KEN Whitaker chaired his last meeting of the Seanad as Chancellor of the National University of Ireland some weeks ago and the race is on to succeed him. He is only the third chancellor the first was Bishop William Walsh and the second Eamon de Valera.
All NUI graduates have a vote and so vast, expensive and unwieldy is this electorate that much academic thought went into how to confine the franchise to the Seanad itself. When the suggestion of court action raised its ugly head this option was dropped and now the graduates will have their say early in the new year.
Front runner for the job, much to the horror of Seanad members who fear 12 hour meetings and stilt no agreement, is former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. Possible other runners are Professor John A. Murphy and Judge Brian Walsh. Since any NUI graduate can stand but does need a profile to get the votes, the name of C.J. Haughey has been mentioned, at least whimsically. It is felt that then business could be conducted quickly and effectively.