Last Thursday’s Presidential Election ultimately concluded in a most convincing success for Labour candidate Michael D Higgins.
Topping the poll in 36 of the State’s 43 constituencies, the former Senator, TD and Arts Minister scooped up 700,000 first preferences, with his total vote exceeding one million, making him a clear winner.
However, Mr Higgins’s success, given that he was the only candidate to keep it ‘between the ditches’ during the campaign, was partly due to the shortcomings of the other six candidates.
Throughout the hustings, he and he alone struck a presidential tone, drawing on his political experience and his clear and concise knowledge of the role of President as guided by the Constitution.
For Fine Gael, the campaign was a disaster, with Gay Mitchell back at his MEP’s desk as this edition went to press.
Any of John Bruton, Mairead McGuinness or even late entry Pat Cox would have proven a more acceptable candidate not only for FG loyalists, but for non-FG voters.