There is a general acceptance that there is a severe dearth of impressive candidates declared for the forthcoming Irish Presidential election. Many leading figures such as Senator Michael McDowell, Gerry Adams, Micheál Martin, etc., have ruled themselves out. This is a pity. Given the next President will serve for seven years, it is a choice on 11 November 2025 which requires careful consideration.
Recent Presidents, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins have all served with honour and distinction and each in turn has enhanced the role of the Presidency in their own way. The position is one where the incumbent is the embodiment of the Irish nation and the first citizen of Ireland, especially in international affairs. It is a post of the highest importance to all those who consider themselves Irish. When the President speaks, he/she should do so with the authority of being a major figure who is representative of the country and its people. It would be a shame if the enhanced role of the President was not maintained in the forthcoming term.
The constitutional changes in the Republic which followed the Good Friday Agreement, established Irish citizenship in Bunreacht na hÉireann on an all island basis. There is no such thing as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, there are only Irish citizens. Therefore, in deciding whom should be the next Irish President, the potential candidates should be considered, among the various criteria, as those who have shown that they can represent all Irish citizens in the country, North and South.
In those circumstances, I would hazard the opinion that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern stands head and shoulders above any of the already named candidates. If the promised extension of the franchise in Presidential elections to all Irish citizens, regardless of their domicile, had been fulfilled, I believe he would be the overwhelming favourite candidate of those in the North and among the Irish Diaspora.
Bertie Ahern, in conjunction with Tony Blair, oversaw the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, and along with the leaders of the political parties in the North, brought the Troubles to an end. Ahern’s work makes him stand out above anything his potential opposition in an election has ever managed to do.
I had the privilege of working with him during those negotiations and I believe that his ability to work successfully with diverse and arguing groups makes him stand out as somebody who would be able to represent all strands of political opinion on this island.
Bertie Ahern showed huge commitment to the North during his period in office and made regular visits there, including to places which were never before on any Irish Taoiseach’s itinerary. I accompanied him on those visits, and I still remember when he called to the Andersonstown Leisure Centre, the warm and genuine welcoming reception he received from people on the street. I also was with him when he met privately with families of the Omagh bombing in their town. No other political figure from the Republic showed such commitmentand I see nothing in the CVs of the existing candidates to believe they have any knowledge of the North. They have shown very little interest in that important part of our country. This should be taken into consideration when deciding whom to elect and candidates should be quizzed on the issue.
I also believe that somebody who turned down very prestigious posts in Europe to remain in Irish politics and work on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, deserves recognition for that commitment.
Given Ahern’s long tenure as Taoiseach and his profile abroad, he would be an excellent representative for this country. This is particularly important at a time of increasing uncertainty and instability in international affairs. A President with Ahern’s profile and people skills would be a huge asset.
There is a growing disconnect in modern Ireland, as there is in many other western countries, between the governed and those in political power. I don’t think even Bertie Ahern’s strongest political opponent would accuse him of being aloof or distant.
Therefore, it would be fitting recognition of what was achieved at Castle Buildings in Belfast on 10 April 1998 and a desire to reconnect political office with the plain people of Ireland, if Bertie Ahern became Ireland’s tenth President. On the balance of his political career, the good greatly outweighs any perceived negatives.
There is a general acceptance that there is a severe dearth of impressive candidates declared for the forthcoming Irish Presidential election. Many leading figures such as Senator Michael McDowell, Gerry Adams, Micheál Martin, etc., have ruled themselves out. This is a pity. Given the next President will serve for seven years, it is a choice on 11 November 2025 which requires careful consideration.
Recent Presidents, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins have all served with honour and distinction and each in turn has enhanced the role of the Presidency in their own way. The position is one where the incumbent is the embodiment of the Irish nation and the first citizen of Ireland, especially in international affairs. It is a post of the highest importance to all those who consider themselves Irish. When the President speaks, he/she should do so with the authority of being a major figure who is representative of the country and its people. It would be a shame if the enhanced role of the President was not maintained in the forthcoming term.
The constitutional changes in the Republic which followed the Good Friday Agreement, established Irish citizenship in Bunreacht na hÉireann on an all island basis. There is no such thing as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, there are only Irish citizens. Therefore, in deciding whom should be the next Irish President, the potential candidates should be considered, among the various criteria, as those who have shown that they can represent all Irish citizens in the country, North and South.
In those circumstances, I would hazard the opinion that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern stands head and shoulders above any of the already named candidates. If the promised extension of the franchise in Presidential elections to all Irish citizens, regardless of their domicile, had been fulfilled, I believe he would be the overwhelming favourite candidate of those in the North and among the Irish Diaspora.
Bertie Ahern, in conjunction with Tony Blair, oversaw the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, and along with the leaders of the political parties in the North, brought the Troubles to an end. Ahern’s work makes him stand out above anything his potential opposition in an election has ever managed to do.
I had the privilege of working with him during those negotiations and I believe that his ability to work successfully with diverse and arguing groups makes him stand out as somebody who would be able to represent all strands of political opinion on this island.
Bertie Ahern showed huge commitment to the North during his period in office and made regular visits there, including to places which were never before on any Irish Taoiseach’s itinerary. I accompanied him on those visits, and I still remember when he called to the Andersonstown Leisure Centre, the warm and genuine welcoming reception he received from people on the street. I also was with him when he met privately with families of the Omagh bombing in their town. No other political figure from the Republic showed such commitmentand I see nothing in the CVs of the existing candidates to believe they have any knowledge of the North. They have shown very little interest in that important part of our country. This should be taken into consideration when deciding whom to elect and candidates should be quizzed on the issue.
I also believe that somebody who turned down very prestigious posts in Europe to remain in Irish politics and work on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, deserves recognition for that commitment.
Given Ahern’s long tenure as Taoiseach and his profile abroad, he would be an excellent representative for this country. This is particularly important at a time of increasing uncertainty and instability in international affairs. A President with Ahern’s profile and people skills would be a huge asset.
There is a growing disconnect in modern Ireland, as there is in many other western countries, between the governed and those in political power. I don’t think even Bertie Ahern’s strongest political opponent would accuse him of being aloof or distant.
Therefore, it would be fitting recognition of what was achieved at Castle Buildings in Belfast on 10 April 1998 and a desire to reconnect political office with the plain people of Ireland, if Bertie Ahern became Ireland’s tenth President. On the balance of his political career, the good greatly outweighs any perceived negatives.