected to generate significant international coverage – so don’t be surprised if you spot reporters from overseas news outlets kicking their heels around Naas or on Dame Street later on today.
You might remember that Kerry County Council met last week to hear pitches from people who want to get their name on the presidential election ballot.
It was the first council to hold this kind of meeting, but lots more are following suit this week.
Our news correspondent Niall O’Connor was in Tralee for the meeting last week. He described it as being a bit “like Dancing with the Stars, minus the dancing and the stars”.
Getting straight to business, councillors are discussing now whether or not to give their support to any candidate.
Fianna Fáil councillor Norma Moriarty is against backing any candidate. She doesn’t seem to be impressed by the calibre of the contenders.
“I’m not interested in a lucky bag president,” she says, saying that the president should be someone whose positions on issues are well known to the public and whose “character has been tested over many years”.
“We need somebody with a degree of gravitas and wisdom and moral courage,” she says.
Johnny Healy-Rae – one of three Healy-Raes on Kerry County Council – takes a different view.
“This is one of the few roles that councils have in this country,” he says.
He says that ultimately it will be the people who decide who will be elected as president and that “all we are doing is accommodating someone to get on the ballot paper”.
The debate continues in that fashion – some members don’t want to give the council’s backing to a candidate just for the sake of it if they don’t think any of the contenders are up to par, while others argue it’s an important role that the council plays in the electoral process.
Councillors are voting now on whether the council should support a candidate’s effort to get on the ballot.
The motion being voted on is to NOT nominate – so a ‘for’ vote is to not nominate, and an ‘against’ vote is to nominate.
The first five votes: For. Against. Against. For. Against.
That fifth against was from Councillor Brendan Cronin, who at first had accidentally said he was for the motion and then switched quickly: “Against!”. Bit of a laugh in the room.
The result was 14 in favour and 18 against. The motion to not nominate was defeated, meaning Kerry County Council WILL nominate a candidate.
Two members of the council have proposed and seconded businessman Gareth Sheridan for the nomination, and with no other names put forward, it goes his way.
However, some councillors are less than happy with the decision.
Fianna Fáil councillor Norma Moriarty, who did not want the council to back a candidate, is among those registering their dissatisfaction with the outcome.
“We lost the vote, I’m perfect happy to take that, that’s democracy, but I want it known that I do not approve of this candidate,” she says.
More councillors chime in to lodge their disapproval, leaving the chair to say that she’ll take it that anyone who has put up their hand wants their dissent noted. The meeting finally moves on and back to local Kerry issues.
Gareth Sheridan officially has one council behind him, but that’s only one-quarter of the councils he’ll need to rally around him if he’s to get on the ballot.
To run in the presidential election, a would-be candidate has three routes available to them:
To be eligible, a candidate must be aged 35 or older and must be a citizen of Ireland.
Welcome to Super Monday. Kerry County Council may be done and dusted, but there’s a slew of other councils also meeting today with the presidential election on their agenda.
The others won’t be as swift as Kerry; it heard from contenders last week, whereas other councils meeting today still need to hear presentations. Some may make up their minds today on whether to back a candidate while others could wait, like Kerry, for a further meeting to cement their decision.
Meetings of Longford County Council and Roscommon County Council have gotten underway.
Laois is meeting at 2pm followed by Westmeath at 2.30pm, Kildare at 3.30pm and Galway City Council at 4pm.
Dublin City Council is up at 6.15pm, with Cork City Council starting late at 7.30pm.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil and People Before Profit are holding party think-ins today before the Dáil returns from its summer recess.
Outside the Fianna Fáil think-in, a mother, Antoinette Burke, has told Taoiseach Micheál Martin about delays in surgery for her daughter Katie – one example of the wider issue of delayed surgeries for children that the government has been facing sharp criticism over.
Antoinette Burke says she raised her daughter Katie Byrne’s case with Michael Martin’s office back in 2010 but has not heard back. She says she has reached out to Tanaiste Simon Harris and Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill also. pic.twitter.com/NcqpQIt9f5
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) September 15, 2025
Photo: Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and members of the party at the think-in in Cork.
Longford is one of the councils hearing from contenders this morning.
Of its 18 members, 16 belong to either Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, both of which already have candidates of their own in the race via the Oireachtas route – so this council may well be one that votes not to nominate someone.
That’s it from me for the moment. Handing you over to my colleague Diarmuid Pepper as we await developments from the ongoing council meetings.
Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s commission for regulating broadcasters, has today published its guidelines in advance of the upcoming Presidential Election.
It confirms last year’s decision to replace the Broadcast Moratorium with an “Additional Care Requirement” during the “Critical Election Period”.
The moratorium had prevented television and radio stations from broadcasting anything which could influence a vote from 2pm before polling day, until after polls close.
The Critical Election Period will now be in place from 7am on the day before polling begins until polls close on voting day.
During this period, broadcasters are required to take a higher level of editorial care in their coverage of the election.
The Additional Care Requirement does not prohibit broadcast coverage of the election, but sets out considerations for broadcasters.
Reporting on or discussion of opinion polls and exit polls or speculation on the outcome of a vote is not permitted during polling hours.
Conor McGregor has abandoned his attempt to become a candidate and Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that was a matter for him.
“Conor McGregor has made his decision, it’s a matter for Conor McGregor. I don’t really have any further comment to make on it,” he said, speaking in Cork ahead of his party’s think-in.
He added that he “got a very good response” from a canvas with Fianna Fáil nominee Jim Gavin this morning.
Martin said there was “lot of banter about the place in terms of the state of Cork football versus Dublin football and a few Kerry people as well”.
The Taoiseach joked: “So my message to Kerry people, and people who will be concerned about that, is the safest thing to do is to elect Jim Gavin as president so he won’t go back to haunt you.”
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor posted recently on social media that he was to meet with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about tariffs.
When asked about this, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “the real action is obviously between the European Union and the United States in respect of the trading relationship between US and Europe”.
He added: “Obviously, we too have our bilateral engagements and the Tániste (Simon Harris) has met with Howard Lutnick, that’s the vehicle through which these issues will get negotiated.”
While candidates are vying for a spot in the Áras race via the Council route today, there’s three people already declared for next month’s election.
Independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly was the first to enter the race, and has the backing of Labout, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit.
However, she does not yet have the backing of Sinn Féin, and on Saturday the party will decide whether to back Connolly or put forward their own candidate.
Elsewhere, former Minister Heather Humphreys has been put forward by Fine Gael and former Dublin manager Jim Gavin is running for Fianna Fáil.
According to Shannonside News, nine of the 16 candidates have made their pitches to Roscommon Councillors.
Candidates will be given five minutes to make a speech and then a further five minutes to answer questions from Councillors.
Conor McGregor was due to be one of the candidates due to speak but he withdrew from the race in the early hours of this morning.
Gareth Sheridan, who secured the nomination of Kerry County Council today, is due to make his presentation shortly.
Once all candidates make their presentation, councillors will decide whether or not to nominate a candidate for the presidency.
Shannonside News also covers Co Longford and Longford County Council is hearing from presidential hopefuls.
Some 20 candidates asked to meet with Longford councillors and the process started at 11 this morning.
There have been online presentations from former Presidential candidate Peter Casey and former UCD professor Dolores Cahill, as well as in person appearances from Maria Steen.
Meanwhile, Shannonside reports that William P Allen and Joseph Obi didn’t show up for their timeslots.
Shannonside reports that Casey spoke from his home in the US and that he cautioned that the office of President has evolved into a “meaningless role” but that it could make a difference.
He is also said to have criticised both legal and illegal immigration.
Maria Steen meanwhile is reported to have told councillors said she would be a unifying President and that she would respect the constraints of the office.
She added that she hoped to be a citizen of a united Ireland one day.
However, it’s unlikely the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael dominated chamber will nominate any of today’s hopefuls.
While many councillors are focusing on the presidential election today, the day-to-day politics continues.
Fianna Fáil is having its party think-in in Co Cork, while People Before Profit is hosting theirs in the Gibson Hotel in Dublin.
Gareth Sheridan has said he is “so grateful to Kerry County Council to receive the honour and responsibility of their nomination”.
He also hit out at the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael block but said he is “not deterred and our plan is working”.
“We have worked for months on a strategy with Independent Councillors as to where we could engineer a result even if there was a block in place.”
He will soon address Laois County Council and said: “It is ironic that the Fianna Fáil candidate, Jim Gavin, appears to be only happy to enter this All-Ireland contest, the Presidency, by blocking most of the Counties from taking part.
“Jim Gavin and Heather Humphries are really strong candidates, I don’t see why they are so worried about a young candidate such as myself contesting the Presidential election.”
Laois Co Council is hearing from seven candidates this afternoon, with Gareth Sheridan among those.
Sheridan has already been endorsed by Independent Councillor Aisling Moran and it’s expected she will have a seconder.
He’s currently addressing councillors.
According to Laois Today, Sheridan has been asked if he can speak Irish.
He says he’s been working with a tutor for a year and that he wants to champion the language and is enjoying learning it again.
Following Conor McGregor’s withdrawal, Kildare County Council is set to hear from 12 lesser-known independent candidates this afternoon.
With Fianna Fáil holding 12 seats and Fine Gael 11 among the council’s 40 members, a majority vote for any candidate looks extremely unlikely.
One councillor predicted the session would be a “dull affair”.
Another councillor added they were “glad the McGregor circus isn’t rolling into town,” a sentiment echoed by several colleagues.
Seven people will address Laois councillors and we’re on number six now, Gerben Uunk.
He’s originally from the Netherlands, but now lives in Limerick and is an animal welfare activist and leader of PAW (Party for Animal Welfare).
He tells councillors the president should stand up for everything, including people, plants, and animals.
He adds that he would have a “First Dog” and “First Cat” in the Áras.
Laois Today is reporting that the final candidate due to address concillors, Professor Dr Joseph Chikelue Obi, has not shown up.
Roscommon County Council has decided not to nominate a candidate for the Presidential Election.
Gareth Sheridan, who has secured a nomination from Kerry County Council, did not make a presentation to councillors there.
Meanwhile, over in Laois, councillor Aisling Moran has proposed Gareth Sheridan and this has been seconded.
Laois Today is reporting that Labour councillor Marie Tuohy is supporting Catherine Connolly but that presidency cannot be reduced to “just being people backed by parties”.
She says others should be allowed on the ballot, in addition to those backed by parties.
Some councillors in Laois said they would endorse Gareth Sheridan being on the ballot, even though they won’t be voting for him on election day.
But when the vote came on whether or not to endorse a candidate, councillors voted against, 11-8.
Councillor Aisling Moran proposed Gareth Sheridan in Laois County Council and claimed this sets a “dangerous” precedent.
Laois Today is reporting that there is now a shouting match in the chamber between Moran and councillors opposed to nominating a candidate.
The Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Fine Gael’s Liam Callaghan, has remarked that “every member had an opinion”.
The council this afternoon decided against endorsing a candidate.
“There was an opportunity for them to nominate but I suppose the candidates just didn’t connection directly with the councillors.
“When we went to look for a nomination, no councillor was convinced that they wished to nominate the candidates.”
It’s worth noting that Gareth Sheridan, who was proposed and seconded at the special meeting, claimed at the start of his campaign that he had the support of the council. But that was quickly dispelled by a senior councillor, who pointed out that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors hold a majority and were not likely to endorse him.
Fianna Fáil has six representatives on the council, while Fine Gael has five.
One of those Fine Gael councillors told The Journal: “I feel that some of the independents who were backing Sheridan led him to believe that they had more support than they did. He was expecting to get a nomination in Laois today after getting a nomination in Kerry this morning.”
As we approach 4pm on this Super Monday, here’s a look at how the scheduled council meetings have gone so far, and how many others we have yet to hear from:
In Westmeath, a total of 13 presidential hopefuls are making their pitch for a nomination. Unlike the five minutes permitted in other council meetings so far, the candidates here are getting 15 minutes each to speak, with ten minutes of questions.
So far, the meeting has heard from Catherine Morrissey-Smyth, David Parnell, Nick Delahanty and Gearoid Duffy.
One councillor told The Journal that while they found Delahanty “very impressive”, they’re not sure that they agree with all of his views.
“It’s our duty to go through this process, but I just think a lot of people go for President who don’t understand the limits of the powers of the President, and most that we have heard from are speaking on a single issue. It could be a long afternoon,” they said.
The council will vote on whether they will back any of the candidates next Monday.
At Galway City Council’s special meeting, candidates have yet to appear – despite the meeting beginning at 4pm.
One councillor said it was not respectful of the chamber’s time for candidates to have not turned up on time. “If this was a job interview, they would’ve turned up for it,” he said.
A motion was proposed to conclude the meeting at 4.30pm if no candidates have arrived.
Meanwhile, Kildare County Council’s presidential meeting is well underway, with three of the seven candidates having addressed councillors so far: Catherine Morrissey Smyth, Séana Kerr, and Charlotte Keenan.
Originally, 12 candidates were due to make their pitches today, but that number dramatically fell this afternoon. To secure the council’s backing, a candidate must win the votes of 21 councillors.
“It’s not looking great so far,” one councillor said. Another told The Journal that Catherine Morrissey Smyth, a corporate consultant and Kildare native, had a “very impressive CV.”
While the council meetings to hear from presidential hopefuls continue, Fianna Fáil’s Áras candidate has been speaking to the media at the party’s think-in in Cork.
Jim Gavin answered questions on housing, the Defence Forces, and comments he made about Gaza last week.
The former Dublin GAA manager had said he believed that the Israeli army’s “military objectives have probably been reached” in its nearly three-year-long assault of Gaza, and that it was “unconscionable” that the bombing was continuing.
His comments were rounded on by Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty, who criticised him classing the onslaught as part of Israel’s “military objectives”.
Asked about the comments he made and whether it was an appropriate way to describe what is happening in Gaza, Gavin said:
“The Israeli government are committing war crimes and that needs to stop. The fighting needs to stop, the hostages need to be handed over, unconditionally.”
Our Political Editor Christina Finn, who was at the press conference, has the full story here.
We’re heading back to the west now, where Galway City Council has gotten hold of a candidate.
Diarmuid Mulcahy is now making his presidential pitch to councillors. Mulcahy says he has lived in Galway since the 1980s and has had a varied career, having been a freelance business advisor and mentor for 25 years.
He has previously contested local and European elections and has been Chairman of the Green Party’s National Council. He confirms that he is fluent in Irish.
Two potential candidates have gone to the county hall in error, the Lord Mayor of Galway City has said. The council has agreed to wait five more minutes for them to arrive.
Nick Delehanty is expected to appear next to make his presentation to councillors having come from Westmeath County Council. Diarmuid Mulcahy, who has made his pitch already, is credited with the meeting being sustained, having arrived just before 4.30pm, when councillors had agreed to conclude the meeting.
Nick Delehanty has begun his presidential pitch to Galway City Council.
He begins by apologising for being an hour late, and suggests that the structure of ‘Super Monday’ be reviewed in future as it “lends itself” to making it more difficult for Independents to get onto the ballot. He mentions his presence on social media and his background in law.
Delehanty tells councillors that he ran in both local and general elections last year, where he was unsuccessful. He mentions the ‘big names’ he ran against in Dublin, but adds that he did better than former Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell in the same ward.
Councillors have asked Delehanty several questions on young people and how he feels he can reach out to the younger generation.
He says that young people come up to him and say, “You’re the only one that I actually want to listen to” because of his online presence. He says young people feel locked out and have no one to represent him. He thinks everyone should have their own platforms on social media for young people to engage with.
Longford County Council has followed Roscommon and Laois in deciding not to nominate a presidential candidate.
The council also heard a proposal to nominate independent candidate Maria Steen. Leas cathaoirleach Niall Gannon told The Journal that the proposal was defeated by 7 votes to 2, with 6 abstentions.
The local authority is made up of eight Fianna Fáil councillors, eight Fine Gael councillors and two Independents.
Back in Galway now, and the city council’s stated rules that each candidate will have five minutes for their presentation and five to answer questions has gone out the window – Delehanty has now been answering questions for over 20 minutes.
Councillors have questioned him on statements he made regarding immigration and multiculturalism, his level of Irish, how he is funding his campaign, and his political background.
A surprise third candidate has arrived to Galway City Council, added to the list during the meeting.
Donegal businessman Keith McGrory has five minutes to address the council (although an irate councillor has pointed out that Diarmuid Mulcahy was given 15 minutes, and Nick Delehanty was given 33).
Kildare County Council’s meeting has now wrapped up, with little drama among the independent hopefuls beyond a few pointed exchanges.
Dominic Plant, a former IT and GDPR manager, spent some of his time criticising current President Michael D Higgins. Later on, Dr Cora Stack, a mathematics lecturer at TUD, was pulled up by Cathaoirleach Carmel Kelly after directing her frustrations at Fine Gael councillors over their party’s mandated voting block.
Beyond that, the session was described as largely uneventful. Councillors were not given time to ask questions of the candidates, making it “a sedate affair”, according to one councillor.
The Council will meet again next week to decide whether or not to back a candidate.
Following Longford County Council’s decision not to support a candidate to run in the presidential election, Independent councillor Mark Casey has voiced his dissatisfaction with the vote.
Speaking to Shannonside FM, he said it was “very concerning that the councillors would come in here and wait a couple of hours to try and block people from running from the president”.
Casey described Maria Steen as “one of the best candidates who came before us and probably one of the best candidates that would be in the field if she was let run”.
He also accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of being “afraid” of Steen being “the best candidate in the field”.
Dublin City Council’s special meeting to hear from aspiring Áras candidates is due to kick off at 6.15pm – but the council has been told that some of those speaking are running late.
The first to arrive is independent Sarah Louise Mulligan. She spoke to our reporter Eimer McAuley on the way in.
Sarah Louise Mulligan has arrived at Dublin City Council with Gavin Pepper and Malachy Steenson to make her pitch to be President - she says she’s running on a platform of being against “imported crime”. pic.twitter.com/UwFtUk2JKh
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) September 15, 2025
No member of Galway City Council has proposed a candidate for nomination.
Councillors thanked the three hopefuls who appeared at the meeting to make their pitches today – Nick Delehanty, Diarmuid Mulcahy and Keith McGrory – and wished them well in their respective campaigns.
Dublin City Council’s special meeting to hear from presidential hopefuls has kicked off.
The first to address the meeting is Catherine Morrissey Smyth, a corporate consultant and Kildare native. She tells the meeting that she has a background in pharmaceuticals and wants to address homelessness and overcrowding in emergency departments.
Independent candidate Sarah Louise Mulligan is now addressing the meeting. During her address, she says that there is rising crime in Ireland and that it is often linked to migration. This is met by audible disagreement in the chamber, and Lord Mayor Ray McAdam tells Mulligan to be careful about the language she uses and says she will be asked to vacate her seat if she doesn’t comply with the code of conduct.
McAdam tells Sarah Louise Mulligan that she's in breach of the code of conduct as she says that there's "a rise in crime" linked to immigration. "Language matters" McAdam tells her, warning she'll be asked to take a seat if she doesn't comply with the code. pic.twitter.com/KtktVepJCe
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) September 15, 2025
The next candidate to speak is Dolores Cahill. After going over her career, she says that her presidency would focus on Irish families and Irish entrepreneurships.
Dermot Lacey tells Cahill he's struggling to know why she wants to be President from what she's said. Pat Dunne asks what makes her thinks she'd do better this time when she's done badly in an election before. She says her online videos have been viewed many times.
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) September 15, 2025
Independent candidate Maria Steen is now addressing Dublin City Council. She says she is not asking the councillors to endorse every view that she holds, but to consider her candidacy “impartially” and “without prejudice”.
Steen is asked about her campaigning for a No vote in the Repeal the Eighth referendum, and what her views are now.
The barrister says she has accepted the will of the people in the referenda that she campaigned in. She asks the councillors if they would put the same questions to those who follow Islam or Judaism. “Would you put these questions to them and hold them to account?”
She claims that her acceptance of the will of the people is not enough for some people and that they are seeking to “punish her” for her Catholic faith.
Steen has said that a Fianna Fáil councillor in Longford today told her that he "wouldn't even listen" to her as his daughter is gay. She said she has gay people on her team and "lots of gay people" want to see her go forward, and that being Catholic shouldn't disqualify her .
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) September 15, 2025
After a short break to wait for other aspiring candidates to arrive, the Dublin City Council meeting has resumed. The next speaker is Dr Cora Stack.
She says she has 20 years of public service in education in the Dublin region, and is interested in a republic of service, solidarity and shared dignity. She says she is not seeking power, but service.
Stack is asked if she would support the removal of the Triple Lock mechanism, that is used by the Government to trigger the deployment of Irish troops abroad on international peacekeeping. She says she supports neutrality and would support the removal of the mechanism if it was by referendum, but would not be in favour of it otherwise.
She is also asked for her opinion on Israel’s offensive in Gaza. “I’m horrified,” she says, describing the situation as “tragic in the extreme” and “absolutely reprehensible”.
Speaking after Galway City Council decided not to nominate a candidate, the city’s Lord Mayor Mike Cubbard told The Journal that he felt all three candidates who appeared before the council were well-spoken and were listened to by councillors, despite Fine Gael councillors’ diktat forbidding them from nominating an Independent.
An Independent himself, Cubbard said he had carefully considered the three candidates but ultimately decided not to back any. “I think it’s important not to split the Independent vote,” he said, and added that there is already a strong Independent candidate from the west in Catherine Connolly.
The next candidate to address Dublin City Council is Lorna McCormack. She says she is an author, a European climate pact ambassador with a Masters in agricultural innovation.
McCormack says she is fluent in Irish Sign Language and is signing some of her contribution. She says she has worked with Deaf people for 30 years as well. She says it is “vital that we bring young and older people together to create meaningful connections”.
“We need to protect, support and ensure that their voices are raised, respected and treasured.”
McCormack is asked about Irish Sign Language. She says ISL is recognised as the third language in the country, and around 5,000 people use it as their primary language.
“There is also 150,000 deaf and hard of hearing people here in Ireland, and I believe that it is important that we include those voices. They are the silent voices of Ireland, and I will, should I get nominated, include those voices here today.”
The Dublin City Council meeting is having a short break while waiting for the final candidate to arrive. Lord Mayor Ray McAdam tells the meeting that he believes they are parking their car.
The Dublin City Council meeting has resumed, and the final candidate is Keith McGrory – who addressed Galway City Council earlier today.
He says he has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. He grew up in Donegal during The Troubles, which has shaped his life. He says his younger brother Ronan was caught up in the Omagh bombing and carries lifelong injuries as a result. He says experience like this taught him the value of peace and compassion.
“It gave me a deep understanding of the importance of ensuring that every citizen, no matter their colour, religion or background, deserves to live in a safe, inclusive, respectful Ireland. I, as President, I would hold that principle close to my heart and everything I do.”
McGrory is asked if he would attend a football match between Ireland and Israel if he were president. He says for him, doors must always be left open to achieve peace. “We will never get peace if we do not attend events.”
Mc Grory has been asked by cllr Gavin Pepper if, as President, he'd hypothetically attend a friendly football match involving Ireland and Israel. His answer: "We won't have peace if we don't attend events". So yes, he'd go to the football match.
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) September 15, 2025
All of the candidates to address Dublin City Council have now spoken. The council is now taking a vote on whether they should back any of the candidates.
Dublin City Council has voted not to nominate a candidate for the presidential election.
After hearing from the candidates this evening, 50 councillors voted in favour of not backing any of them. Nine councillors voted to nominate a candidate.
Cork City Council have also voted against endorsing any candidates in the Áras race.
After hearing from seven candidates hoping to secure a nomination today, the council voted 15 to 10 in favour of not backing any of them. Two councillors abstained.
With that, a busy ‘Super Monday’ draws to a close and so too does our liveblog.
If you’re still hungry for more news on the election race, fear not: tomorrow will see independent hopefuls making their respective pitches at special council meetings in Tipperary and Wicklow.
Thank you for staying with our coverage throughout the day, and goodnight.
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