Ireland’s presidential election will be played by a former minister, a former Gaelic soccer coach and a leftist parliamentarian, after names known as Conor McGregor, Bob Geldof and Michael Flatley expressed interest.
After months of online speculation, mixed martial arts fighter, Riverdance’s former star and former star did not formally seek the necessary support from members of Parliament or local councils before the closing of nominations on Wednesday.
The dispute will place two candidates supported by each of the country’s center-right parties against a third party supported by the left opposition parties in the race to succeed Michael D. Higgins in the October 24 vote for the widely ceremonial role.
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One of the two ruling parties, Fine Gael, introduced former Social Affairs Minister Heather Humphreys, while his center-right partner, the Fianna Fail, said Jim Gavin, better known for running Dublin’s Galic Football team.
Independent parliamentarian and former vice-mayor of the Baixa do Parliament, Catherine Connolly, formed a coalition that represents most of the opposition, including the largest member, Sinn Fein, who has opted for her own candidate in recent days.
Although Sinn Fein considers the role as symbolically important in his search for the unification of the British Republic and Ireland, and its leader Mary Lou McDonald has considered competing, the party expects Connolly to show that a left block can defeat the center-right parties who led all Irish governments.
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An opinion poll of September 14, conducted before Sinn Fein deciding his strategy, put Humphreys in the lead with 22%, Gavin with 18%and Connolly with 17%.
Higgins, the current president and former Minister of Arts of the Center-left Labor Party, has been relatively frank during his two seven-year terms, especially in his support for Palestinian rights in Gaza.
Connolly, one of the main pro-palestinas voices in Parliament, would be seen as the closest to Higgins on this issue. All major political parties support Ireland’s position as one of the most pro-palestinine EU states.
