The Presidency – in terms of candidates it would seem it is just like waiting on a bus. In what is now very much a crowded field many public figures, not just politicians, have expressed an interest in seeking to become the ninth President of Ireland.
Already this month Gay Mitchell, Pat Cox, Kathleen O’Meara and Niall O’Dowd have joined David Norris, Mary Davis, Mairead McGuinness, Fergus Finlay, Michael D Higgins and Sean Gallagher in the race to be nominated.
And that’s the interesting part – the Presidency is the only directly elected national office yet it remains the gift of politicians (members of the Oireachtas and County Councillors) as to which names appear on the ballot paper.
So tonight we’ve invited the presidential hopefuls to make their pitch directly to you, the public. Not all have said yes, though that’s not going to stop us talking about them. We’ll be asking who is a deserving candidate and what should the next presidency mean in modern Ireland?
After 21 years is it time, as some might say, to put a man back in the park? Do we even need a first citizen and with this many runners – is there really a future president we can be proud of in the pack?
So join us - at the earlier time of 21.35 for the next few weeks
