Six Arás hopefuls to meet Meath councillors on Monday

Paul Murphy

Six intending candidates for the Presidency will be in Navan next Monday to address Meath county councillors in a bid to get a nomination for the forthcoming election.

The six independent hopefuls - businessman Gavin Duffy, musician and composer Jimmy Smyth, artist Kevin Sharkey, Senator and Pieta House founder Joan Freeman, along with newcomers John Groarke and Sarah Louise Mulligan- will attend at the council chamber at Railway Street for what is termed a “petitioning session”, allowing them to make a pitch for a nomination. Any potential independent candidate needs the backing of four county councils, or 20 serving members of the Oireachtas to get on the November ticket. Each county council can nominate just one candidate.
Although the running order of speakers is expected to be based on alphabetical positioning, Kevin Sharkey has asked for a later slot in the presentation to the council members. Gavin Duffy is likely to be the first speaker, followed by Joan Freeman, and Jimmy Smyth, and then Kevin Sharkey.
Each potential candidate will be allowed 20 minutes speaking time, followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. The meeting, to be conducted by county council cathaoirleach, Cllr Tom Kelly, is not a statutory meeting and the 40 councillors are not obliged to be present.
Presidential hopeful, local man, Gavin Duffy aid this week that he was putting in a final push to secure a nomination. “Last week's Meath Chronicle reported public declarations of support from Independents, members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and this week I have received some more private pledges of support in advance of next Monday's meeting. I will be meeting Councillors to canvass them to support a Meath candidate for the Presidential Election,” he said.
A vote on who may, or may not, be nominated will be taken at the council's statutory meeting on 3rd September, if the writ for the Presidential Election is moved before then. Prior to that vote, the process of co-opting a new member to the council is expected to take place. Sinn Fein activist Eddie Fennessy will be proposed by his party to fill the seat vacated by the death of Cllr Joe Reilly.