Irish presidential election: Three Dragons, an ‘Ireland First’ artist and a Monroe wannabe aim for the top job

The incumbent President Higgins is hugely popular, but there is no shortage of candidates lining up to try their chances against him on 26 October

Kevin Sharkey, Sarah Louise Mulligan and Sean Gallagher are among the names putting forward their vision for Ireland (Sinn Féin/Rex/PA)

If you’re accused of having ‘notions’ in Ireland, it means you’re getting a bit above your station - having delusions of grandeur.

It’s an affliction which has infected the political landscape over this silly season, with a plethora of people coming forward to suggest that they should be elected president on 26 October. Follow the news from abroad and you’d think pretty much anyone can have a pop.

Irish presidential elections weren’t always like this. In the past, there have been few entrants for a largely ceremonial job seen as a retirement present for elder statesmen. Only recently, through the tenure of Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, has this been reimagined.

Then the first truly modern contest came in 2011, in which a record seven contestants piled on, only to be subjected, one by one, to brutal character assassinations - as if the whole thing was being scripted by Agatha Christie.

By the end, all that remained was the elfin Michael D Higgins, who was duly elected, quickly became beloved by the nation, and is now seeking a second term.

Because of this particularly nasty episode in our political history, many in Ireland think you’d have to be mad to run for president - and there’s no shortage of people showing that they’ve got what it takes.

With all the main parties supporting Higgins (bar Sinn Féin, who will run their own candidate), independents must seek the support of 20 members of the Irish parliament, or four county councils to get on the ballot.

This has led to a motley crew of individuals showing up at various council meetings around the country to give presentations which have been anything but dull.

Donegal-born artist Kevin Sharkey wants to be the country’s first black president, but his ‘Ireland First’ platform is not proving popular. He is calling for stricter immigration, and even bringing back the death penalty for crimes against the elderly.

Investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty wants to use the platform to tackle corruption, although she is routinely accused on social media of being a glorified conspiracy theorist. In a recent tweet, she said her presidency would honour Madeleine McCann, saying “those who conceal the truth about what happened to her must be held to account.”

One person, named only as Candidate X, submitted a presentation in absentia in which they proposed doing two things: closing all the mosques in Ireland, and going to Downing Street to demand the six counties of Northern Ireland back.

Then there’s performance artist Sarah Louise Mulligan, who says she’ll dress up as Marilyn Monroe for President Trump if elected. He’ll be visiting Ireland on the week of the inauguration in November.

Amidst this chaos, of course there are candidates who should be taken more seriously. Businessman and Dragon’s Den star Gavin Duffy was a surprise entry, who already has one council nomination under his belt, as has psychologist and mental health advocate Joan Freeman - even though he has no political experience, and she has only been a senator for two years.

The real spanner in the works came last week when another Dragon’s Den tycoon entered the ring - Sean Gallagher, who ran in 2011 and came second.

He had been the favourite to win until the final TV debate just days before the election, when an embarrassing anecdote about a signed photo, a rogue tweet, and his incensed reaction brought the whole thing crashing down around him. ‘Notions’ were quickly quashed.

The entry of a third Dragon - US-based Peter Casey - was baffling even to the other two, and has made for a curious dynamic to proceedings. A reality TV businessman as president - what could possibly go wrong?

There is one more candidate yet to come and that is the Sinn Féin choice, who won’t be announced until 16 September. Having led calls for Higgins to face challengers, the party has remained largely silent over the summer, perhaps waiting for the more colourful characters to burn themselves out before getting down to business.

When their Irish speaking MEP Liadh Ni Riada was given a prime time RTE radio interview in July, it was fairly clear she was being road tested for the job.

Whoever it is, Sinn Féin's candidate is the only person Higgins is guaranteed to face at the ballot box. The independents have until 26 September to try and get the required backing.

At this point, a betting man might put money on Joan Freeman and Sean Gallagher making the cut, with the latter being the strongest challenger to Higgins out of the group.

But, considering his very high approval ratings - and the dubious calibre of the people who have presented themselves as alternatives - it’s looking like our incumbent will be easily re-elected. With a little bit of political theatre along the way...