In politics, it’s a common belief that an individual with no prior experience can surpass one with years of expertise. Parties perennially scout for recognised personalities who, with their star power, can captivate voters- experience is optional. These figures are particularly coveted during European elections where the broad constituencies and media presence lends to a presidential atmosphere, and a familiar face offers an immediate advantage. Additionally, well-established politicians revel in the reflective glory of mixing with the famous.
Ireland’s record of celebrity candidates is varied; Jack Lynch’s success is balanced with George Lee’s letdown. The future of the recent celebrity candidates is being slowly determined in three European Parliament constituencies; however, it’s shaping up to be favourable. Nina Carberry, a jockey now TV star, and her partner Maria Walsh, a former Rose of Tralee, have garnered a significant vote share in the immense Midlands-North West constituency, one of three in the county. At present, both have prominence. Despite the results being a way off at the Castlebar count centre, Fine Gael is holding onto hope that they may secure a seat with their latest celebrity entrant.
Election update: Current MEPs Clare Daly and Ciarán Cuffe lost their seats in Dublin, whereas John Moran won election as Limerick’s Mayor.
A well-known figure at least in the midlands, former RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly, is likely to be categorised as a celebrity. With the newfound Independent Ireland party, he is benefiting from the wave of independent support that has become a characteristic of these elections. Following the fifth count, sitting at fifth place, his succeeding rests upon his transfer appeal. Regardless, he remains in a strong position.
Should they win, the triumph of Mullooly and Carberry would be not just attributed to their fame but their ability to resonate with the electorate. Not all celebrities can pull this off- a case in point being Peter Casey. The Dragon’s Den TV star has already admitted defeat after stopping at 21,000 votes.
In the southern region, previous RTÉ television host and 1994 Eurovision Song Contest co-anchor Cynthia Ní Mhurchú stands a chance of securing the final slot following her dynamic campaign. Ní Mhurchú, who is quite popular, leveraged on her fame throughout her campaign and achieved better results than initially anticipated. She won close to 56,000 votes, leaving her candidacy for the available seat probable but not definite.
Meanwhile in Dublin, the candidate closest to having celebrity status is Niall Boylan. He may not be broadly known, but many late-night local radio listeners would recognise his name, especially those fond of scandalised phone-ins. Boylan campaigned as an Independent Ireland representative, with migration being his most significant concern. He isn’t far-right but isn’t opposed to hinting at themes popular amongst the “Ireland for the Irish” advocates. His rapport with voters was strikingly good during his campaign.
Boylan gathered over 30,000 first preference votes, making a significant impact but perhaps not enough, as he could be left behind amidst left-wing candidates whose eliminations are unlikely to aid his cause. If this situation arises, the direction of his transfers could heavily influence the final results.
After the results are out and the situation calms down, the next task for all parties will be deciding their candidate line-up for the general election. The appeal of the celebrity candidate is likely to remain a strong one.