Deputy John Connolly wants Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to select his Galway West predecessor, Éamon Ó Cuív, to run for the presidency.
Speaking to the Advertiser, the first-term TD expressed concern that his party has not yet selected a candidate to run for Áras an Uachtaráin in the upcoming election, due on November 11.
“I’m struggling to understand why we might not contest the election, or support a candidate for the position of Head of State. Not supporting a candidate infers the position is irrelevant, and infers an irrelevance of the party to the electorate. For me, neither position is contemplatable,” says Connolly.
“Of all the potential candidates speculated upon, I believe Eamon [Ó Cuív] would be an excellent President. I don’t know if he is giving the election any consideration,” says Connolly, who insists a candidate should be chosen.
Fianna Fáil has not run a candidate for the presidency since 1997. Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former minister Mary Hanafin, Donegal TD Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, Professor Deirdre Heenan, an academic, and former minister and grandson of the party’s founder, Éamon Ó Cuív, have all been floated. Even Italia ‘90 legends Niall Quinn and Pakie Bonner were mentioned by the Irish Times last week as possibilities for the Soldiers of Destiny.
Connolly confirmed a number of names are being discussed in Fianna Fáil circles, and that ultimately its Mount Street HQ will decide if the party will enter the fray. He suspects Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his advisors are trying to predict the outcome of the presidential election, “And using that as a reason not to contest the election is flawed."
“We have party members offering to contest the election, [and] we might have more members or supporters interested in being the party candidate, if there was clarity around our intentions, and how we intend to select a candidate,” he said, pointing out that Fianna Fáil is currently the largest party in the Oireachtas, and nationally, the largest party at local government level.
If it fails to run its own candidate, Fianna Fáil’s Galway West TD hopes his party should at least row in behind an appropriate candidate from outside the fold.
“I don’t think it’s plausible that the party would be on the side-line of an electoral contest,” he said.
