Michael D Higgins’ historic victory is significant

THE result was never in doubt, but Michael D Higgins’ stunning victory is significant, says Daniel McConnell.

Firstly, to win as an incumbent on the first count is historic. An incredible 822,566 people, or 56%, gave President Higgins their number-one vote to secure him a second term in office.

He swept the board in every constituency, even in the home areas of his opponents. His result bettered anything Eamon de Valera achieved in his two elections to the post.

Yet, the President had a stuttering campaign. His decision to declare late was branded cynical, and designed to make it more difficult for any opponent.

So, too, was his decision to take part in just three debates, two on TV and one on radio.

Then, there were his ever-changing stories on whether he would run again, on his spending of the €317,000 unaudited allowance, and his use of the Government Learjet. He was less-than-convincing on all of those issues, but it did not matter.

The public had made up their mind and were more than happy for Micheal D to go again, despite his age.

Focus in the past week turned to the runner-up spot and into the void came the shambolic, rambling Peter Casey.

A highly successful businessman from Derry, he has long-harboured aspirations to hold political office. He tried and failed to get into the Seanad and, 10 days ago,

his bid for the Áras looked totally doomed, polling at less than 3%.

But then he launched his attack on Travellers and the refusal of some families to take homes built for them in Tipperary, unless stables were provided.

Cue an outcry from the PC brigade, who all demanded his head on a plate. Finally, we had a controversy to

enliven what otherwise was an exceedingly dull campaign.

Other candidates rounded on Casey. Yet, in WhatsApp groups all over the country, in pubs, around water coolers in offices, people were saying they agreed with Casey.

He had inadvertently tapped into an anti-PC feeling ,which has been bubbling away, and then sought to capitalise on that by attacking the country’s welfare dependency, which he was correct about.

From being bottom in the polls last weekend, we then heard bookies say he was odds-on to come in second, which he did.

For the others, Joan Freeman, Seán Gallagher, Liadh Ní Riada and Gavin Duffy, there are few positives to take from this experience.

Gallagher, the runner-up in 2011, had a disaster and saw his vote collapse across the board.

One can only conclude that it was hubris and arrogance which convinced him that he could succeed.

Ditto with Gavin Duffy, who had to suffer the ignominy of picking up the wooden spoon. He said he was “ambitious for Ireland”, but it is clear Ireland was not ambitious for him.

Senator Freeman was never a heavyweight contender and her vote came in where it was expected to.

But the big story is the failure of Sinn Féin’s candidate, who clearly did not manage to secure her own party’s core vote.

Questions have to be asked about the strategy. The party left it incredibly late to announce her as a candidate, even though we knew from the summer a contest would occur.

The party, too, plumped for someone who did not have a national profile and did not court a middle-class vote or her own party’s hardcore base. A black mark against Mary Lou McDonald, for sure.

In the end, the people have had their say and get to say goodbye to this grand soap opera for another seven years.