Presidential race heats up as ex-health chief ‘laying the groundwork' to run & former party leader open to plum Aras gig
The former Chief Medical Officer, who became a household name during the
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Former CMO Dr Tony Holohan is preparing to run in the presidential election
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Michael D Higgins' term as President of Ireland ends in November
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It is understood that sources close to the professor said 'plans are in progress' for him to announce his candidacy.
Contacted by the
'I won't be saying anything at the minute.'
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Last month, he married therapist Ciara Cronin in Dun Laoghaire, south
He was previously embroiled in two controversies - the
However, he is now reportedly in 'diplomatic training', with the doctor attending meetings at the UN buildings in
Meanwhile, former Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte has said he is open to considering a run for president.
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Mr Rabbitte was leader of the party between 2002 and 2007 and served as minister for communications, energy and natural resources between 2011 and 2014.
The Co
'OPTIONS OPEN'
Asked on Newstalk radio on Sunday if he would rule out running for president, Mr Rabbitte said: 'No, one should always keep one's options open.'
He went on to say he would 'entertain' a bid if he was approached by a 'broad cross-section of moderate opinion'.
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However, he added: 'I better kill this quickly before it gathers feet: I am very, very happy to leave this challenge to others.'
The Labour Party has yet to formally back a candidate.
CANDIDATES TO DATE
So far, two candidates have secured sufficient backing to enter the race.
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Ms Connolly resigned from Labour after being turned down to be a running mate of then incumbent TD
To be eligible to run, a candidate must be an Irish citizen who is 35 or older.
They must be nominated either by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or at least four local authorities.
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Former or retiring presidents can nominate themselves.
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Ex-Labour leader Pat Rabbitte has said he is open to considering a run for president
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Polls open in Taiwan's high-stakes recall election
Taiwanese voters turned out at schools, churches and community centres to cast their ballot in a high-stakes recall election that could give President Lai Ching-te's party control of the parliament. Supporters of Mr Lai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are seeking to unseat 31 politicians belonging to the main opposition Kuomintang party, who they accuse of being pro-China and a security threat. The KMT, which wants closer ties with China, controls parliament with the help of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and has slammed the unprecedented recall effort as a power grab. Polling stations opened around Taiwan at 8am local time (12am Irish time) with 24 KMT politicians facing potential recall. Elections for another seven KMT politicians will be held on 23 August. Both major parties held rain-soaked rallies in the days leading up to the critical vote, which has dominated Taiwanese politics, newspaper headlines and social media feeds for months. While Mr Lai won the presidential election in 2024, his DPP party lost its majority in parliament. Since then, the KMT and TPP have joined forces to stymie Mr Lai's agenda, and slashed or frozen parts of the government's budget. Contentious opposition bills, including an attempt to expand parliament's powers, sparked brawls in the legislature and massive street protests - and spurred civic groups to launch the recall campaign. The DPP needs a minimum of 12 KMT politicians recalled to gain temporary control of the parliament, with risk analysis firm Eurasia Group giving that outcome "a 60% probability". Mr Lai's party would then need to flip six seats in by-elections later this year to cement its dominance in the 113-seat parliament - which analysts say would be a formidable challenge. Whatever the result of the recall and by-elections, analyst Lev Nachman said political divisions in Taiwan were certain to deepen. "The way that the recalls have played out have been perhaps some of the most divisive language used towards both camps that I think I've ever seen," Mr Nachman, a political scientist and long-time observer of Taiwan, told AFP. China looms large China has loomed large over the recall vote, with Taiwan warning of "visible evidence" that China was trying to interfere in the process. China claims the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. For a KMT politician to lose their seat, the number of votes in favour of recalling them must exceed those against and also be more than 25% of the total number of registered voters in the electorate. Turnout will be critical and both sides have been lobbying their supporters for weeks to get out to vote before polling stations close.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 26th: On a national day of protest, GAA referees, and pearl clutchers
Sir, – I wish to personally support the call for a national day of protest (Letters, July 24th) over the humanitarian catastrophe which has unfolded in Gaza. The vast majority of Irish people are totally frustrated and appalled that; despite the courageous stance taken by the Irish Government, the situation for the starving and subjugated civilian population is getting worse by the day. A man-made famine is now a reality on top of the mass killing of civilians in the prosecution of this disproportionate war by Israel. Some march and write letters to express our frustration. Many others do not, for fear of being falsely labelled anti-Semitic or supportive of Hamas. READ MORE A national day of protest, at a time designated by the Government, which was purely a condemnation of the atrocities in Gaza and for aid to be allowed in, would allow us, in all of our diversity as citizens to vent our anger and express national solidarity with the people of Gaza. If other countries did the same it would be powerful and perhaps might make a difference. As chair of the Irish Emergency Alliance, which brings together eight Irish agencies who respond to international humanitarian emergencies, it is uniquely frustrating to see thousands of trucks containing life-saving food, water and medicine languishing at the border unused, while suffering civilians and indeed humanitarian workers and doctors are deprived of assistance. Mary Robinson said that what Israel is doing is 'dehumanising' the people of Gaza by the manner of the prosecution of the war against Hamas. Words have lost all meaning in the face of such inhumanity. A national day of protest over Gaza would be a meaningful statement of solidarity by the Irish people. – Yours, etc. LIZ O'DONNELL, (Former TD) Blackrock, Co Dublin. Sir, – Given the horrific suffering of the Palestinian people, surely it is time for all of the leaders of the world to go to Gaza. If they witness what is happening surely they will act? – Yours, etc, (in fading hope), ALICE O'DONNELL, Delgany, Co Wicklow. Sir, – John O'Neill (Letters, July 24th) rightly points out the error in conflating Jewish identity with the actions of the Israeli state. I offer the following comparison: In 2022 almost 74 per cent of the Israeli population identified as Jewish. In Portugal, the 2021 census identified 80 per cent of the population as Catholic. If the government of Portugal embarked on some terrible military action against a part of Spain which action was condemned worldwide, would any sane, rational person say that any criticism of the Portuguese government was anti-Catholic? I think not. – Yours, etc, GERARD CLARKE, Dundrum Dublin Sir, – If you didn't see the interview on RTÉ Prime Time with Bob Geldof on Thursday regarding Gaza, you should find it on the RTÉ player. He spoke the truth, clearly and honestly, a man who has a track record in recognising human suffering. I emailed Prime Time after the programme. Ireland and Israel are both members of the European Broadcasting Union. Could RTÉ Prime Time please share the interview with Bob Geldof with all the members of the union? It might help. – Yours, etc, PAUL MULLIGAN, Vergemount Park, Dublin 6. Sir, – Bob Geldof made a passionate plea to stop Israel's massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the state-sponsored terrorism in the West Bank (RTE 1, Prime Time, July 24th). Bob's humanitarian track record through many decades, which commands respect internationally, together with his communication skills, position him to be an outstanding president of Ireland. – Yours, etc, TOM CARROLL, Ennis Road, Limerick. Don't forget about Sudan Sir, – Dominic Crowley, the CEO of Concern, welcomes the UN secretary general's focus on Gaza ('What did we do to stop this?', Irish Times Letters, July 25th). However, bad as the situation in Gaza is, it is dwarfed by the suffering in the ongoing Sudanese war that broke out in 2023. According to the European Commission some 25 million Sudanese are affected by food shortages with some four million children suffering from acute hunger. Famine has now been confirmed in 10 areas. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 6.7 million women and girls in Sudan are facing alarming levels of sexual violence. UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has complained that there is less global interest in the conflict in Sudan compared to crises elsewhere in the world. Why are some wars deemed more worthy of our attention than others? – Yours, etc, KARL MARTIN, Bayside, Dublin 13. Bad language Sir, – With reference to Brianna Parkins' article ' People who get up early in the morning for no reason are a menace to society ,' (July 19th), I consider it not so much about vulgarity, but rather normal conversational Jackeen English, spoken by the ordinary denizens of Ireland's capital city. Somehow, 'Upon reflection the exertion proved to be unwarranted,' does not seem quite up to par with 'But I shouldn't have bothered my hole'. – Yours, etc, SEÁN O'BRIEN, Donaghmede, Dublin. Sir, – I usually enjoy Brianna Parkins's articles in Saturday's Magazine but the coarse language used on Saturday July 19th shocked, nay disappointed, me. – Yours, etc, PAT DALY, Kilkenny. Criticism of MetroLink Sir, – A lot of the criticism of the MetroLink project are well founded. That said, there has been very little discussion of problems arising from the practicalities of the whole thing. If, as proposed, the line starts and finishes in Swords the first thing this will do is displace current users of public transport commuting from Swords to the city centre from the bus network to the rail network as happened when Luas was introduced. One can only imagine the scenes at the Dublin Airport stop when a full train arrives from Swords during peak hours and airport passengers attempt to board with accompanying luggage. The same would happen with trains to the airport in the evenings with disgruntled passengers unable to board at stops other than the terminus. This whole thing needs to be reconsidered. – Yours, et, BRENDAN McMAHON, Naaas, Co Kildare. Light rail for Galway Sir, – Anthony Moran (Letters, July 24th) calls light rail in Galway a 'deluded fantasy,' but facts suggest otherwise. The 2024 Gluas feasibility study identified a viable east-west corridor with demand already exceeding 60 per cent of the passenger volumes seen on the initial Luas Red Line. Construction timelines for light rail in cities of similar size – such as Bergen, Norway (population: 280,000) – have been achieved within four years with minimal disruption. Far from being a 'fantasy,' light rail represents a practical, scalable solution to Galway's worsening congestion and climate obligations. Dismissing it out of hand serves no one – least of all the people of Galway. – Yours, etc. RICHARD LOGUE, Moville, Co Donegal. Bye, bye, summer? Sir, – When summer comes can autumn be far behind? The leaves on one of the trees in the green area opposite my house are beginning to turn. – Yours, etc, JANE MEREDITH, Dublin 18. Blair apology to Guildford Four Sir, – I refer to the article ' Tony Blair's letter saying sorry to Guildford Four was not intended as an apology ' (July 22nd). The article ignores the letter of public apology made by Mr Blair to myself and the other members of The Guildford Four as well as the Maguire Seven on February 9th, 2005. This letter stated that: 'There was a miscarriage of justice in the case of Gerard Conlon and all of the Guildford Four…' The then prime minister goes on to acknowledge 'the trauma that the conviction caused the Conlon and Maguire families and the stigma which wrongly attaches to them to this day' and unreservedly apologises when he says 'I am very sorry that they were subject to such an ordeal and injustice. That is why I'm making this apology: they deserve to be publicly and completely exonerated.' While it came 16 years after our release, Mr Blair's apology meant a great deal to me and my family and many others. I hope this is what will be remembered and not some internal correspondence which suggests a government nervous about making such a public apology. – Yours ,etc. PADDY ARMSTRONG, (Guildford Four) Clontarf, Dublin 3. Women's GAA and referees Sir, – Having watched many of the games in the women's championship this year it's impossible not to pull your hair out at the constant referees' decisions on what is a foul. If a player breathes on an opposition player the referee blows the whistle. While we all acknowledge the contribution referees make to our Gaelic games it seems they are instructed not to allow any tackling at all in the women's game. If the same was applied to the men's game, the games would be a farce. I watched the women's semi-finals and it was infuriating to see the constant stoppages for what were perceived to be fouls. I hope the final between Meath and Dublin will not be marred by these constant stoppages for innocuous 'fouls'; where even the advantage rule is not applied. It's ruining the women's game and you can see the frustration among the players. It's a great competition. Let's not ruin it by making it a non-contact sport altogether. – Yours, etc, KEVIN BYRNE, Bantry, West Cork. Sir, – Apropos Frank McNally's catechism of GAA clichés (An Irishman's Diary, July 24th), I propose the following addition: How do commentators and analysts react when the referee doesn't see or ignores a number of fouls? The ref is having a good game, he's letting it flow. –Yours , etc, JOHN SHORTEN, Balbriggan, Co Dublin. Sir, – Frank McNally has found every GAA commentator's script. Who was a pundit in a past life? Either way, everyone should take notes. – Yours, etc, JAMES CLEAR, Dún Laoghaire Co Dublin. Winding down the clock Sir, – It is interesting that when TV stations broadcast matches like the All-Ireland football final live the match clock counts up showing the amount of time that has passed. Surely the clock should count down, showing the time remaining as this is what really matters? – Yours, etc, PAT KENNEDY, Navan, Co Meath. The housing crisis Sir, – The article by John McManus (' We need to face reality that housing cannot be solved, ' July 23rd) sets out the issue central to the so-called housing crisis faced by the Government. The population of this country is racing ahead of any possibility of either the private or public sectors building enough units to house all over the coming decade. He goes on to suggest that official estimates of the population are 'wildly underestimated' at 5.45 million in 2023. With the brokers Davy expecting the population to hit some 5.9 million by 2030, the task of meeting the demand for accommodation ( estimated by Davy at 120,000 units per annum) is entirely beyond us. It's time the Government came clean with the reality of the challenge being faced and accepted that housing production cannot keep pace with population growth. The only alternative is to control migration, thus cooling the housing market. In that regard it may well be that the Trump tariffs will actually do us a favour through us being forced to press the pause button on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the obsession with jobs growth. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL GILMARTIN, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Pearl clutchers Sir, – To say, as Stephen Wall does (Letters, July 24th), that the new 22-storey College Square tower on Tara Street has a 'catastrophic impact on the historic urban landscape' seems pearl-clutching in the extreme. The tower is more of a harbinger of a future Dublin when its current detractors (and supporters) will have left the stage. The edifice is tall, imposing, majestic even. Please can we have more of this type of thing? – Yours, etc, BRIAN AHERN, Clonsilla, Dublin.
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
Silent vigil held outside Justice Department following assault of Indian man in Tallaght
OVER 100 MEMBERS of the Indian community in Ireland held a silent vigil outside the Department of Justice this afternoon after an Indian man was assaulted in Tallaght last weekend. Last Saturday evening, a man in his 40s was assaulted by a group of youths in the Parkhill Road area of Kilnamanagh in south-west Dublin after being falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour. The man was stripped of his pants and underwear by the gang during the vicious attack. Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the assault to come forward. People Before Profit's Paul Murphy said the assault appeared to be the latest in a 'series of recent racially motivated attacks by a gang' in the area. 'The racist groups and individuals who spread their hate bear a heavy responsibility for this and for racist attacks elsewhere' said Murphy. 'Their lies and hate create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place.' This afternoon at 3pm, Friends of India, Ireland held a 40-minute silent vigil in front of the Department of Justice in solidarity with the victim of the recent violent attack in Tallaght. The organisers said it was also a 'collective call for justice, unity, and action against hate crimes'. Labour TD Ciarán Ahern was at the silent vigil and said 'proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community'. Advertisement He added: 'We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear and hate.' Proud to stand in solidarity with members of our Indian community today🇮🇪🇮🇳 An Indian man was viciously attacked in Tallaght in an appalling unprovoked racist attack last weekend We will not stand for this. We will not allow our communities to become places of fear & hate❤️ — Ciarán Ahern TD (@ciaranahern) July 25, 2025 Speaking to RTÉ at the vigil, Shashank Chakerwart said last weekend's assault 'isn't an isolated incident'. 'As a community, it is important for us to come together and simply protect the dignity of that human being who was stripped naked, who had to walk around the street. You don't want that on Irish streets,' he said. 'It most certainly isn't an isolated incident, because so many migrant communities have been impacted by these violent teenage gangs,' he added. An anti-racism demonstration was also held in Tallaght this evening at 6.30pm in response to last weekend's attack. Anti-racism demonstration in Tallaght this evening People Before Profit People Before Profit Speaking ahead of this demonstration, People Before Profit Councillor for Tallaght South Kay Keane remarked that the area is in 'shock since we learned of the appalling attack'. 'We will not stand by and let this go unchallenged, so Tallaght is coming together to reject the attackers and their hate,' Keane added. Fellow People Before Profit Councillor Darragh Adelaide added: 'The racist groups who spread their hate bear responsibility for this and for other racist attacks. 'It's the far right's lies and hate that create the atmosphere in which these attacks take place. 'They bear a very heavy responsibility for what happened on Saturday and in other racially motivated attacks'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
