Sinn Féin to announce intentions around presidential election nomination next week

Sinn Féin held an internal member consultation earlier this summer, with Mary Lou McDonald saying in July that all options including her own candidacy were on the table. Picture: Gareth Chaney/PA

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is expected to announce her party's intentions around the presidency in the next week, with those who support Catherine Connolly “anxiously” awaiting their decision.

The party held an internal member consultation earlier this summer, with Mary Lou McDonald saying in July that all options including her own candidacy were on the table. Within the party, there is an expectation that an announcement will come some time next week, with some saying that the mood on Ms McDonald putting herself forward had shifted over the summer.

One senior party source said that they would not have countenanced such a move at the beginning of the summer, but said their outlook was now "50/50". Should the party not run a candidate, it will back Galway West independent Catherine Connolly. Ms Connolly has the backing of Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and a range of other independents.

Speaking on Thursday, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said Ms Connolly is the “best-positioned progressive left candidate” to stop Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil from having their candidate win the race to the Áras.

We think she has a real prospect of winning, Fundamentally, this election is going to be about which direction we want the country to go in.

“Do we want the Government to get away with abandoning all that is left of neutrality and ripping up the triple lock? Or do we want to defend neutrality in the triple lock?

“Do we want to have a Government which says some correct things in relation to Palestine, but then continues with complicity in terms of the Central Bank authorisation of the bonds, in terms of trying to water down the Occupied Territories Bill, in terms of the overflights that continue to happen?

“Do we want a Government that is very consciously seeking to accelerate the rise of rents, or a Government that puts the interests of renters, of homeless people, people who are trying to buy a house first? 

"It’s about which direction the country is going in.”

The comments come as Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin comes under pressure internally to name his party's candidate. Earlier this week, Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher called for a meeting urgently to discuss the forthcoming presidential election. Mr Martin has said he intends to update the party on its position towards the presidential election at the end of August, shooting down Mr Kelleher’s suggestion.

Several former Fianna Fáil politicians have expressed an interest in running for the party, including former ministers Mary Hanafin and Eamon Ó Cuiv. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has regularly been mentioned as a possible candidate, but has yet to declare an interest.

One Fianna Fáil TD has, however, called for Mr Martin to run. Peter "Chap" Cleere told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the Taoiseach would be "an excellent" president.

The overwhelming majority of people that I speak to are saying that the man who should be our presidential candidate is our leader Micheál Martin.

"My personal view is that Micheál [Martin] should put himself forward to be a presidential candidate. I know he'd have a phenomenal backing of the parliamentary party," he added.

Mr Martin has, however, repeatedly ruled himself out of a run, saying that he is committed to his term as Taoiseach.