2018 Irish presidential election

The 2018 Irish presidential election took place on Friday, 26 October, between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. President Michael D. Higgins, who was elected in 2011 with the support of the Labour Party, was seeking re-election to a second term as an independent. This was the first time since the 1966 election that an incumbent president faced a contest for a second term. Higgins was re-elected on the first count with nearly 56% of the vote, becoming the first president since Éamon de Valera to win a second term in a contested election (Seán T. O'Kelly in 1952, Patrick Hillery in 1983 and Mary McAleese in 2004 had been re-elected unopposed). He was inaugurated for his second term on 11 November.

The election was held on the same date as a referendum on blasphemy.

Procedure

To stand for election as president, candidates must: be a citizen of Ireland be at least 35 years of age be nominated by: at least twenty of the 218 serving members of the Houses of the Oireachtas (parliament), or at least four of the 31 county or city councils, or themselves, in the case of a former or retiring president who has served one term.

If a member of the Oireachtas or a County or City council nominate more than one candidate, only the first nomination paper received from them will be deemed valid. Presidential elections are conducted in line with Article 12 of the ConstitutionArticle 12 of the Constitution of Ireland. and under the Presidential Elections Act 1993, as amended. The President of Ireland is elected through Instant-runoff voting. All Irish citizens entered on the current electoral register are eligible to vote. Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, there is a spending limit by each candidate of €750,000. Candidates who are elected or who reach 12.5% of the vote on their elimination are entitled to a reimbursement of expenses up to €200,000.

Nomination process On 28 August the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, signed the order for the presidential election, specifying the nomination period as between 10 a.m. on 30 August and 12 noon on 26 September 2018.

On 10 July 2018, incumbent president Michael D. Higgins declared that he would exercise his right to nominate himself as a candidate for the presidential election. Higgins had said in 2011 that he intended to serve one term only, but changed his mind over the course of his term. Higgins's website and social media accounts became active on 17 September, having been dormant since his inauguration in November 2011. He formally nominated himself on 24 September.

Sinn Féin was the only party to select a candidate. With 28 Oireachtas members (22 TDs and six Senators), the party could nominate a candidate without the need for additional nominations from independents to reach the requirement of 20 Oireachtas members, as they had required in 2011. Nearly all other parties in the Oireachtas supported the re-election of Michael D. Higgins. People Before Profit declined to support any candidate in the election. Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice had tried to gather the support of other Independent TDs and Senators to support a candidate, but was unsuccessful. Nineteen were willing to be involved in his effort to find a candidate, one short of the twenty required to be nominated. Eleven Oireachtas members signed a nomination form for Gemma O'Doherty, nine short of the required number.

18 local authorities passed resolutions supporting a particular candidate, while the remaining 13 either passed no resolution or passed a resolution declining to nominate any candidate. Candidates needed the support of at least four local authorities to be a candidate in the election. NameOccupationResolutionsCouncils Peter Casey Businessman 4 Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary Gavin Duffy Businessman 4 Meath, Carlow, Wicklow, Waterford Joan Freeman Senator 4Cork City, Fingal, Galway County, Galway City Seán Gallagher Businessman 5Roscommon, Mayo, Leitrim, Wexford, Cavan Journalist 1 LaoisNo candidate 13Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Louth, Kilkenny, Monaghan, Offaly, South Dublin, Westmeath, Kildare, Cork County, Donegal, Longford, Sligo

Others who had sought a nomination from local authorities were: Norma Burke, William Delaney, Patrick Feeney, John Groarke, Patrick Melly, Marie Goretti Moylan, Sarah Louise Mulligan, Kevin Sharkey, James Smyth, David Doucette, and John O'Hare. Sharkey withdrew his name from consideration during the nomination period, calling for the nomination of Gemma O'Doherty. Senator Gerard Craughwell had said that he would seek the nomination if Higgins were otherwise to be unopposed. However, in July he announced that he would not contest the presidential election, in light of Sinn Féin's decision to run a candidate. He also cited the financial costs of running for the presidency as a factor in his decision not to contest the election. Despite Fianna Fáil support for the incumbent Michael D. Higgins, a few of the party's Councillors urged the leadership to nominate Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív, but he declined to allow his name to proceed as he would risk his party membership.

Candidates Six candidates contested the presidential election, having been selected by their parties or having received sufficient council nominations. Peter Casey, a businessman from Derry who formerly appeared on the Irish version of the television series, Dragons' Den for the show's fifth and sixth series. Gavin Duffy, businessman from Kildare and has been a dragon on Dragons' Den since it first broadcast in 2009. Joan Freeman, founded Pieta House, a suicide intervention charity, in 2006. She served as its director until 2014. In 2016, she was nominated to be a member of Seanad Éireann by the Taoiseach, sitting as an Independent. She was supported by Rural Independent TDs Michael Collins, Michael Harty and Mattie McGrath. Seán Gallagher, a businessman from Cavan who came second in the 2011 presidential election. He was a dragon investor in the first three seasons of Dragons' Den. Michael D. Higgins, incumbent president. Liadh Ní Riada, MEP for South since 2014, was confirmed as the Sinn Féin candidate on 16 September.

Debates 2018 Irish presidential election debates Date Broadcaster Moderator Participants Participant   Absent invitee  CaseyDuffyFreemanGallagherHigginsNí Riada27 SeptemberRTÉ Radio 1Áine Lawlor13 OctoberRTÉ Radio 1Cormac Ó hEadhra15 OctoberRTÉ One TVClaire Byrne17 OctoberVirgin Media OnePat Kenny23 OctoberRTÉ One TVDavid McCullagh24 OctoberVirgin Media OneMatt Cooper / Ivan Yates

Opinion and exit polling

Last dateof polling Commissioner Polling firm Source Casey Duffy Freeman Gallagher Higgins Ní RiadaRTÉRed C20.7%2.0%6.3%5.5%58.1%7.4%The Irish TimesIpsos MRBI21%2%6%7%56%8%The Sunday TimesBehaviour & Attitudes2%4%6%11%69%7%The Irish TimesIpsos MRBI2%4%5%12%66%11%Paddy PowerRed C1%4%6%14%70%5%The Sunday Business PostRed C1%6%3%15%67%7%Irish Daily MailIreland Thinks10%3%11%65%11%

Result The count began at 09:00 on Saturday 27 October.

Constituency results +First preference votes by constituencyConstituencyHigginsCaseyGallagherNí RiadaFreemanDuffyVotes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Carlow–Kilkenny 25,717 52.0% 13,929 28.2% 3,506 7.1% 2,419 4.9% 2,636 5.3% 1,265 2.6%Cavan–Monaghan 16,749 44.3%7,023 18.6%6,771 17.9%4,167 11.0%2,063 5.5%1,000 2.6%Clare 22,639 54.7% 11,722 28.3% 2,289 5.5% 2,186 5.3% 1,969 4.8% 617 1.5%Cork East 20,388 53.6%9,340 24.5%2,625 6.9%2,705 7.1%2,283 6.0%716 1.9%Cork North-Central 18,851 54.0%8,382 24.0%1,977 5.7%3,112 8.9%2,010 5.8%545 1.6%Cork North-West 17,638 51.5%8,092 23.6%3,199 9.3%2,824 8.2%1,855 5.4%630 1.8%Cork South-Central 24,161 60.5% 7,323 18.3% 2,164 5.4% 3,072 7.7% 2,554 6.4% 642 1.6%Cork South-West 16,860 55.1%6,582 21.5%2,374 7.8%2,489 8.1%1,635 5.3%680 2.2%Donegal 15,052 38.1% 12,95232.8% 3,684 9.3% 4,524 11.4% 2,563 6.5% 747 1.9%Dublin Bay South 20,765 71.5% 3,433 11.8% 1,116 3.8% 1,221 4.2% 1,884 6.5% 626 2.2%Dublin Bay North 32,198 63.9% 8,009 15.9% 2,500 5.0% 3,315 6.6% 3,372 6.7% 1,010 2.0%Dublin Central 10,094 66.7%1,692 11.2%529 3.5% 1,749 11.6%868 5.7%203 1.3%Dublin Fingal 27,039 63.1%7,505 17.5%2,369 5.5%2,290 5.3%2,643 6.2%986 2.3%Dublin Mid-West 17,196 59.3%5,128 17.7%1,433 4.9%1,978 6.8%2,734 9.4%526 1.8%Dublin North-West 14,728 62.6%3,737 15.9%1,121 4.8%1,932 8.2%1,546 6.6%451 1.9%Dublin Rathdown 21,704 68.7%4,385 13.9%1,487 4.7%1,141 3.6%2,177 6.9%711 2.2%Dublin South-Central 17,930 65.0% 3,794 13.8% 1,105 4.0% 2,282 8.3% 2,039 7.4% 441 1.6%Dublin South-West 28,151 62.2%8,324 18.4%2,237 4.9%2,584 5.7%3,011 6.7%929 2.1%Dublin West 17,545 62.1%4,887 17.3%1,430 5.1%1,842 6.5%2,053 7.3%514 1.8%Dún Laoghaire 31,51370.2%5,87213.1%2,0444.6%1,5963.6%2,8666.4%1,0002.2%Galway East 18,011 53.4%11,227 33.3% 1,379 4.1% 1,029 3.1% 1,545 4.6% 516 1.5%Galway West 29,612 62.4%10,821 22.8%1,783 3.8%2,161 4.6%2,445 5.1%660 1.4%Kerry25,07850.1%13,75227.5%2,8565.7%4,2538.5%3,1026.2%1,0372.1%Kildare North 23,103 61.3%7,210 19.1%2,258 6.0%1,523 4.0%2,751 7.3%844 2.2%Kildare South 14,766 56.9%5,819 22.4%1,829 7.0%1,307 5.0%1,619 6.2%633 2.4%Laois 13,754 49.8%8,419 30.5%1,845 6.7%1,443 5.2%1,464 5.3%718 2.6%Limerick County 15,262 48.1% 10,865 34.2% 1,756 5.5% 1,438 4.5% 1,762 5.6% 658 2.1%Limerick City 18,904 57.7% 7,845 23.9% 1,557 4.8% 1,964 6.0% 1,917 5.9% 578 1.8%Longford–Westmeath 18,024 47.5% 12,005 31.6% 2,873 7.6% 2,089 5.5% 2,122 5.6% 829 2.2%Louth 26,291 58.4% 7,223 16.0% 2,934 6.5% 4,175 9.3% 2,291 5.1% 2,101 4.7%Mayo 20,642 49.8% 12,850 31.0% 2,235 5.4% 2,107 5.1% 2,663 6.4% 937 2.3%Meath East 16,754 56.7%6,064 20.5%2,060 7.0%1,654 5.6%1,883 6.4%1,142 3.9%Meath West 14,522 54.1%5,917 22.0%1,943 7.2%1,847 6.9%1,727 6.4%904 3.4%Offaly 13,977 47.0% 9,253 31.1% 2,672 9.0% 1,444 4.9% 1,691 5.7% 6732.3%Roscommon–Galway 14,246 45.1% 10,918 34.5% 2,270 7.2% 1,617 5.1% 1,850 5.9% 713 2.3%Sligo–Leitrim 20,601 49.1% 11,132 26.5% 3,749 8.9% 3,172 7.6% 2,475 5.9% 859 2.0%Tipperary 24,917 45.5%20,149 36.8%3,077 5.6%2,827 5.2%2,723 5.0%1,106 2.0%Waterford 18,609 52.2%8,822 24.7%2,530 7.1%2,837 8.0%2,025 5.7%847 2.4%Wexford 27,020 55.5%11,818 24.3%3,499 7.2%2,939 6.0%2,272 4.7%1,161 2.4%Wicklow 31,555 63.0%8,507 17.0%3,449 6.9%2,733 5.5%2,820 5.6%1,043 2.1% Total 822,566 55.8% 342,727 23.3% 94,514 6.4% 93,987 6.4% 87,908 6.0% 32,198 2.2%

Analysis The Irish Times'''s analysis of its exit poll data said that Michael D. Higgins seemed on course to be comfortably re-elected on the first count, after leading in the opinion polls throughout the campaign, despite "considerable criticism over his use of the Government jet, expensive hotel accommodation on overseas visits and the lack of transparency over how an annual €300,000 allowance for his office was spent". It attributed the expected low turnout to "a lack of public enthusiasm for the contest that was evident throughout the campaign".

It ascribed Peter Casey's second place to a late surge of support following his criticisms of Travellers and his claim that Ireland had "a growing culture of welfare dependency", and it added that at some polling stations pollsters reported that "he was attracting as many voters as Mr Higgins". It said that Seán Gallagher appeared to be down 22% on his 2011 figure of 29%, but that the biggest disappointment would probably be for Sinn Féin, whose candidate Liadh Ní Riada's expected 8% was well down on its general election result, and only a third of the party's support in the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Opinion poll. It described Senator Joan Freeman's expected performance as "just 6 per cent of the vote", and Gavin Duffy's expected result as him having "flopped completely, ending a miserable campaign with just 2 per cent of the vote".