Sinn Féin’s leadership council will meet on Saturday to discuss their options
The Sinn Féin leadership is to meet later to work out a plan for the Irish Presidential election.
The party’s Ard Chomhairle, made up of its political leaders and delegates from regional branches, is expected to study the findings of an internal consultation on its election strategy.
Members have been considering a range of options, including entering the race or supporting an agreed opposition candidate.
No date has yet been set for the presidential election, but it needs to be held before 11 November when Michael D Higgins’ 14-year term in office officially ends.
The Sinn Féin leadership will need to look at four different puzzles to solve its presidential question.
Supporting the left-wing unity candidate
This was considered the more likely option for Sinn Féin when it began its internal consultation as the party was keen to shore up the unity on the opposition benches.
But back then, the independent Senator Frances Black was being tipped as the opposition unity candidate and she would have been a popular choice for Sinn Féin supporters.
The former singer tabled the bill which seeks to ban Irish trade with illegal settlements in Israeli occupied territories, which has the full support of Sinn Féin.
But in June, Black ruled herself out of the presidential race.
Now independent TD (member of the Dáil) Catherine Connolly is hoping to secure the backing of Sinn Féin and other left-wing parties.
That could be a test for the Galway TD, who has less of a profile and may struggle to unite the opposition benches.
But if those parties plan to present themselves as an alternative government in the next election, can they really afford to divide in what could be their first electoral test?Running a Sinn Féin candidate
This may now be the prefered path for the party leadership, but it comes with many risks.
The last time Sinn Féin fielded a candidate in a presidential election it didn’t go well.
Former party MEP Liadh Ní Riada secured just over 6% of the vote when she challenged Higgins back in 2018.
It was a disastrous showing for the party and raised questions about the leadership strategy.
After a disappointing general election in 2024, Sinn Féin and its leader Mary Lou McDonald can’t really afford another poor day at the polls.
The personality based nature of a presidential election could also be a concern as it can be a bruising contest for candidates.
They are subjected to more scrutiny across their public and private lives and it can leave long-lasting damage.
There is also the cost of running a presidential election campaign, estimated to be more than €400,000 (£349,000), coming so soon after the financially draining general election. Running a Sinn Féin candidate
This may now be the prefered path for the party leadership, but it comes with many risks.
The last time Sinn Féin fielded a candidate in a presidential election it didn’t go well.
Former party MEP Liadh Ní Riada secured just over 6% of the vote when she challenged Higgins back in 2018.
It was a disastrous showing for the party and raised questions about the leadership strategy.
After a disappointing general election in 2024, Sinn Féin and its leader Mary Lou McDonald can’t really afford another poor day at the polls.
The personality based nature of a presidential election could also be a concern as it can be a bruising contest for candidates.
They are subjected to more scrutiny across their public and private lives and it can leave long-lasting damage.
There is also the cost of running a presidential election campaign, estimated to be more than €400,000 (£349,000), coming so soon after the financially draining general election. But, the party may consider the prize to be worth the price.
Selecting the right candidate
This will be the moment of truth.
If the party is to mount a big challenge then it will likely field its best candidate – its own leader.
McDonald hasn’t ruled herself out of the race, but has much to consider before adding her name to the ballot paper
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who is the party’s deputy leader, also remains in the frame along with Donegal TD Pearse Doherty.
Other names mentioned include former party leader Gerry Adams, who was back in the public eye following his recent successful defamation case against the BBC.
He has the profile, but at 76 may lack the energy for a campaign and could struggle to capture the mood of a changed electorate hoping for a younger head of state.
