Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell
Independent Senator Gerard Caughwell has said there must be an election for the position of President of Ireland .
Craughwell took to Twitter on Sunday night to say he was putting his name forward to ensure there is a contest.
A presidential election is due to be held in October 2018. However if no-one contests the election, current president Michael D Higgins could be given a free run at a second term.
During the 2011 presidential election, Higgins repeatedly pledged that he would only stand for a single seven-year term. However since being elected, the president has refused to rule out the possibility of a second run for Áras an Uachtaráin.
Fight!
Rollingnews
Is Miriam not ready yet? Doesn’t want to take a paycut I guess.
again ?
Whole levels of meh. All this will do is waste money. Hurrah!
Assuming he runs, I wonder if the Senator’s Twitter comments about vaccines will prove to be a key feature of the debates.
DO I even want to know …
ha – I just asked something similar on Twitter. Will he get travel vaccinations if he has to go abroad as President?
…Squee represents the last vestige of old labour and the FFers and blueshirts realise they need them to avoid the horrible vista of a merger, or worse, having to share power with the shinners…Craughwell is the first of many stalking horses…will the ‘centre’ hold…popcorn
That’s pretty much true, but a bit like Hydra they do tend to grow a new snake somewhere, (or was that Medusa)
Who gives a solid poo?
If he resigns as senator before he runs Ill consider him….
This gentleman needs to stick his hand in his botty-boo and pull himself together.
I’d say Gerry Adams is only chewing at the bit to announce his ‘potential interest’. And as the house prices are raising faster than the nations cholesterol, again, Berti might be back with a fighting chance.
All to play for.
And sure Bono is always on the bench keeping limber.
Dear God. RUN SQUEE RUN!
That’s got to be the stupidest reason to run. I’d rather a candidate like an Irish Lord Buckethead run for the absurdity of it than for dreary pretensions about principles.
Don’t discount Bono, he has a great chance if he wanted to. Adored at home and abroad. Non-resident tax president. Why not?
He is a tax resident though.
Better even, president and a moral beacon. Two for the price of one!
Inauguration could be fabulous – fireworks, himself performing own inauguration song, cathartic Clinton wiping tears on the background. It could be epic. Hope he runs and wins.
sold for that vision alone
Isn’t Miriam the person people want? According to RTE anyway. If she wants it, they will make it happen.
I think Panti Bliss should get it.
s/he would run away with it if she grew a Conchita Wurst-style beard…….would go lovely with presidential sequinned gown
It took me a moment to decide if you meant Miriam or Panti.
If Miriam grew a beard, it might disguise her lack of personality.
A beard on Miriam may take attention away from those wanderly-baby-blues
And Panti…YES S/HE CAAAAAN (go and *****)!
you win the internet today Mildred!
Don’t get too excited but rumour has it that Ronan Keating intends going for it.
s/he would run away with it if he ran in (you guessed it)……….a lovely presidential sequinned gown
No Rigbee Fan
Rider wins today
He said he was running after reading Elaine Byrne in the Business Post. He has a point, 14 years is a long time for one man as Pres
“Higgins (a politician) repeatedly pledged (lied)”…..this is why I don’t vote in elections. Never have , Never will. They will say anything and are only in the game for the money,they don’t care about the public good. Higgins did nothing , absolutely nothing for the first 6 to 8 months of his presidency except some obscure poetry reading seminars or some such nonsense. Now comes this guy Gerard Craughwell? Never heard of him.
If you don’t vote, you can’t hope too much for change. Granted, voting often seems a bit hopeless too.
Seven years is enough for Prezzing around. It was shocking that McAleese was not contested – it should have been a mandatory election. We pay them remember.
I agree.
Higgins out!
Vote Bliss!
I’d vote for Johnny Peace Man Keenan before Panti
Or anyone else already named on this string
I suspect you’re joking, Frillz. But I think Johnny would be a great president. It would almost make me stay in Ireland.
No
I’m serious
I’d even campaign for him
Surprised you’re not campaigning for badatmemes Frilly. Sure he’s like one of the hunger strikers to you or the Birmingham Six.
Damn right
You won’t see or hear Batty go crying off and sulking
Or rounding up a gang
Or squealing
Or threatening to name names
He’s no empty shurted Snowflake
We do pay them, but we also pay for the elections. Cheaper to leave them stay. Also, full disclosure, I like Michael D
Would you not be more proactive and vibrant knowing you had a well-paid prestigious job for a seven year term as opposed to fourteen? Many of the complaints about the pre-Robinson presidencies were that nobody ever saw their Head of State and the assumption was that the role was a semi-retirement vegetative one. Hence, keep it at a snappy seven years maximum – invite the people to choose one for each term and everyone’s happy, involved and on their toes.
I dunno, if you’re trying to save money, paying one person a wage, instead of one a pension and another a wage seems like a better way to achieve it.
In terms of being proactive and such, I don’t think there’s a whole lot you can do as President? Show up to events, offer condolences and congratulations as appropriate. I think Michael D has been good though, in fairness, he’s at least tried to speak out on issues of the day
Eh
Imagine like
If Leo gets the boot
And that’s not too much of a stretch
To be fair like
I’d say he’d run
I’d be very unhappy if a person who swore allegiance to a foreign country became President.
British Army was he?
Both.
Really?
Sur that makes him a double agent
Kinda thing
Doesn’t it?
Recall hearing that he was 5 years in the British army and then 4 years in Irish army – technically a breach as you’re not supposed to be admitted to the Irish army if you’ve previously served in armed services of another state.
Well he can jolly well bugger off back to Blighty then.
Senator Freeloader wants another 7-14 years at the trough doing fuppall.
Gerry want’s more delicious GGGGRRRRRAAAVVVVVYYYYYY
Can anyone declare an intention to run? I thought you needed to have a minimum number of senators, or a party behind you or something?
I’ve no particular view on Michael D one way or another. But apart from not embarrassing the Nation, can be point to any notable achievement in office?
Easter speeches were brilliant – they’re available (or were on iTunes).
The presidency isn’t an executive role, he can’t announce flood relief plans or a new factory in Bally somewhere. He’s success is the moral presidency he’s leading similar to the previous two Mary’s
let’s not forget his praise for socialist dictators with scant reference to their human rights abuses.
To twee their not abuses if they’re lefty abuses.
You can’t make an omlette……….
He’s actually a great president and fulfills the moral role it’s become. I’m surprised at all the negative comments here. He’s speeches during the Easter Ceremonies which thoughtful and respectful. He does a lot of outreach. Roll on an election and people will vote for him in their droves.
That said, I haven’t read Elaine’s column yet so I’m sure she has a few points however I’d prefer Mr D over anyone in it for the term (Gallagher at the last election springs to mind) or who want to use it as a platform for themselves (let’s see who else declares for it)