Mrs Mary Robinson was in the field as a declared candidate for seven months before her election. The four contenders (so far) seeking the Presidency this year have just six weeks to impress the voters before the October 30th poll.
Fianna Fail handlers were meeting last night to begin constructing the campaign for Prof Mary McAleese. "There are a lot of things yet to be decided", according to a spokesman. "It's still early days."
The party, like most observers, was not expecting to be organising a "McAleese-for-President" campaign and must now consider how to assemble what must be a very different campaign from the traditional one. The party must first overcome hostility among some local party activists arising from the treatment of Mr Albert Reynolds.
Party sources say Prof McAleese will embark on a major tour, probably by bus, organised by a separate campaign tour manager.
Fine Gael is the only party running an elected politician, but it is seeking to broaden the candidate's appeal beyond that of the party. The campaign committee, which has not yet been formed, will contain non-Fine Gael members as well as party activists. The campaign headquarters will be outside Fine Gael head office, at a Dublin city centre location yet to be decided.
"It will be a `Banotti for President' campaign", according to her election agent, Mr Colm Brophy. "We will be seeking support from people associated with causes and issues she has been involved with in the past. It's not just going to be a Fine Gael campaign."
Ms Banotti will "go on the road" from early next week, he says, making appearances around the State up to polling day.
The campaign committee supporting Ms Adi Roche will hold its first meeting in Dublin this morning. Chaired by the Labour Party deputy leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, it will have four members nominated by Labour, two by Democratic Left, two by the Green Party and four by Ms Roche herself.
It will, according to one member, "operate on the basis of consensus".
A campaign source said that the nomination by Fianna Fail of Prof McAleese rather than Mr Reynolds would not affect how Ms Roche would project herself.
"Nobody is going to try to change her. She has the capacity to inspire no matter who is in the race," the source maintained.
Ms Roche has spent the last few days giving interviews to many local radio stations and other media preparing profiles and features about her.
Dana (Rosemary Scallon) will visit Galway today for a number of appointments planned some time ago.
She is still fulfilling a number of pre-planned engagements, according to a spokeswoman, as she had not expected her campaign to win a nomination from four county councils to succeed so quickly.
She is still in the process of forming a campaign committee and will not begin public canvassing until at least next week.
A bookmaker yesterday took a £10,000 bet that Prof McAleese will win.
According to Mr Paul Cashman of Cashman's Bookmakers, Cork, the bet - in cash - was placed yesterday morning by an elderly man at odds of 5/4 on Prof McAleese.