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Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh INPHO/James Crombie

Ó Muircheartaigh 'really considering' bid as FF members want candidate

The party wants to run a candidate according to a survey of TDs and senators. Meanwhile Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh is mulling a possible run.

FORMER RTÉ COMMENTATOR Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh has said that he is “really considering” a bid for the presidency and revealed he will make a decision between “now and the end of next week” after consulting his family.

Ó Muircheartaigh told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he was considering a possible bid for the presidency because of the events of recent weeks: ”I’ve become involved through chance. I never set out to be anything in the political sphere.

“What’s really got to me is the vast surge of support from the people,” he said.

The former GAA broadcaster said that there had been a lot of “promised support” from people who would like to see him in the contest. But he would not say which politicians had contacted him only confirming that he had not been contacted by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.

He also said that he would “certainly run as an independent.”

Meanwhile, most Fianna Fáil TDs and senators want the party to run a candidate in the presidential election later this year according to a survey carried out by the Irish Independent.

Published today, David Whelan and Michael Brennan report that 25 of the party’s 34 TDs and senators were contacted in which 13 said they favoured a candidate, eight were undecided or refused to comment and only four were against the idea.

Former ministers Éamon Ó Cuiv and Mary Hanafin have been mooted as possible candidates in the past. The party’s MEP Brian Crowley has been most widely mentioned and included in recent opinion polls, securing 13 per cent in a recent Red C poll.

However the Independent’s survey found that only five of the party’s Oireachtas contingent would back Crowley to run.

Party leader Martin threw his support behind possible independent Gay Byrne before the broadcaster withdrew from the race before he had even entered it over the weekend. Yesterday part whip Seán Ó Feargháil said it would be weeks before a decision would be made by the parliamentary party.

Read all the Race for the Áras coverage >

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76 Comments
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:06 AM

    Well deserved Clinton done more than any other US President in the peace process

    140
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    Mute Liam Rogers
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:08 AM

    @Joe Johnson: what like supplying north korea with equipment to create nuclear weapons?
    You guys are sheeps

    132
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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:32 AM

    @Joe Johnson: The peace process was more about powerful political unionists giving up their ascendancy over the minority.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:35 AM

    @Liam Rogers:

    The article is about the peace process in NI and not in NK.

    29
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    Mute Gareth Cooney
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:47 AM

    @Joe Johnson: Goodman Bill, you might have smoked but you didn’t inhale……

    5
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    Mute Liam Rogers
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:59 AM

    Seriously?? This fella?

    124
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    Mute Dr Rex Butts
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:17 AM

    @Liam Rogers: yeah which foreign leader did more? Putin?

    37
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    Mute Liam Rogers
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:26 AM

    @Dr Rex Butts: Trump! You Pleb!

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:36 AM

    @Liam Rogers:

    Do you understand what the role of the US was in the peace process?

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    Mute Philip G Roark
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    Mar 28th 2018, 2:01 PM

    @Liam Rogers: Another new lame troll.

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    Mute David Longshaw
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    Mar 30th 2018, 9:35 AM

    @Liam Rogers: agreed. Serial adulator. Go Belfast, forget his minor mishaps with women. Just after the ridiculous verdict on the rape trial. Ibeleveher.

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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:05 AM

    fair play to them. they stepped into the kindergarten and brought some order to the chaos. its unusual BCC giving out the freedom award to someone who isnt seen to be ‘owned’ by the unionists

    68
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    Mute Dr Rex Butts
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:00 PM

    @Patrick Sage: yeah bring more religion into the situation that’s what we need.

    32
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    Mute Pat Bateman
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:20 PM

    @Patrick Sage: “and God said to John, come forth and you will receive eternal life; John came fifth and won a toaster”

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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:07 PM

    @Patrick Sage:

    I see you there Patrick, having dirty thoughts about Mrs Murphy down in Clancy’s butchers, or dreaming about whats inside Mrs O Reilly’s nightdress from the post office. i bet you’re a right Pat Mustard

    9
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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:41 PM

    @Patrick Sage: Does the definition of sexually immoral include child-molesting priests and those who cover up for them?

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    Mute Pilib O Muiregan
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    Mar 28th 2018, 4:03 PM

    @Patrick Sage: “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”

    So a man rapes a woman, he then buys her off her father, and then has to marry her…. Yeah following the Bible is as bad as following the church.

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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Mar 28th 2018, 5:25 PM

    @Patrick Sage:

    you speak of immorality, yet follow the fabrications laid down in a book of lies, the teachings of a mental megalomaniac.

    at least clinton eventually owned up to his immorality, the bible will forever be right alongside the Qu’ran, Torah and Dianetics as books of subjugation, slavery and mind control

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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:39 AM

    What an insult to the #metoo movement, a man who paid one woman $850, 000 to silence her sexual assault claim, and who took advantage of a young intern in the oval office and tried to ruin her life until he got caught out, and had to admit to his lies.

    86
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:22 AM

    @JimmyMc: Stormy Daniels was it?

    17
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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:44 AM

    @Dotty Dunleary: No it was Arkansas state employee named Paula Jones who was paid off. But there are several other allegations against him. You can read them here, as well as his decision to lie under oath about Monica Lewinsky.

    http://uk.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-sexual-assault-allegations-against-bill-clinton-2017-11?r=US&IR=T/#juanita-broaddrick-1

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:48 AM

    @JimmyMc: Amazing how 17 years later comments like these still exist in some peoples memories, yet Drumpf seems to be the Teflon President with a list of indiscretions that exceed Clinton’s, yet Drumpf still as yet hasn’t been impeached, maybe the supporters of the current president could explain?

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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:05 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: Compose yourself and start with the headline-
    ‘Belfast council votes to award BILL CLINTON freedom of the city’. They’re not awarding alleged sex- offender Donald Trump with the honour, they’re awarding alleged sex- offender BILL CLINTON with the honour.

    12
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:22 PM

    @JimmyMc: According to the official statement BCS are awarding President Clinton for his services to peace in NI, maybe you need to get over the obsession with his sex life?

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    Mute JimmyMc
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:17 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: As I said originally, awarding this honour to an alleged sex offender who bought one womans silence and lied under oath about another is an insult to women and the #metoo movement

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    Mute Pat Patovic
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:53 AM

    Cool. Just make sure there are no young girls present when he receives his award.

    58
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    Mute G O'Rourke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:10 PM

    @Pat Patovic: Or cigars…..

    11
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    Mute Pat Patovic
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    Mar 28th 2018, 2:47 PM

    @G O’Rourke: Or that he would not try to present his cigar to some Belfast City council intern…

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    Mute Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:41 AM

    Shame on Belfast city council

    55
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    Mute Mark Mcloughlin
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:57 AM

    Unbelievable ha

    21
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    Mute Daniel Donovan
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:57 AM

    Whenever I hear the name “Clinton” I feel like vomiting.

    31
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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:11 AM

    - “it’s hoped that the award will be given on the 20th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed on 10 April 1998″

    Perhaps Bill can use his skill to get Stormont up and running again that day.

    19
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    Mute Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:39 AM

    Shame on BBC.

    27
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    Mute James Darby
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:24 PM

    @Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: Shame or not, Bríde, they’ll probably screen it.

    3
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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:42 PM

    @Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: What does the UK public broadcaster have to do with Belfast City Council?

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:43 PM

    @Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: Sorry, missed your clarification.

    1
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    Mute Ger Burke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:39 AM

    I respect what he did for peace but nothing else.

    14
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    Mute Philip G Roark
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    Mar 28th 2018, 2:05 PM

    @Ger Burke: No one cares.

    4
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    Mute Ger Burke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 2:44 PM

    @Philip G Roark: 8 likes so far means 8 people. You have none. You lose again. 8-0 this time.

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    Mute Philip G Roark
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    Mar 28th 2018, 3:37 PM

    @Ger Burke: I don’t have multiple accounts to vote for myself.

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    Mute Ger Burke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 3:55 PM

    @Philip G Roark: You don’t have multiple people agreeing with you either haha

    2
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    Mute Sighle A. Ni Chuana
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:33 AM

    And the are ok with his womanising and attitude to women? Talk about double standards!

    13
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    Mute GorillaGrower
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:33 AM

    Lolita express , brought to you by G Eipstein …..

    13
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    Mute Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:42 AM

    BCC. Typo above

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:27 AM

    Congrads Bill you were always on the ball with the NI position and denying sexual relations at the same time that entitles anyone Freedom of any City

    17
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    Mute Shane Murphy
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:16 AM

    Ha

    7
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    Mute Paul Sharpe
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:08 AM

    Wot about Bertie and Tony….and Gerry ?

    5
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    Mute noBankAccBertie
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:27 AM

    @Paul Sharpe: Might as well add George W Bush while your at it.

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    Mute James Darby
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:45 PM

    @Paul Sharpe: And the real architect, John.

    3
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    Mute Gerard J. Hannan
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:40 PM

    I also believe they are throwing in a cigar for good measure.

    4
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    Mute Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:42 AM

    BCC. Typo above

    3
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:06 AM

    Lock up all females when he visits.

    18
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    Mute Maura Rua
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:44 AM

    Pity Belfast City Council didn’t award Lennox the freedom of the city.
    Never forgotten.

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    Mute Ron
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    Mar 28th 2018, 5:07 PM

    Next year he gets the freedom of port au prince as donated by the CGI….

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    Mute tom McCormack
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    Mar 28th 2018, 5:55 PM

    Fair play to the DUP for voting for this.

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    Mute Frank Lee
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:55 PM

    Mothers lock up your daughters and fathers hide the cigars, Bill the man Clinton is roaming free in Belfast!

    1
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