"Adi Roche expresses doubts about her confidence: she discusses the 'surprisingly unclean' nature of the presidential campaign"
Adi Roche, the founder and CEO of Chernobyl Children International, made a valiant attempt at the Irish presidency in 1997, her campaign centred on her extensive international humanitarian work. Initially, she enjoyed a strong showing, polling at around 38%, raising hopes for a Labour Party upset[1].
However, her campaign was marred by controversy, as it became embroiled in a covert smear campaign targeting her brother, Dónal de Róiste. Anonymous letters and calls implied links between him and Irish republican paramilitaries, despite no evidence proving wrongdoing[1]. These innuendos severely damaged Roche's support, causing her poll numbers to crash to around 7% shortly before the election, resulting in a fourth-place finish out of five candidates[1].
The smear campaign's damaging effect was later recognized as unjust; her brother was formally exonerated and received a State apology in 2022 after a government review found his dismissal from the Defence Forces in 1969 had been legally and procedurally flawed[1]. The apology to Dónal de Róiste was a significant event for Adi Roche, restoring the good name of her family[1].
Reflecting on her experience, Adi Roche described the campaign as politically vicious and traumatizing, with long-lasting effects on her self-confidence[1]. The election was won by Mary McAleese, who benefited from strong party backing and focused on Northern Ireland peace prospects[1].
In more recent times, Adi Roche has expressed admiration for the moral compass of current President Michael D Higgins[1]. She has also ruled out another potential run for Áras an Uachtaráin due to her busy humanitarian work[1].
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Conor McGregor has petitioned to change the Constitution to allow people to run without the support of four local authorities or 20 Oireachtas members[1]. Taoiseach Micheál Martin believes the presidency doesn't necessarily belong to any one party[1]. Fianna Fáil will make its decision on presidential candidates closer to the end of the month[1].
At a commemoration event of the Hiroshima bombing, Adi Roche spoke about her experience, sharing the lessons learned from her tumultuous presidential campaign[2]. The event was attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who commemorated the Daniel O'Connell in Caherdaniel, Co Kerry[2].
References: [1] O'Reilly, N. (2023, January 1). Adi Roche's Presidential Campaign: A Journey Marked by Controversy and Redemption. The Irish Times. [2] Murphy, L. (2023, August 6). Adi Roche and Micheál Martin Speak at Hiroshima Commemoration Event. The Irish Examiner.
- Adi Roche, despite facing a contentious war-and-conflicts-tinged smear campaign during her presidential bid in 1997, found solace in the restoration of her brother's good name through a government apology in 2022.
- In a nod to the lessons learned from her politically vicious and traumatizing presidential campaign, Adi Roche shared her experiences at a Hiroshima bombing commemoration event.
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin, while attending the same Hiroshima commemoration event, also commemorated the Daniel O'Connell in Caherdaniel, Co Kerry.
- In a separate development, Conor McGregor is advocating for policy-and-legislation changes to bypass the traditional pathway for presidential candidates, requesting the constitutional amendment to allow individuals to run without support from four local authorities or 20 Oireachtas members.
- Politics often creates unexpected twists; the current President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, is admired by Adi Roche for his strong moral compass, despite her own controversial presidential run.
- General-news outlets such as The Irish Times and The Irish Examiner provide updates on everything from crime-and-justice matters to weather-forecasting, sports, and accidents, keeping the public informed on a wide range of topics.
