Last night, commentator and business man Nick Delehanty bowed out of the race for the Áras as entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan had done earlier in the day, as – to use Sheridan’s words – remaining in the process was futile because the political parties had blocked independent candidates from obtaining a nomination.
Later on today or tomorrow we will know if barrister and campaigner Maria Steen has been successful in using the Oireachtas route (to participate in the race a candidate must be nominated by 20 members of the Oireachtas or 4 local authorities) but the ruthlessness shown by the political parties at local level in shutting down any challenge to establishment candidates shows the need for reform.