Political aspirations of Gareth Sheridan face a setback in Carlow County
In the ongoing race for Ireland's presidency, speculation has narrowed to a few potential candidates, including Sinn Féin's own TD Pearse Doherty and Independent Catherine Connolly.
Kathleen Funchion, a Sinn Féin MEP and ardchomhairle member, has publicly expressed her support for Catherine Connolly. Funchion described Connolly as a person who 'can listen to people that she doesn't agree with' and praised her fluency in Irish. However, Funchion emphasized that the Sinn Féin decision will be made during their ardchomhairle meeting on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Gareth Sheridan's presidential ambitions have faced setbacks. He failed to secure the backing of Carlow County Council, receiving 7 votes for and 11 against. Despite presenting to councillors, including 6 from Fine Gael and 5 from Fianna Fáil, Sheridan must still convince two more councils to facilitate his bid.
On a positive note, Cllr Kieran McCarthy received the nomination from Waterford, marking his first council backing in the presidential race.
The Green Party has joined the Social Democrats, Labour, and People Before Profit in backing Independent candidate Catherine Connolly. Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin has submitted his presidential nomination papers and secured the backing of the party.
Maria Steen, another independent candidate, has received commitments from a series of Oireachtas members to back her presidential bid. These include Independent TDs Mattie McGrath and Carol Nolan, Senators Joe Conway, Rónán Mullen, and Sharon Keogan, and Dublin Mid-West Independent TD Paul Gogarty. As of Friday, John Tóibín is confident that 12 Oireachtas members have signed or are willing to sign nomination papers for Maria Steen. Two more Oireachtas members are expected to 'come over the line' this weekend, which would bring the number of supporters for Maria Steen to 14.
Local authorities in Meath, Offaly, and Louth will meet on Monday and are seen as possible sources of nominations. If these councils were to support Sheridan or Steen, it could significantly impact the election polls.
Paul Gogarty has stated that if a candidate needs two more votes to reach 20 Oireachtas members, he would add his nomination. This could potentially help either Sheridan or Steen in their quest for the presidential election.
The upcoming Sinn Féin ardchomhairle meeting on Saturday will likely provide more clarity on their approach to the presidential election. The decisions made at this meeting could shape the course of the election in the coming weeks.
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