Where are they now?

Dana Rosemary Scallon - the candidate who won an historic nomination from county councils (and the respect of her foes for her…

Dana Rosemary Scallon - the candidate who won an historic nomination from county councils (and the respect of her foes for her cheery and dignified campaign).

Dana went back to America and has recently performed charity concerts in Idaho and New York. "But mostly I've been hibernating with the children because I was away for such a long time and we have been getting ready for Christmas," she says. She hopes to be back in Dublin early in the New Year to address the Law Society in Trinity College at the end of February.

And of the campaign? "I feel, from a personal point of view, that Ireland known me as a person, as well as a singer, as a result of the presidential campaign. It was a great time of self-examination for everyone in the country, which was even more relevant that the election itself."

Adi Roche - the candidate who started out the winner (and went downhill immediately).

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Adi Roche is doing what she did before the presidential campaign - only more so. She returned recently from New York where she addressed the United Nations on Chernobyl. She has been surprised to discover her anti-nuclear work has been enhanced by running for the presidency.

"I went out on a convoy with £1 million worth of supplies to Belarus the day after the count and I discovered the Belarussian government had been following the election very fully, and all these doors were open that were not open all these years. We now have a protocol between the two countries, which was being negotiated the day of the inauguration, so I see those seven weeks as well worth while."

She summed up her feelings thus: "It put me through the whole gamut of emotions, from excitement and honour to the depths of disappointment, but the over-riding feeling was that it was a privilege to have had such an opportunity to glimpse the many faces which make up the mosaic of Irish life."

Mary Banotti - the candidate who seemed out classed from the start (but grew in stature as the campaign went on).

Mary Banotti took three days off after the count but since then has been "working my butt off trying to catch up with correspondence... it was very much back to the grindstone". She retained her responsibilities in the European Parliament, including the problem of child abductions, of which there have been nine new cases since the end of the presidential campaign.

Her work as an MEP has involved six trips to Brussels since October and two to Strasbourg, and she has also had to move office, which added to the backlog of work. As for the experience of running for the presidency: "It certainly changed my life. I can't go anywhere now without being recognised."

Derek Nally - the candidate who stood on his integrity and record (but whose campaign became a proxy battleground for other people's agendas).

Derek Nally is doing exactly what he was doing before he ran for the presidency - running his security/investment company. In his voluntary work he is still involved with Victim Support, of which he is president, though that is a largely titular post. His most hands-on work in this area is with the Tourism Support section of Victim Support, of which he is its chairman.

Referring to running for the presidency he said: "I certainly would do exactly the same again, though there are certain things I said and did in running the campaign I would certainly do differently."