Controversial senator Sharon Keogan helping presidential candidate Gareth Sheridan get councils' support

Gareth Sheridan canvassing at Tullamore Show on Sunday with his wife Heidi and daughter Roe. Picture: Alf Harvey

Independent senator Sharon Keogan has been assisting presidential election hopeful Gareth Sheridan in rallying the support of councillors.

Mr Sheridan, 35, confirmed at the weekend he was seeking a nomination to enter the race to replace Michael D Higgins.

To contest the election, a candidate must receive the backing of 20 Oireachtas members, or four councils.

Mr Sheridan, whose campaign team involves former Labour Party senator John Whelan, is originally from Terenure, Dublin, but has been living in the United States. He has stepped aside as chief executive of company Nutriband.

A spokesman for Mr Sheridan confirmed Ms Keogan had been helping him to “canvass support” among “the independent council block across the country”.

She introduced him to councillors at a conference held in Limerick in April, and they have been in “regular contact”.

Ms Keogan has been vocal in her opposition to matters such as abortion and surrogacy.

She was criticised for comments which suggested there was an “organised LGBTQ+ “takeover” of society. She made the comments in 2021 when it emerged the Government intended to make former minister Katherine Zappone a UN special envoy.

Concerns were also raised last year when Ms Keogan organised an event in Leinster House which featured a panel of prominent far-right individuals and anti-vaccination campaigners.

When asked if Mr Sheridan held similar views to Ms Keogan, a spokesman said he was “his own man” and was “not aligned to anyone else’s policy position or any political party and never has been”.

He added: “He is married to an American woman. His daughter, Roe, is a beautiful two-year-old adopted girl. They are a classic modern family.

“He offers a progressive and positive and inclusive agenda. He is not beholden to anyone else’s viewpoints on any of those topics.”

Mr Sheridan and his team believe between six and eight councils could back him and a “minimum of four are secured”. However, they will not say which councils, as candidates will continue to enter the field.

Spokespeople for Independent Ireland and Aontú confirmed Mr Sheridan had not engaged with their parties. He has also not spoken with the Green Party.

Mr Sheridan told RTÉ Radio One he was funding his campaign from his savings.

To date, only Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness and Independent TD Catherine Connolly have been confirmed as candidates.

Of 31 local authorities, there is a Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil majority in 21. It is expected party councillors will be told to only back party candidates.

This will make it difficult for independent candidates to get enough support.

Fianna Fáil politicians believe they will not know what the party will do until their party think-in in mid-September.

The Green Party is currently running a consultation with its members, with the results expected in early September.

A Social Democrats spokesman said the party was “fully behind Catherine, which was a decision in part informed by consultation with our councillors prior to the nomination being made”.

A Sinn Féin spokesman said its priority was “solely on the ongoing discussion within Sinn Féin on our options for supporting our own candidate or an external one”.