Gareth Sheridan has become the first and only independent candidate so far to secure the backing of a local authority to run for the Presidency.
This morning he was nominated by Kerry County Council following an attempt by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Councillors to have the Council not to nominate any candidate. That proposal by Fine Gael Councillor Bobby O’Connell fell by 18 votes to 14.
Sheridan was proposed by Independent Councillor Botty O’Callaghan and seconded by another independent Martin Grady. There was no counter proposal, but the Sinn Féin and Labour members present this morning in Tralee had supported a proposal that the Council be allowed to nominate a candidate.
A crucial factor clearly was the support for Sheridan voiced last week by Michael Healy Rae TD and the decision by Sinn Féin to allow its Councillors to vote on nominations if they wished to.
Sheridan needs to secure the backing of another three Councils, eight more of whom are deciding today. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael enforce the whip as they have done elsewhere then his chances are slim but not impossible.
Roscommon is split 50:50 between Government party Councillors and others; Longford has a strong FF/FG majority; as does Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, and Galway City. Cork City Council and Dublin City Council are more finely balanced but are long shots.
The Kerry decision is a blow to other Independent candidates and Maria Steen, and some might be disappointed that the pro life Healy Rae group in Kerry opted for Sheridan who has expressed no opinion on the issue.
Then again, he has made no indication that he dissents from any of the consensus positions shared across the political spectrum from the Government parties to Sinn Féin. As such he was seen as a safe bet by liberal opposition parties.
The fear shared by all of the establishment – as indicated by the negative focus on some of the more prominent independent prospective candidates – that an Independent on the ballot might attract the same protest vote as Peter Casey in 2018 is unlikely to happen with Sheridan.