A former lord mayor of Cork and sitting member of Cork City Council has confirmed that he is to seek a nomination to run for the presidency via the local authorities’ route.
Independent councillor and local historian Kieran McCarthy, who drew attention during his spell as lord mayor for his tenor voice, confirmed to The Irish Times that he will begin his bid for the support of four local authorities when he addresses Kerry County Council on Monday. He has also written to other local authorities in Munster and Leinster seeking to address them.
Cllr McCarthy (48), who served as Lord Mayor of Cork in 2023/2024, said that he is “under no illusion” about the enormity of the challenge facing him, but he hopes to add to the debate about what the presidency should be.
A member of the Southern Regional Assembly for the past 10 years, where he has got to know many councillors in other councils, Cllr McCarthy has written to both Cork local authorities, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny seeking the chance to make his case.
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Cllr McCarthy, who describes himself as “a centrist, a practical person, who is neither left nor right”, said he would like to shift the focus to what presidents can do, rather than what they cannot.
“Yes, it is a ceremonial role, but with a good cabinet and a good relationship with Government you could develop some really interesting projects that would amplify and enhance what has been going over the last 30 years between Presidents Robinson, McAleese and Higgins,” he said.
Cllr McCarthy said he had “three strong calls” or visions for the presidency. The first would be to set up a Voices of Ireland hub where he would work with different communities in the cultural and artistic space, together with those involved in life-long learning.
The second area is one he terms “the Diaspora and Internationalisation” where he would envisage the president working with both Irish groups and Irish ambassadors abroad, but also with foreign ambassadors in Ireland.
The third strand is one of closer links with local authorities which, although often critical of central government, enjoy good relations with the presidency. There is potential for greater links with representative bodies such as the Local Authority Management Agency, he said.
He acknowledged that he is likely to succeed in getting the backing of four local authorities only if Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors abstain. However, Fine Gael has already instructed its councillors not to support Independent candidates going the council route.
Cllr McCarthy, who has been a member of Cork City Council for the past 15 years, has a PhD in Geography from UCC and has a high profile in his native Cork, having written 32 books on local history and conducted free historical walking tours of the city for more than 20 years.
An active member of musical theatre groups in Cork and possessing a fine tenor voice, Cllr McCarthy brought much colour to his term as Lord Mayor of Cork, frequently bursting into his party piece Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma.
He will join a growing number of candidates seeking council nominations. They include businessmen Gareth Sheridan and Peter Casey, barrister and anti-abortion campaigner Maria Steen, former MMA fighter Conor McGregor and former solicitor Nick Delehanty. Several others are also expected to address Kerry County Council’s meeting on Monday.
