AFTER A day of drama in the presidential campaign, a record seven candidates have been nominated to contest the election on October 27th.
With less than 24 hours to go to the close of nominations at noon today, Senator David Norris finally secured a nomination last night with the endorsement of Dublin City Council.
He had a comfortable win in Dublin, with 30 councillors voting for his nomination, six against and 11 abstaining. Earlier Dana Rosemary Scallon ensured her nomination with the support of Offaly County Council.
While Mr Norris and Ms Scallon suffered setbacks yesterday, both managed to win the required four or more local authority nominations.
Two other Independent candidates, Seán Gallagher and Mary Davis, had already secured nomination via this route.
The four Independents will fight the election with the three candidates nominated by the political parties, Gay Mitchell of Fine Gael, Michael D Higgins of the Labour Party and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin.
After securing the nomination last night Mr Norris thanked the city councillors for their support. "I am delighted and honoured and indeed humbled - a word I don't often use - by the wonderful exercise in democracy that we've had here this evening," he said.
Despite securing a large majority in his favour at the meeting in City Hall, Mr Norris had to listen to pointed references from some councillors to the controversies that had threatened to derail his campaign.
Independent councillor Damien O'Farrell said he opposed the motion to nominate Mr Norris because of the Senator's views on the age of consent and his appeal in 1997 for clemency for his former partner Ezra Nawi, who was convicted of statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy.
"I am not prepared to turn a blind eye to matters of child sexual abuse," Mr O'Farrell said.
Dr Bill Tormey of Fine Gael said the Senator was a "national treasure" but Áras an Uachtaráin was not the place for him because of his views on pederasty and the age of consent.
Mr Norris had started the day with the support of two councils, Fingal and Laois, but suffered a setback in the morning when he failed to secure the backing of Cork County Council, which turned him down by 20 votes to nine with seven abstentions.
He had better luck at Waterford City Council, where the proposal to nominate him was carried by six votes to three with five abstentions and one absentee.
Independent councillor Mary Roche, who proposed the Trinity Senator's nomination, said local councillors had few enough constitutional powers and it was important they exercise those they did have.
"It has been something of a shock to see the amount of people who think democracy should only prevail when it aligns with their own point of view," she said.
Mr Norris expressed delight with the decision saying: "I'm in love with this country and thank God for it. Thank God for democracy, democracy was vindicated here."
He said the quest for a nomination had been "a bit bruising" at times but he added that he had made many friends on his travels around the State. "I hope I've made no enemies," he added.
Having started the day with two nominations, Ms Scallon secured two more from Donegal and Offaly county councils, but somewhat surprisingly she was defeated at Westmeath County Council.
After she had secured her fourth nomination, Ms Scallon vowed to be the "people's president" and to uphold the Constitution if elected.
Independent councillor Johnny Butterfield, who proposed her nomination in Offaly, criticised the media, particularly RTÉ, which he said had shown great bias in favour of Mr Norris.
He said the Trinity Senator had featured "on every news and current affairs programme as if there was no other candidates."
Ms Scallon gained a fifth nomination later in the day when Longford County Council voted to back her nomination.
"My thanks to the county councils without which I could never have done it on time. "If I am honoured to be elected president, I would be a president for all the people. I've represented Ireland now for 41 years on an international stage" she said.