Mayo County Council reject opportunity to nominate candidate for Presidential election

Mayo County Council has rejected a proposal to nominate an Independent candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election.

The opportunity to nominate an Independent candidate to stand in the Presidential election on October 24 came before councillors at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council yesterday (Monday) afternoon.

The councillors were informed that they had received up to 13 requests from people seeking a nomination from the local authority to run in the election.

Aontú councillor Deirdre Lawless proposed that the council nominate Independent candidate Maria Steen and her proposal was seconded by Independent Ireland candidate Chris Maxwell. However, the vote was defeated by 19 votes to five with two absenting.

Polling Day for the forthcoming Presidential Election has been set for Friday, October 24, 2025 with Independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly and former Fine Gael TD Heather Humphreys the only two confirmed candidates to date to seek to succeed Michael D Higgins as President of Ireland.

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Former Dublin GAA football manager, Jim Galvin is the favourite to be the Fianna Fáil candidate with Sinn Féin yet to indicate if they will run a candidate.

A candidate for the Office of President of Ireland may also be nominated by four County or City Councils and before the meeting up to 13 individuals had written to Mayo County Council seeking a nomination from Mayo County Council.

Fianna Fáil council whip, Cllr Damien Ryan told the meeting that not one of the potential candidates had contacted him in advance of the meeting and he recommended that the council does not nominate any candidate.

“Any nomination I was ever asked for since I was around here, I was canvassed multiple times and on this occasion I received no contact from any candidate looking for a nomination. If there was a Mayo candidate we would have to give it serious consideration but on this occasion we should not be looking to take a position. If there are nominations to be sought I don't think as a local authority we should be part of it,” he said.

He was supported by his party colleague Al McDonnell who stated he also was not contacted by any candidate but Westport-based councillor Brendan Mulroy said he received correspondence and had no difficulty in hearing what they have to say.

“At the end of the day we live in a democracy and at the end of the day it is important we listen to what they have to say. That is my own personal opinion and it is right we allow them to make a presentation,” he said.

Wider choice

Cllr Lawless said it was important that the electorate have a wider choice and claimed that the public don't feel represented by the confirmed candidates on the ballot paper.

She proposed the nomination of Dublin based barrister and anti-abortion campaigner, Maria Steen, and it was seconded by Louisburgh-based candidate Chris Maxwell.

Meanwhile, a notice of motion proposed by Cllr Lawless to extend the vote in Presidential elections for Irish citizens living in the north of Ireland was rejected by the majority of councillors.

The Knock-based councillor said that there were 700,000 Irish passport holders living in the north and they should be extended the right to vote in presidential elections.

She was supported by Sinn Féin councillor Gerry Murray who said he knew French and American citizens who live in Mayo for years and they are still entitled to vote in their Presidential election.

However, Fianna Fáil councillor Damien Ryan said he would not be supporting the motion saying that while he supports a border poll, only people living in the jurisdiction are allowed to vote and he felt that should remain.

“Our boundaries are our boundaries and our constituency is our constituency and you should be a resident within the constituency in order to vote,” he said.

Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne said he was amazed that the ‘Republican party’ was saying that Northern Ireland was not part of its jurisdiction.

Erris-based councillor Gerry Coyle commented that Brexit had resulted in an increase in people applying for Irish passports and would not be comfortable with people who burn the national flag voting in Presidential elections.

Following a vote, the motion was defeated by 15 votes to seven.