Sean Gallagher declares his decision to abstain from participating in the upcoming presidential election contest
In a surprising turn of events, former Dragons' Den panellist Sean Gallagher has announced that he will not be running for the office of Áras an Uachtaráin this year. Gallagher, who gained national attention in Ireland during the 2011 presidential election, has chosen to step aside from the race, citing undisclosed reasons.
Gallagher's decision comes six years after his unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2011, where he finished a strong second place behind Michael D. Higgins. Gallagher polled over 500,000 first-preference votes, demonstrating his broad appeal to Irish voters. However, his campaign was marred by a controversial incident during the final debate of the campaign.
A false Twitter post was read out during the debate, claiming that Gallagher had received money for a Fianna Fáil fundraiser. The accusation, which was later proven to be unfounded, derailed Gallagher's momentum in the election and may have contributed to his eventual loss. The apology from RTE, the broadcaster responsible for the debate, and subsequent damages paid to Gallagher, highlighted the program's failure to meet public and legal standards.
Gallagher's campaign was also dogged by accusations that he was a proxy for Fianna Fáil, a political party that was in a weak position after the EU-IMF bailout and a disastrous general election in 2011. These allegations, which Gallagher vehemently denied, may have also impacted his chances of winning the presidency.
Despite these setbacks, Gallagher ran for the presidency again in 2018, but polled only 6.4% of the vote. With the 2021 presidential election on the horizon, it seems that Gallagher has chosen not to re-enter the race, leaving the field open for other candidates such as Independent TD Catherine Connolly, who launched her campaign for the presidency on Wednesday.
As Gallagher steps away from the political arena, the 2021 presidential election promises to be an exciting and closely contested race. With the Irish public eagerly awaiting the announcement of the candidates, the countdown to the election has truly begun.
In light of his previous political ventures, Sean Gallagher's decision not to run for the 2021 presidential election has sparked much discussion in the realms of general-news and politics. This latest development comes after his controversial 2011 campaign, which was marred by allegations of him being a proxy for Fianna Fáil and a controversial incident during a debate, where a false Twitter post suggested he received money for a Fianna Fáil fundraiser.
