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1h ago

McGuinness Exit Forces Fine Gael to Restart Presidential Bid

Fine Gael will convene its executive council to choose a new nominee with less than two months before Ireland’s presidential vote in late October.

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Overview

  • Mairead McGuinness withdrew on medical advice after a recent hospital stay, citing her health and family as top priorities.
  • Fine Gael has announced it will reconvene its executive council in the coming days to identify and endorse a replacement candidate.
  • Independent TD Catherine Connolly has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite following McGuinness’s withdrawal, bolstered by support from the Social Democrats, Labour and People Before Profit.
  • Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin remain undecided on whether to field presidential candidates, with nomination decisions expected in the coming weeks.
  • Constitutional rules require all candidates to secure backing from at least 20 Oireachtas members or four local authorities within the 60-day window before President Higgins’s term ends on November 11.