Gareth Sheridan has secured Kerry County Council’s nomination in his bid to contest the Presidential Election.<\/p>\n
Mr Sheridan, a businessman and entrepreneur, now requires a nomination from three more local authorities in order to have his name on the ballot paper on 24 October.<\/p>\n
After much debate at this morning’s monthly meeting of the local authority, a majority of councillors first voted that they would give their backing to a presidential hopeful, instead of opting not to make a nomination.<\/p>\n
Fine Gael councillor Bobby O’Connell had proposed that the council should not make any nomination and this was seconded by Fianna F\u00e1il’s Norma Moriarty.<\/p>\n
However, a counter-proposal that the council should give its backing to a presidential hopeful was put forward by Independent Charlie Farrelly and seconded by Deirdre Ferris of Sinn F\u00e9in.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, 18 councillors voted to make a nomination while 14 voted against. One of the council’s 33 councillors was absent.<\/p>\n
The votes came from 12 Independents, four Sinn F\u00e9in councillors and two Labour councillors.<\/p>\n
Mr Sheridan’s candidacy was then proposed by Independent Killarney councillor Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan and seconded by fellow Independent councillor Martin Grady.<\/p>\n
As there was only one candidate put forward for one position, Mr Sheridan was then deemed to have received Kerry County Council’s nomination.<\/p>\n
He will address Laois County Council this afternoon and Tipperary councillors tomorrow.<\/p>\n
It comes as MMA fighter Conor McGregor announced he has withdrawn his bid to run in the upcoming Presidential Election.<\/a><\/p>\n He had been seeking a nomination from local authorities to get on the ballot paper.<\/p>\n A number of local authorities are meeting today to hear from potential presidential candidates.<\/p>\n Nick Delehanty is likely to speak at the council meetings in Westmeath, Roscommon and Galway, while Maria Steen will make her pitch in Longford and Dublin City.<\/p>\n To be eligible to run, a candidate must be nominated either by 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities. They must also be an Irish citizen over the age of 35.<\/p>\n Former government minister Heather Humphreys is running for Fine Gael in the Presidential Election while ex-Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin is the Fianna F\u00e1il candidate. Mr Gavin is due to attend a parliamentary party meeting in Cork today.<\/a><\/p>\n