Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell is an Irish independent politician and barrister who has enjoyed a distinguished and long career in Irish politics. He was born on May 1, 1951, in Dublin. He studied at Gonzaga College and University College Dublin, where he studied law.

As the youngest grandson of one of the Conradh na Gaeilge’s founders and the first President of the Irish Volunteers, Eoin Mac Neill, McDowell knows his nobility. He, however, explains that he is not a hereditary politics holder, but he focuses on the political goals he believes in and how these can play their part.

McDowell began his political life in the mid-1980s when he served as Director of Elections to Dr. Garret Fitzgerald. He was initially elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin South East, now Dublin Bay South, in 1987, 1992, and 2002. His senior roles were being Attorney General between 1999 and 2002, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform between 2002 and 2007, and Tánaiste between 2006 and 2007. After a brief retirement from active politics, he re-emerged as an independent senator in Seanad Éireann in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.

Throughout his working life, McDowell has held key political offices like those of Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Attorney General. His vast experience with politics and law makes him the perfect person to participate in Ireland’s presidential election soon. He has been a vocal advocate for various reforms, such as calling for the preservation and reform of the Seanad and actively participating in significant national conversations, including the 2024 Family and Care referendums.

His independent voice and readiness to oppose the government on significant issues reflect his dedication to keeping the government accountable and protecting legislative issues from proper scrutiny.

Additionally, McDowell’s background as a barrister and senior counsel, along with his experience as Attorney General, provides him with a deep understanding of the Irish legal system and constitutional matters.

This would prepare him well for the presidency, wherein he would be tasked with enforcing the Constitution and advocating Ireland overseas. All in all, Michael McDowell’s strong political and juridical history, independent nature, and principle of reform make him an appealing contender to run in the next presidential election in Ireland.

Bertie Ahern 

Bertie Ahern, previous Taoiseach of Ireland from 1997 to 2008, is among the highest-ranking politicians in the Fianna Fáil party and was the prime mover of the Northern Ireland peace process, particularly the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. A long-term politically experienced career in high-stakes negotiations makes him a suitable candidate for the Irish presidency. Ahern’s time as Taoiseach is remembered for his instrumental role in the peace process, most significantly through the 1998 Good Friday agreement.

For all his political experience presidential candidacy may be the next step for Ahern, it is the past scandal that may impact him if he is to run. Ahern was born in 1951 in Dublin and served seven years from 1997 to 2008 and was instrumental in the Northern Ireland peace process, he is also associated with the Celtic Tiger economic boom, but his time in office concluded in financial scandals.

Ahern is well-regarded for his negotiating abilities and wide Irish politics knowledge. However, he was also in the spotlight due to his finances, more specifically, unaccounted money lodged in his bank account while he was Minister for Finance, an issue that exposed him to severe criticism and questioning.

The Mahon Tribunal, established in 1997 to investigate planning and political payments, was still ongoing under Ahern’s leadership as Taoiseach, prompting investigations into his own personal finances at the time the tribunal was active. Ahern became Taoiseach in 1997 when he was elected as the party leader of Fianna Fáil in the general election, and his political machinations and skills as a coalition-builder were at the forefront of his elevation to the elevated office in the administration. As Taoiseach, he was connected to the Mahon Tribunal. which investigated allegations of corrupt donations to politicians and scrutinized his personal financial transactions from the 1990s, igniting considerable controversy and public debate about his personal finances.

As a Finance Minister, Ahern’s financial dealings came under great scrutiny in the Mahon Tribunal following allegations of improper income he had accumulated during his time as a minister. Ahern’s charismatic nature and effective political instincts have also helped in large ways to shape popular impressions, potentially tainting the assessment of his history in regard to a possible candidacy.

Public perception can significantly influence a political career and Ahern’s charm is indeed able to mollify such attacks from assorted groups. Certain news outlets such as TheJournal.ie and IrishCentral have reported the fact that Mahon Tribunal investigated the finances of Bertie Ahern due to allegations of secret payments he received while in office.

Mary Lou McDonald

Mary Lou McDonald is the Leader of Sinn Féin and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central constituency. She has held these positions since 2011 and 2020, respectively.

In her previous positions, McDonald was Sinn Féin’s Vice President between 2009 and 2018 and an MEP for the Dublin constituency between 2004 and 2009. She also made history in 2018 by becoming the first female to head Sinn Féin, succeeding Gerry Adams.

Under her leadership, Sinn Féin achieved its highest-ever general election performance in 2020 with Sinn Féin securing 37 seats in the Dáil Éireann. McDonald is a known campaigner for social justice, mental illness, and suicide prevention among others and has been a member of many committees, including the Public Accounts Committee.

Her educational background is in English Literature, European Integration Studies, and Human Resource Management from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Limerick, and Dublin City University.

Sinn Féin has recently been embroiled in several controversies. There was the Housing Figures Controversy with accusations from Sinn Fein that the government deceived the voters by deceptive housing figures during the General Election campaign. 

To add to that, Brian Stanley, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, resigned from Sinn Féin following an internal inquiry and associated allegations.

These issues have put Sinn Féin under greater scrutiny and have impacted its public image, which may influence Mary Lou McDonald’s prospects for a potential run for the presidency.

She has been mentioned by some as a potential candidate to be president of Ireland. As the leader of Sinn Féin, she possesses a strong political voice and has actively advocated social and political change. Her ability to lead, vision to reform, and popularity with a big voter base make her top pick.

Her candidacy would be threatened, due to her association with political scandals and Sinn Féin’s public perception.

Critch & TC