Cork City Council votes not to nominate candidate for presidency

Cork City Council has voted not to nominate a candidate for the upcoming presidential election, after a meeting which took less than 10 minutes and was described as “choreography” by one councillor.

This evening, councillors gathered to hear addresses from seven candidates including Independent councillor, historian, and former lord mayor Kieran McCarthy, who had recused himself from voting.

The other candidates were William P Allen, Walter Ryan-Purcell, Charlie Keddy, Donncha MacGabhann, Gerben Uunk, and Charlotte Keenan.

Mr McCarthy’s speech, seen by The Echo, included three practical messages: Championing cultural heritage, championing Irish diaspora and internationalisation, and linking the presidency with the local authorities.

Briefing 

The briefing was followed by a meeting where members had to first decide whether or not to nominate anyone.

Labour, Social Democrats, Green Party, Independent Ireland, Worker’s Party, and Independent councillors voted in favour of nominating a candidate, while Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin voted against. Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy and People Before Profit–Solidarity’s Brian McCarthy abstained.

It came to 10 in favour and 15 against, so the meeting ended just moments after it began, with no candidate nominated.

Labour’s Peter Horgan told The Echo: “I voted to nominate a candidate, whether or not I would have backed one, given our party’s position on Catherine Connolly.

“I’m not sure, but I do believe the council should have exercised its role.”

The Green Party’s Honore Kamegni said: “I am disappointed by what happened — candidates travelled from all around the country to attend.”

Independent Ireland’s Noel O’Flynn said it was “profoundly troubling” and “choreography” that there was not even a debate.

Disappointed

Mr McCarthy told The Echo he was “not bitter”, but disappointed.

“I expected the way Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would vote because they’ve been frank and honest over the last few weeks, but I was disappointed that Sinn Féin councillors had been whipped from party HQ not to allow any candidate to go through.

“I have done the numbers, I had a nomination, but it didn’t get that far… it didn’t even get to having a discussion.

“I think for all of us candidates, the options are becoming more limited.

“It seems parties are controlling the chamber for the sake of controlling it.

“It’s looking like there will be just three candidates, and nobody from south of Athlone,” he said, suggesting that the process be looked at to make it more open and not have councils’ meetings clashing, adding that one candidate had presented to five councils in one day.