Neither Catherine Connolly nor Heather Humphreys have clearly conveyed a sense of the type of president they would be over the next seven years. Illustration: Paul Scott
The distinctive personalities of Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins have combined to shape what is understood as the Irish presidency in 2025. They have given this non-political office added legitimacy and relevance. The public wants their activism to continue.
The Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll this week showed substantial backing for a president who is seen and heard (39 per cent) and who represents the country well internationally (33 per cent). These former office holders will be the reference point in assessing the immediate performance of the president elected next week. It’s a political cliche, but hitting the ground running is going to be important for our 10th president in dealing with the priority issues in their in-tray.
1. Identifying a theme in time for the presidential inauguration
Neither Catherine Connolly nor Heather Humphreys have clearly conveyed a sense of the type of president they wo
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