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Enda vs Bertie? Why the main political parties may roll out some big guns for the next Áras race

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are unlikely to sit on the fence next time out.

SO THAT’S IT, then.

As expected, Michael D Higgins swept to a second-term as president of Ireland. 

He’ll serve another seven years up to 2025. At the end of this, it will mean that Ireland will be electing a new president for the first time in 14 years.

This time we had three Dragons contesting the presidency but it is likely that the next presidential election will take on a far more familiar feel with the main political parties fielding a candidate of their own to try to get into Áras an Uachtaran.

Establishment parties

Mary McAleese is the last candidate run by Fianna Fáil in a presidential election.

She won the vote in 1997, and was re-elected unopposed in 2004.

The party had been unceremoniously booted out of government with the country in economic turmoil in the run-up to the 2011 presidential election, and opted not to run a candidate then.

And, like Fine Gael, they opted not to run a candidate in this election and chose to support the re-election of Higgins.

If these parties follow suit in 2025, it would be sending out a very negative message about the presidency, according to political commentator  and account director with Carr Communications Johnny Fallon.

He told TheJournal.ie: “Fianna Fáil has now sat out two elections. That probably doesn’t sit well with some in the party. Sitting out elections doesn’t suit the Fianna Fáil mentality.

They may have gotten away with it on this occasion but it does real damage to democracy to say the role [of president] doesn’t matter. If you’re not willing to compete, it suggests the role is insignificant.

Given Fine Gael is enjoying its longest ever period in government, and riding high in the polls at present, they’ll likely be keen on an Áras run if the party is able to sustain popularity going forward.

“All of our presidents have been Fianna Fáil or Labour,” Fallon said. “I think there is a part of Fine Gael that would love to win the presidency because they never have. I think they feel it’d be like getting the monkey off their back to get in the Áras.”

But who?

Sinn Féin ran a candidate this time in Liadh Ní Riada, and are likely to do so again.

Rumours coming from the Labour Party have indicated that Ivana Bacik could be a popular pick within the party to try to replace Michael D Higgins as president.

While Sean Gallagher didn’t rule out another run at the Áras, we won’t be seeing the other candidates from this election running for president again – with the possible exception of Peter Casey.

But who would be put forth for FG and FF? 

DCU political science professor Eoin O’Malley told TheJournal.ie: “They’ll be under pressure to nominate candidates. You could have independent candidates but running under a party ticket, similar to Mary Robinson for Labour in 1990.

So there could be a candidate associated with Fianna Fáil who’s not necessarily a Fianna Fáil candidate. There was some talk prior to this election about Miriam O’Callaghan running under an FF ticket. Fine Gael could do something similar.

But there’s also the possibility that the parties revert to type and pick strong figures from within the party hierarchy for an Áras push.

O’Malley added: “But they could get someone like Enda Kenny to run [for Fine Gael]. There was also talk of Bertie Ahern running for [Fianna Fáil] this time around and he could go for it [in 2025].”

Whoever they choose, it’s important they opt for a strong, recognisable figure.

He said: “You’ll need a personality in order to get a nomination. You’re not going to get the attention if you’re not well-known.”

Fine Gael will be well placed to run a recognisable figure in 2025, Fallon added, given their notoriety in government over the past decade. 

“They’ll likely opt for a popular candidate,” he said. “And, if Fine Gael run a candidate, it makes it even more likely that Fianna Fáil will too because they won’t want a Fine Gael candidate to win, that’s for sure.”

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    Mute KM TON
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:14 PM

    I feel bad for people losing their jobs but this is the least surprising news ever. The only bit i of a surprise is that it lasted this long.

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    Mute Veroníca
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:58 PM

    I’m surprised like you that it survived this length of time considering it was utter rubbish anyway

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    Mute Alex Simms
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:16 PM

    And so concludes the worst idea in Irish television history…

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    Mute Neal, not Neil.
    Favourite Neal, not Neil.
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:34 PM

    You forgot about Channel 6.

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    Dec 1st 2016, 6:28 PM

    Channel 6 was actually a decent idea, a channel aimed primarily at a young adult audience. The problem was when it got taken over by TV3 and turned into 3e. They could easily have kept it the way it was but no instead of looking at Michelle Doherty showing decent music videos there was yet more Ant & Dec with X factor loonies

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    Mute Irish Cottage Rental
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:33 PM

    One island two UTV’s
    A endless farce.

    139
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    Mute Carm(Orange Vampire)
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:33 PM

    Does this mean that the real ITV/Ulster TV will be available to Irish viewers again?

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    Mute David Walsh
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:51 PM

    @Carm(Orange Vampire): There’s no legal obligation on TV carriers in Ireland to carry any of the ITV franchises so it’s probably not going to happen. In any case the ITV shows licenced to the TV3 group would be liable to geo locking; that would make it as good as a non option to carry UTV/ITV here so all you’d get is Julian or Good Evening Ulster. Certainly Virgin Media would have no incentive to carry it, they being its opposition.

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    Mute Seán J. Troy
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:23 PM

    @David Walsh: Didn’t the EU just pass a bill that ends geoblocking within the EU?

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    Mute John Flood
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:26 PM

    Julian on camera is no longer on the air. He does prerecorded voice overs controlled by ITV HQ. Changed a couple of weeks ago.

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:56 PM

    UTV will never be on Virgin again. Why would Virgin have a competitor showing the same rubbish stuff on their rubbish channels

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    Mute David Walsh
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    Dec 1st 2016, 11:45 PM

    @Seán J. Troy:

    1) It is only a draft resolution and not a law as of yet
    2) It excludes copyright protected services; this included media and broadcasting.
    3) UK will soon be outside of the EU and not regulated by EU laws.

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    Mute Gavin Redmond
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:21 PM

    Created to fail. Somethings just don’t work.

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    Mute Owen Hennelly
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:45 PM

    So will it stay on as a third TV3 channel or be wound up altogether? If it’s wound up will we be getting UTV NI back in its place?

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Dec 1st 2016, 3:58 PM

    UTVNITV3

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    Mute Seán J. Troy
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:23 PM

    @Paul Furey: I heard of that one, it’s a an African rebel group.

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    Mute Neal, not Neil.
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:29 PM

    @,Seán the geoblocking thing was more about making sure that your can access your Irish Netflix or Sky on demand content while temporarily visiting another EU country

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Dec 1st 2016, 1:54 PM

    Great – even more Jeremy Kyle repeats!

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    Mute Tom Harpur
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:54 PM

    A few years back TV3 had plans to start 3 classics 3 kids 3 sports and TV3+1 and a Sony HD Studio they commenced the Studios but scrapped the extra channels so maybe now they’ll rebrand UTV to 3 Classics or 3 sports.

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    Mute Neal, not Neil.
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:31 PM

    It would be very interesting to see what a TV3 “cassic” is. Perhaps a selection of Vincent Brown’s crankiest episodes?

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    Mute John Flanagan
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    Dec 1st 2016, 3:33 PM

    UTV Ireland didn’t serve the deaf & hard of hearing community well because when it was first launched, there were no subtitles to be had at the time. Glad to see this god-awful channel go because of endless repeats as well!

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:57 PM

    What?

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    Mute Scot Tanner Buchholz
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    Dec 1st 2016, 11:38 PM

    That is not the fault of the TV station rather a fault in Ireland not having ‘CC’ services like they have in Canada and the U.S.A. CC = closed captioning. The technology is out there. Ireland just lags behind in using it.

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    Mute Mick Mccomiskey
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    Dec 1st 2016, 2:53 PM

    This is very disappointing. Now I won’t be able to use utv Ireland player. It had most of the stuff available on itv.

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    Mute Neal, not Neil.
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    Dec 1st 2016, 5:33 PM

    TV3 own a lot of those programmes rights for the next ten years as part of the deal so they’ll put them somewhere.

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    Mute Mike Galvin
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    Dec 1st 2016, 6:14 PM

    All I say is I wish TV3 the best of luck with the 3 channels, whatever we might say. I only wish they would upgrade their picture quality on saorview especially for large screen tvs, the same applies to TG4.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:28 PM

    If you want UTV, get FREEVIEW Ireland via satellite. Best thing going. Pay for set up or DIY and NO fees afterward.

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    Mute Shane Kinsella
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:44 PM

    You’re getting mixed up with FREESAT. Freevirw is the terrestrial TV service. Both of which are miles better than saorview.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Dec 1st 2016, 4:47 PM

    both Saorview and Freeview into a single Digital Terrestrial Receiver allowing you to receive all the Free UK & Irish Digital TV Channels on a single box.

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    Mute Dónal O'Flynn
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:32 PM

    @John Flood: you’re still missing Shane’s point. You can’t get “Freeview” here that’s only available within the bounds of the UK. What we can get is “Freesat”. The only reason we have it at all is that the satellites have to cover all of the UK and can’t do that without also covering Ireland.

    Also available for the few percent of Irish homes that can’t get “Saorview” is “Saorsat” with RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2 and TG4 only, no purely commercial telly.

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    Mute John Flood
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:41 PM

    I just cut n pasted text from my owners manual. Apparently not all of Ireland can receive the FTA channels of the satellite. I’m in Wicklow, my friend in Cork can’t get same.

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    Mute David Walsh
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    Dec 1st 2016, 11:49 PM

    @Dónal O’Flynn: there are plans on the cards to make most of the Freeview channels available to Saorview customers.

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Dec 2nd 2016, 1:27 AM
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    Mute Paddy Flynn
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    Dec 1st 2016, 3:08 PM

    TV3 2? I don’t think so.

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    Mute Tiarnan Guinée
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    Dec 1st 2016, 3:49 PM

    @Paddy Flynn: 3ee more like

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    Mute Scot Tanner Buchholz
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    Dec 1st 2016, 11:33 PM

    This is a sad day for freedom of the press, steps towards democracy and the people who will loose their jobs. Ireland is large enough to support Three tv stations. Rte should loose RTE2 and save tax payers money. #SadDay #UTVIreland

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    Mute von
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    Dec 1st 2016, 7:51 PM

    From TV 3 Ah well we can get rid of all the people who kept us alive for months but now we have Emmerdale and Corrie dory guys we don’t meed you. Bye bye.
    And the fat cats get fatter.

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    Mute Buster VL
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    Dec 1st 2016, 8:24 PM

    Aaa Wally free zone.

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