Given the day that’s in it: Celso Borges surely the most capped player ever to play in the Estadio Riazor (over 160 caps for Costa Rica). He used to weave labyrinthine patterns in midfield.

They'll be dancing in the streets of Shamrock (and Shelbourne) tonight. Maybe sometime SR's opponents Santa Clara, and Celtic's conquerors Kairat Almaty, will be drawn against each other, thus setting up the longest journey in European football, >8000km each way as the crow flies

Billy Kelleher has in fact lost 2 Dáil elections: when he first stood in 1992, and 1994 by-election. But since then has proved to have significant electoral appeal. Courageous of FF to pin its hopes on an alternative with no record of facing either elections or the pol corrs.

Joanna Donnelly for the Áras? Certainly she won't alienate anyone due to her political views, since she doesn't appear to hold any. Remains to be seen weather any county councils are persuaded by her determinedly apolitical enthusiasm. rte.ie/news/2025/0902…

Interesting Jim O'Callaghan interview on RTÉ's Today with CB this morning. Striking how many times he said 'I could be wrong' re his belief that FF has better chance of winning presidency with Jim Gavin than with Billy Kelleher as candidate. If JG isn't elected, don't blame Jim!

Great demonstration of the alternative vote (NOT proportional representation) in action! No votes for soukous?

FG instructs councillors to vote against nominating other presidential cands. FF / SF councillors might be tempted to free ride / abstain, hoping that (a) the FG votes will suffice for a council No vote, and (b) any unpopularity from 'blocking' other cands will be incurred by FG.

Indeed, Paul Cunningham now reports exactly that for SF. Moreover, sometimes a party is willing to facilitate an Ind's candidacy, if it reckons that the Ind might bring to the polls voters who otherwise wouldn't turn out & who will then transfer to it (eg maybe Maria Steen to FF?)

In fact the maximum number was 19, given that Mary Robinson retains the right to nominate herself for a second term.

Perfectly legal & legitimate, but hardly surprising if preventing rival candidates getting onto the ballot paper incurs unpopularity for parties. Requirement for nomination by, say, 50 city or county councillors might be 'fairer' than requiring backing of councils.

Author Eoin O’Malley @anmailleach and broadcaster Seán O’Rourke at launch of just-published (and surely destined to be bestseller) Charlie vs Garret in Mansion House 18 Sept.

Stephen Collins in Irish Times 19 Sep. Last para not quite accurate: i If Pres neither signs bill nor refers it to Supreme Court, Presidential Commission simply steps in & signs it; ii Impeachment needs 2/3 majority, & would oppn members join govt in such a vote on such an issue?

Interesting article on Cornwall by Mark Paul in Irish Times 17 Sept. But St Austell ‘in the northeast’? Another look at the map might be warranted!

So, barring a last-minute out-of-the-blue self-nomination by Mary Robinson for a second term, it looks as if only 3 candidates on the ballot paper. There's a case for amending the local govt nomination route to, say, 5% of city & county councillors rather than 4 councils.

Transfers played a significant role only in 1990 election. Early projection for 2025 would suggest Connolly to lead on first count, then outcome will depend on how strongly third-placed Gavin or Humphreys transfers to the other. But campaign may disrupt this scenario.

In which case it might have been a smart move for either FF or FG to free up the requisite number of their Oireachtas members to get her over the line, thus earning goodwill from MS voters that would have paid dividends in transfers (assuming their candidate stayed ahead of MS).

CC has 'Raising your Voice' and HH has 'A President for All'. As yet JG's posters seem devoid of a slogan – what can we read into that?

Will be interesting to see CC’s approach. The more blows she can land on the govt’s record, the more she stands to rally the non-govt first pref vote behind her – but at the cost of increasing the solidarity of transfers between JG and HH and reducing the number passing to her.

An air of unreality about VM Pres debate since cands were asked qns about policy areas where Pres has no role. CC held her ground against searching qns; HH coped well, probably exceeded expectations; JG inexperienced in this format but voters may have already factored that in.

Proposal elaborated in Irish Times opinion article Irish Times Opinion 1 October 2025: irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/1…