It’s time for a Cork President: Here’s my Rebel contenders...
John Dolan suggests broadcaster John Creedon, ex-MEP Brian Crowley, and Penny Dinners stalwart Caitriona Twomey
I am NOT interested in running in the presidential election later this year.
No! I hear you cry. Why ever not, I hear you implore.
Well, mainly because I won’t get any votes - and that’s in the unlikely event that I managed to get the requisite approval of four local authorities or 20 members of the Oireachtas to stand in the first place.
That’s not to say I am not eligible. I have been a proud Irish citizen for five years now, and I just about tipped over the 35 age threshold to run for President, er, a few years ago.
These are the only criteria: you certainly don’t have to be a politician or to be in public life to stand for the Áras. Just about anyone is eligible.
And this is why we are currently coming under fire from a blizzard of announcements from the worlds of politics, business, and showbiz, as every journalist asks well-known people whether they plan to run for the office when Michael D. Higgins has to stand down by late October.
I was reading an interview with architect and TV personality Hugh Wallace the other day in which he cleverly dropped in the fact he wouldn’t mind being President himself, knowing it was all good publicity for his new TV shows.
Or, was he testing the waters with half an eye on the main chance?
Hmmmm.
It would certainly be interesting to see Hugh, on his first day as President, having a TV crew follow him around the Áras while he rated the old place based on individuality, functionality, and clever design.
(Rather a President Hugh Wallace than a President Dermot Bannon, who I fear would replace the entire opulent frontage of Áras an Uachtaráin with a glass window - and go hopelessly over budget too.)
Will they do the same this year?
I’m not so sure. I sense some anger currently towards the newly-formed government and towards politicians in general, and feel that the ground is fertile for a contender from left-field, or a populist option, to enter the fray.
Of course, nobody in their right minds thinks Conor McGregor, who fancies a tilt at the job, is a viable option, and he will never get the approval of our local and national governments anyway.
But I can certainly see a non-politician becoming a serious contender in the race, perhaps a populist who taps into the febrile political climate created across the Atlantic.
My solution? In our hour of need, and amidst a raft of uninspiring current contenders for the job, such as Bertie Ahern and Mairead McGuinness, we need to turn to a Corkonian
After all, we’ve had nine presidents so far - and the closest we have come to the role was the fact the first one, Douglas Hyde, had his historical family seat in Cork.
That’s not good enough, boy.
So, I have come up with my own short-list of Cork candidates we can hopefully turn to if the presidential election is either incredibly dull, or some populist on an ego trip tries to step into the fray. And then I came up with my own top three selections...
There is a frankly bizarre connection between investors on the now-defunct Irish TV series and presidential elections.
Businessman Seán Gallagher, whose wife Patricia is from Kanturk, came second to Michael D. Higgins in 2011, and another Dragon, Peter Casey, came second, also to Higgins, in 2018, while a third Dragon, Gavin Duffy, also ran in the race in 2018.
All of them, in the catchphrase of the TV show, had to finally admit ‘I’m out’, but what about two former investors on Dragons’ Den who are from Cork?
Could canny businessmen Seán O’Sullivan, co-founder of Kinsale-based Avego Ltd, or Barry O’Sullivan (no relation), a native of Douglas and graduate of UCC, throw their hats in the ring and bat for Cork if the Rebel County came calling?
You have to go all the way down to the 33-1 outsiders in the current betting before you see some Cork contenders for the Áras this year from the world of politics.
Former Cork TD and Munster MEP Pat Cox, who served as President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004, spent many years living in Sundays Well, while Mark Daly, who is Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, was born in Cork in 1973.
Perhaps they could break the Leeside duck - or maybe Liadh Ní Riada would enter the fray? Although she was born in Dublin, Ní Riada, who served Ireland South as an MEP, is currently a director of Ionad Cultúrtha an Dochtúir Ó Loingsigh, a cultural centre in Ballyvourney.
Look, if Miriam O’Callaghan can continually be linked with the job, why can’t Bishopstown journalist and broadcaster, Brendan?
A few years back, when Ryan Tubridy departed , I ran an Echo poll on which Cork person would be his best replacement, and our readers overwhelmingly opted for O’Connor.
He’d be spiky and outspoken enough to entertain us, but Brendan always knows which side of the line to tread. He wouldn’t frighten the horses - or indeed the deer in his new front garden up above in Dublin.
Now we have sifted through some of the Cork contenders, it’s time for me to name my three big-hitters.
If any of these choose to stand for the presidency, I would expect, not just Cork, but the whole of Ireland to get behind them.
3. Caitriona Twomey
Wonder woman Caitriona has been the driving force behind the Cork city Penny Dinners charity for almost 30 years. What better figurehead for Ireland at home and abroad?
Once her foot is in the Áras, you wouldn’t put it past her opening up the kitchens for the needy. Chef’s kiss...
2. Brian Crowley
A vote-winning machine in the European elections for 25 years, Brian is charmingly likeable and personable. If he ran for the Áras, he would aim to shake hands with every voter in the country - and I wouldn’t bet against him achieving it!
The fact he has been a wheelchair-user since the age of 16 means he would be a tremendous inspiration and advocate for people with disabilities.
1. John Creedon
Dowtcha boy! When it comes to all-round likeability and sound Corkness, John is surely our best hope.
He has a way of coming across as both culchie and city boy - and there would be no need to write speeches for him. Just tell him the subject matter and let him work away!
Which Cork person would get your vote as President? Email your contenders to letters@theecho.ie
App?
