Kerry County Council has nominated Gareth Sheridan to run for the Presidential election.
It's the first nomination for the Dublin businessman.
To be eligible to have their name on the ballot paper for a Presidential election, a candidate must get the support of at least four local authorities or 20 Oireachtas members to get on the ballot.
Last Monday 14 candidates addressed Kerry County Councillors seeking their support in a bid to get their names on the ballot of the Presidential election.
Councillors met this morning to decide whether or not they’d nominate a candidate and who that candidate would be.
Fine Gael councillor Bobby O’Connell proposed that no candidate receive the support of Kerry County Council; this was seconded by Cllr Norma Moriarty.
Independent councillor Charlie Farrelly proposed that the council should support one of the candidates and his proposal was seconded by Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris.
Cllr O’Connell’s proposal was defeated with 18 voting against, 14 voting for and one councillor was absent, meaning Kerry County Council would nominate a candidate.
Independent councillor Niall Botty O’Callaghan proposed the council nominate Gareth Sheridan, stating he was a nice, personable man and he stated he’d be happy to see Mr Sheridan representing Ireland.
This was seconded by Independent councillor Martin Grady who noted that Mr Sheridan had travelled to Kerry in advance of the meeting to meet councillors and he also referenced his connections to the US.
As there was no counter proposal, Gareth Sheridan became the Kerry County Council’s nomination.
Fianna Fáil councillor Norma Noriarty told the meeting she’d very serious concerns and she wasn't supporting Gareth Sheridan as Kerry County Council's candidate; her colleagues Breandán Fitzgerald, Tommy Cahill, Fionnan Fitzgerald, Michael Leane, Anne O’Sullivan, Bobby O’Connell, Teddy O’Sullivan Casey and Niall Kelleher all voiced their opposition and stated they weren’t supporting the candidate.
Gareth Sheridan needs the support of three more local authorities if he wants to get his name on the ballot paper.
