Thread by @jadeswilson

So the date for the 2018 Presidential Election has been set. October 26th.

The candidates are Seán Gallagher, Gavin Duffy, Joan Freeman, Liadh Ní Riada, and Michael D Higgins.

Here's some info on each of them:

Seán Gallagher:
-entrepreneur/millionare/founder of Smarthomes, which received 830k in State grants
-Dragon's Den reality tv personality
-came 2nd in 2011 election after false tweets were read on air about business dealings & changed public opinion
-member of FF 1981-2011

-writes books on success/entrepreneurship, alcohol awareness
-hasn't released campaign plans yet

Gavin Duffy
-businessman/millionaire
-Dragon's Den reality tv star
-former chairman of the Hunting Association
-thinks Ireland is "law-ridden"
-wants to focus on youth, care for the elderly, diversity and inclusion
-oddly reassures councillors he is not like Putin or Trump...

Joan Freeman:
-psychologist, mental health activist, founder of Pieta House
-served as a Senator since 2016, the donated entirety of her 65k salary to Pieta
-voted No in favour of #savethe8th (Maria Steen of Iona Institute is her niece)
-brought up in the UK

- Catholic, believes her faith & a visit to Knock was "absolutely responsible" for curing her eczema
- believes we need to stop being "drip-fed scandals" about the Catholic Church
-her campaign focuses on mental health awareness/care & elderly people

Michael D Higgins:
- 9th Pres of Ireland since Nov 2011
- prev. Minister for Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht/TD/Senator
- founded TG4
-campaigned for reproductive rights/choice in 1983
-after assuming office, wrote to Dep of Public Expenditure requesting a 23% salary reduction

-sole Patron of Habitat for Humanity Ireland
-signed into law the Marriage Equality Act 2015
-criticised for expressing "great sadness" at the death of Fidel Castro in 2016
- also a poet/sociologist
- FG, FF, Labour are supporting his re-election

Liadh Ní Riada
-Sinn Féin politician since 2011
-former tv producer/director
-passionate about heritage, culture, the Irish language
-ran her EU Parliament campaign on anti-austerity, jobs, ending child poverty

-MEP representing Irish people on Brexit, arts and culture, climate change, neutrality, economic justice
-sits on 3 EU Parlament committees
-wants to focus on increasing jobs/fair wages, giving voting rights to citizens abroad & mental health
-declines to call the IRA terrorists

Peter Casey has just secured a nomination to contest in the Áras run.

- third Dragon's Den reality tv star to be nominated
- founder of Claddagh Resources, a global recruitment & executive search business
- based in Atlanta, U.S/Donegal
- emphasises importance of education and

wants to return to Ireland's reputation of “the island of saints and scholars"
-thinks president's expenses should be made public & that presidents should serve 5 yr terms
-his priority is to "engage with and galvanise" the 75m people worldwide who identify as Irish