Who are the candidates seeking Tipperary County Council’s nomination for president?
As the race for Áras an Uachtaráin hots up, with the date for the presidential election officially set for October 24, presidential hopefuls continue to announce their intentions to seek a nomination to get their name on the ballot paper.
In order to be put on the ballot sheet for the presidential election, candidates must get the support of at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities.
So far, 23 hopefuls have reached out to Tipperary County Council seeking their nomination.
A Tipperary County Council spokesperson said a special meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 16, where all candidates will be allowed to give a five minute presentation to the council, before taking 10 minutes of questions from councillors.
But who are the presidential hopefuls who have petitioned Tipperary County Council hoping to secure a nomination to officially run for president?
A native of Wicklow, Mr Plant is an IT and GDPR manager. He was the first person to contact Tipperary County Council in March seeking a nomination to run for the Áras. He contested the 2014 and 2024 local elections, as well as running for the Dáil in last year’s general election. An article written ahead of the general election stated that his issues included the need for an improved public transport service, the need for more housing, both for social and private housing, as well as the provision of more local jobs. Mr Plant was not elected for the Dáil, having received just over 40 votes.
Professor Doctor Joseph Chikelue Obi – Independent
Hoping to be Ireland’s first black president, Professor Doctor Joseph Chikelue Obi is a qualified medical doctor. His social media pages say that his key aim of running for president is to deliver a united Ireland by Easter 2039. Dr Obi was born in London, and previously worked as a doctor there, before being suspended for professional misconduct at a British hospital and undergoing a probe by the British police, an Irish Independent article from 2005 states. As part of his presidential campaign, Dr Obi says he will fully implement the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, deliver the Narrow Water Bridge project, and collaborate closely with the UK Government and reset Irish-UK relations.
Lorna McCormack is from Ratoath in Meath. Ms McCormack is a social care worker, and is best known as the founder of Wool in School, an educational initiative centred around wool and sustainability. She has long championed the role of education in tackling climate change and preserving heritage. She is a trained fibre artist, and also runs Feirm VR, which introduces children to farming practices through immersive VR. The Meath woman is also undertaking a Masters in Agricultural Innovation at the University of Galway.
Barry Wheely-Row is a wheelbarrow and the alter-ego of Kerry writer Stephen Murphy. Mr Wheely-Row vows to “bring the craic back”, and says if elected, he will use his time in office to “plant the seeds of surreality in the hearts and minds of Irish people”. Mr Wheely-Row says that Ireland needs a president “with a handle on the right and a handle on the left.”
Nick Delehanty is from Lisronagh, outside Clonmel, and is a lawyer turned doggy daycare owner. If elected, Mr Delehanty says he will lead an overhaul of Ireland’s asylum laws, while also saying that he doesn’t agree with multiculturalism. He also vowed to do more for the Irish language if elected, and said his core principal is fidelity to the Irish nation.
Paudie Dineen is a veteran Cork City councillor and retired paramedic. It is not clear what his presidential priorities would be, but in a campaign for the Dáil last year, Cllr Dineen said he felt that there was an appetite for political change.
Gareth Sheridan is the multimillionaire former-CEO of Nutriband, a pharmaceutical company. Mr Sheridan’s campaign is focused on housing, and says he wants to “make Ireland home again”. He says that people who are living and working in Ireland should be able to buy a home here, and that he would hold the Dáil to account over failures in housing.
Cabdi Ní Chianáin (Charlotte Keenan) – Independent
Charlotte Keenan is from Castletown-Geoghegan in Westmeath. She contested the 2024 general election, as well as in the European election in the Midlands North-West constituency. Ms Keenan is a farmer and sports psychologist by profession.
Dr Cora Stack is a lecturer of mathematics at the Technological University of Dublin.
Sarah Louise Mulligan is a political activist, and proud supporter of US president Donald Trump. Ms Mulligan vows to “make Ireland great” and is on a mission to “save Ireland”. Ms Mulligan is also an actress, having appeared in Love/Hate, Seacht, Fair City, Tudors, Camelot, and Penny Dreadful.
Billy O’Connell is also listed on Tipperary County Council’s list as seeking the presidential nomination.
Donncha MacGabhann is a Limerick man, and says he is a “president with a mission”. His key concerns are the health of Ireland’s democracy, and says he will work to deepen the president’s role within the Constitution.
Walter Ryan-Purcell is a member of Independent Ireland, and contested the 2024 general election in the Cork North West constituency.
William P Allen is a businessman from Cork. He has said that it is his “lifelong ambition” to run for the presidency.
Gerben Uunk – Party for Animal Welfare
Gerben Uunk is from the Netherlands, but lives in Limerick. He previously contested the election for Limerick’s first directly elected mayor, as well as unsuccessfully running for the local and general elections in Limerick.
Professor Dolores Cahill – Independent
Professor Dolores Cahill rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic for posting a number of videos denouncing pandemic restrictions, as well as clashing with gardaí for refusing to wear a mask.
Peter Casey is a businessman from Derry. He previously contested the 2018 presidential election unsuccessfully, as well as running in the European and general elections.
Conor McGregor is a MMA fighter from Dublin. Mc McGregor said that the purpose of his campaign is to "give power back to the people of Ireland" and to represent citizens "independently". Last November, a High Court jury found McGregor civilly liable for the rape of Nikita Hand at a south Dublin hotel six years earlier.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy is an independent councillor for Cork City. Cllr McCarthy was mayor of Cork for 2023/2024, and said the focus of his presidential campaign would be to build communities together.
Abbas Ali O’Shea is from Iraq, but lives in Dublin. He unsuccessfully ran for the Seanad elections in 2020. Mr O’Shea came to Ireland as a refugee, but became an Irish citizen in 2016. Mr O’Shea runs a business that promotes Irish third level educational institutions to students in the Gulf States.