DANA ROSEMARY SCALLON
HIGH
Not a “high”, but she gave the debate its most dramatic moment by announcing that a “malicious” allegation against a member of her family was about to break in the media.
LOW
Her explanation of why she was prepared to take the oath of allegiance on becoming a US citizen. “I’m assured the words [of the oath] are antiquated and they refer to another period in time.”
MARY DAVIS
HIGH
Hit her stride when outlining her practical experience in a variety of roles which she said she could use to good effect as president.
LOW
Appeared stuck for a response when Gay Mitchell dismissed her assertion that the presidency is a non-political role. “If you don’t believe it’s a political job you don’t understand the position,” he told her.
GAY MITCHELL
HIGH
Telling Mary Davis she did not understand the role of the president if she did not realise it was a “political job”.
LOW
His unconvincing assertion that he had the full backing of his Fine Gael colleagues in the election, pointing out that nearly all had turned up for his campaign launch “on a Monday”.
DAVID NORRIS
HIGH
His response to the suggestion that all the candidates were playing safe in the debate. “I don’t think you could accuse me . . . with my record, of playing safe.”
LOW
His over-the-top claim that he had met “a firestorm, the like of which has never been seen, from the media”.
SEÁN GALLAGHER
HIGH
Came across as knowledgeable on the constitutional powers of the president and of the history of the role.
LOW
His defensive response to the question of whether Fianna Fáil had let the country down: “I wasn’t in Cabinet. I didn’t make decisions.”
MICHAEL D HIGGINS
HIGH
His robust response to Dana’s “nonsense” claim that the Labour Party is “trying to secularise the Constitution”.
LOW
Appeared ready to lecture Miriam O’Callaghan at one point about how she had run the debate, telling her she should have asked candidates sooner about their ideas for the presidency.
MARTIN McGUINNESS
HIGH
Switching the focus from his IRA past by reminding the viewers of his three years as minister for education and five years as deputy first minister in the North.
LOW
Having to rebut a suggestion by Miriam O’Callaghan that he was involved in “the murder of many people”. He described the suggestion as “disgraceful”.