- Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understood why people were angry after the end of Jim Gavin’s presidential run.
- He said he felt sorry for Mr Gavin as “it’s been very traumatic for him”.
- Fianna Fáil politicians will demand answers from Mr Martin on the implosion of Jim Gavin’s campaign during a tense showdown meeting on Wednesday evening.
- Niall Donald, deputy editor of the Sunday World, has confirmed he is the former tenant who claimed he was owed €3,300 in overpaid rent by Mr Gavin. Mr Gavin says he plans to repay the money he owes Mr Donald.
Key Reads
- Analysis: What does Jim Gavin’s decision to end campaign mean for this presidential race – and future ones?
- Miriam Lord: Jim Gavin’s ghost haunts one half of the double act during a budget to forget
- Liz Carolan: Deletion of Jim Gavin ads shows we can’t rely on big tech for democratic architecture
And that’s a wrap from me. We will be back in the morning with more twists and turns in the presidential election. Thank you for tuning in.
Minister for Housing James Browne has said it was a “democratic decision” that saw Jim Gavin selected as presidential candidate. He told RTÉ that Mr Gavin had been an “excellent potential candidate” and it was important that non-politicians get a chance to put their name forward for the presidential election.
Virgin Media political correspondent Gavan Reilly says the Fianna Fáil meeting is ongoing after two and a half hours and there are still 20 people waiting to speak. To paraphrase Margot Chandler in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”.
Micheál Martin has apologised and acknowledged the “hurt and shock” of Fianna Fáil members as he addressed his party on its disastrous presidential election campaign.
The Taoiseach is understood to have told a packed meeting of his parliamentary party how he was sorry for how things had turned out and was “devastated” by the situation.
The party’s candidate, former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin, stopped his campaign on Sunday night amid a controversy over his time as a landlord in the late 2000s.
There is anger within Fianna Fáil that it no longer has a candidate in the race, about how Mr Gavin was selected and a vetting process that did not uncover a dispute he had with a former tenant. You can read our full report here.
More dispatches from the barricades of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting. The veteran Donegal TD Pat The Cope Gallagher has been very critical of the process that led to the selection of Jim Gavin. “Yes it was democratic but it was a contrived majority,” he has told the meeting.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has suggested that presidential candidate Catherine Connolly should have followed the rules in relation to employing a woman with a gun crime conviction.
Ursula Ní Shionnáin served four and a half years in jail for possession of firearms and ammunition in 2014.
She was hired by Ms Connolly in 2018 and was signed in every day, but not garda vetted.
Speaking today after announcing the budget for justice, Mr O’Callaghan said: “In those circumstances, I think Catherine should have ensured that there was proper vetting done, as opposed to just giving a daily pass to the individual coming in. It was like, if any of us want to hire or ask somebody to come in to work with us, we have to get them garda vetted. That wasn’t done.”
Micheál Martin has spoken to colleagues at a packed parliamentary party meeting in Leinster House, political correspondent Harry McGee writes.
According to sources, he has told his colleagues that he understood that everybody is hurting in the party, but he also said that none of the party’s TDs or Senators had come forwards with any suggestions from within the parliamentary party. He also told the meeting that deep due diligence was done and very probing questions were asked of Jim Gavin.
He has said that he does not always get it right and believes in self-reflection. The meeting began at 7pm and the party’s chairman, Brendan Smith, TD for Cavan-Monaghan, indicated that anyone who wanted to speak would have an opportunity to so so. In addition to Micheál Martin, it is understood that South MEP Billy Kelleher, who stood against Jim Gavin in the party’s internal selection contest, has already spoken.
Our political editor Pat Leahy writes:
Fianna Fáil TDs expect to hear anger form their colleagues about the presidential election debacle, a heap of contrition from party leader Micheál Martin, perhaps a process to report on the events of recent weeks and make recommendations for changes to the party’s rules – but no convincing challenge to his leadership at this evening’s parliamentary party.
TDs have been privately fuming at their leader and the shambles of Jim Gavin’s campaign in recent days, since Mr Gavin’s shock exit from the race on Sunday evening. In public, most have been more measured, though there has been public criticism from the likes of Cork East TD James O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor and other critics of Mr Martin are expected to have their say when the parliamentary party meets at Leinster House this evening – one TD said last night that they expected at least 15 TDs to voice strong criticisms of the leader – but even convinced opponents of the party leader say a heave is, at this stage, unlikely.
Of more concern to Mr Martin will be the position of middle ground TDs, many of whom were just as scathing about the events of recent days as their colleagues who have previously been critical of the party leader. If they conclude that the party is better off without him, his situation becomes immediately more perilous.
Three of these TDs spoke privately yesterday and today about the level of annoyance in their local organisations, and the need for Mr Martin to display sufficient humility and contrition when he addresses the meeting later. One said that Mr Martin’s defence on RTE’s Six-One news on Monday, when he said that the party had made a democratic decision to select Mr Gavin, had not gone down well with colleagues. All said that there is a need for Mr Martin to “own” the Gavin disaster.
However, there appears to be little substantial appetite for a move against Mr Martin, something even his opponents acknowledge. They are firm, however, in the belief that the events of recent days will start the clock ticking on Mr Martin’s leadership, with some of their number speculating that he will not last for the remaining two years as Taoiseach agreed under the programme for government.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has said there is a “lot of damage and hurt” in the party over the failed presidential race.
Mr Kelleher, who contested the nomination process against Jim Gavin but lost out by 41 votes to 29 at the parliamentary party, said there needed to be questions asked about the whole process as to he got on the ballot.
He wants to know what approaches were made to Mr Gavin and to whether or not he had been properly prepared for the scrutiny that the presidential election would bring.
Mr Kelleher said it was clear that due diligence wasn’t done properly in relation to Mr Gavin who resigned as a presidential candidate when it it emerged that he had not returned a former tenant of his, Niall Donald, €3,300 in overpaid rent.
He also questioned if Mr Gavin was ever ready for the scrutiny that a presidential election would bring.
Speaking on the RTÉ Six-One News, he said there were already questions being asked by journalists on September 7th as to whether or not Mr Gavin had an issue with a tenant.
“From what I could see, there are questions as to whether the candidate was properly informed of the pressures he would be under,” he stated.
“I’d like a timeline and the chronology about the approach to Mr Gavin and how far the party had entered into a process whereby the parliamentary party would have a say.
“Clearly this was a preferred choice over any other candidate who might present to the party.
“We can’t have a situation where there is behind the scenes negotiations with a candidate and that candidate will just be presented to a parliamentary party.”
Mr Kelleher said he will vote for Heather Humphreys as he regards her as pro-European and pro-enterprise while he believes that Catherine Connolly is neither of these things.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, has welcomed a significant wave of 91,157 applications of people joining the electoral register and updating their details to vote in the October 24th presidential election.
60,733 new voter applications have been received through the CheckTheRegister.ie and Voter.ie websites since the start of An Coimisiún Toghcháin’s voter registration drive at Electric Picnic on August 28th, with a further 30,424 applications received to update people’s existing registrations on the sites in the same period.
The deadline for people to register to vote in Presidential Election 2025 closed at midnight yesterday. The final two days, ahead of the deadline saw 26,335 applications to register or update details.
Art O’Leary, chief executive of the An Coimisiún Toghcháin, said:
“Welcome to all of these new voters and our thanks for taking the time to register to vote or update registration details. Having updated information including people’s PPS numbers and Eircodes helps the overall accuracy of Ireland’s electoral registers.
“For those who are going to vote for the first time on Friday 24 October, your voice will now help to shape Ireland’s future and will be what I hope is the beginning of a lifetime of making a difference.
“From Electric Picnic to the Ploughing to college campuses, school halls, webinars and public meetings, for the last 6 weeks we have been travelling around the country speaking with thousands of people about getting registered and using your vote.
“Huge credit is also due to the franchise staff across Ireland’s city and county councils who are working flat out to update the register with all these new people ahead of polling.”
Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly was asked about her criticism of the budget in the Dáil while out on the campaign trail today, Jack Horgan-Jones reports.
“The budget is a matter of policy for each government, and I spoke yesterday as a TD in the Dáil in relation to that.”
Ms Connolly told reporters Ireland faces “the existential threat of climate change, which didn’t really feature in the budget speeches”.
She also said not enough is being done to address homelessness or the impact of loneliness.
“As president, the role is on a much different level. It’s again articulating the concerns, having a dialogue, encouraging questioning, and having an open door in the Áras for groups to come in.”
In other political news, the Government has spent much of the day defending Budget 2026 amid criticism from the Opposition.
There was “absolutely nothing” in the budget for workers who are now “worse off”, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil.
However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin insisted the Government is “following through very clearly” on election commitments, Marie O’Halloran reports
You can follow all the latest developments here.
Minister of State Timmy Dooley also said he also has great sympathy for Mr Gavin, whom he knows well.
“It’s not about apportioning blame,” Mr Dooley said.
“Circumstances arise and decisions have to be taken.
“I think when he reflected on the situation in which he found himself, he made the right decision from his own perspective and that of his family.
“That doesn’t take away the trauma and the pain and the suffering they are going through. We all need to be mindful of that.”
Mr Dooley said he believes the public has “moved on” from the issue and what remains is an internal issue for Fianna Fáil.
The party’s task now is to review procedures for nominating candidates and “ensure something like this doesn’t happen again”.
Environment and Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has said lessons will be learned by Fianna Fail from the presidential election debacle, Caroline O’Doherty reports.
Mr O’Brien said the loss of the party’s candidate, Jim Gavin, from the election over the controversy surrounding his dealings with a former tenant, was a “really bad situation”.
However, he said he was also very conscious of the difficulties for Mr Gavin, whom he supported in the party’s nomination vote.
“He’s a good, decent person,” Mr O’Brien said, “I feel very, very sorry for him and what has happened.”
The minister continued: “I was out campaigning with Jim on Saturday in Swords and he was getting a brilliant response there.
“I can’t imagine how he feels right now. This is someone who has served this country with great distinction in many roles and continues to do so.
“I, and the Taoiseach and others, have called for an urgent review into the [nomination] process, but I’m not losing focus on the fact that there is an individual and a family here that I believe has really been put through the ringer over the last few days and I feel terribly for them.”
He said he did not regret backing Mr Gavin over party stalwart, Billy Kelleher, but regretted how things had turned out.
“We’ll learn from this. Learnings need to be made,” he said.
Mr O’Brien was speaking ahead of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting this evening at which the fallout from the election disaster is top of the agenda.
Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has said she took on “all types of work” as a barrister, including representing banks during the financial crash, Jack Horgan-Jones reports.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Wednesday, Ms Connolly confirmed she had taken on work as a barrister on behalf of a variety of clients, including financial institutions.
However, repeatedly asked to confirm whether this included work on home repossessions, she said barristers have an obligation to take on work for clients.
“In the course of my work as a barrister, I took all types of work; that’s the role. You take work where you get it and you do your best.”
She said she worked as a barrister for “every side”, including people who committed offences, for banking institutions, for people “on the other side of the pitch, people who are going under in terms of orders for possession”.
She said this is the work of a barrister, which should be done professionally. “There’s a duty as a qualified barrister to take the brief and to do it as professionally as you can or to represent that person or entity as professionally as you can.”
Ms Connolly said she was not “going to itemise” work she had done but that it included “all sorts of work”. “The best I can answer your question is you take all sorts of work and you have a duty, actually, to do that as professionally as you can.”
Connolly’s past work as a barrister is referred to in an exchange with a rival political figure dating from 2020, detailing claims that she worked on repossession cases for a Celtic Tiger lender.
A video clip posted online shows an exchange between Ms Connolly and a Fine Gael councillor on Galway City Council, Frank Fahy. During a discussion on housing, Mr Fahy raises homelessness and bank repossessions.
You can read more about Niall Donald’s interview here.
On the latest episode of the Crime Matters podcast, which he co-hosts, Mr Donald said he believed there could have been a “better outcome” if Mr Gavin’s handlers had taken a different approach to the issue, Colm Keena reports.
“Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not. I kind of feel sorry for him that he wasn’t handled better,” he said.
Jim Gavin has released a statement via his solicitor Eamonn Shannon, saying he plans to repay the money he owes Niall Donald.
“We have reached out to Mr Donald and explained to him that we have been instructed to make the payment of 3,300 euro to him subject to clarifying two issues - we await hearing back from Mr Donald and once those two issues are clarified we can then proceed to close out on the matter,” the statement notes.
“From Mr Gavin’s initial consideration of the podcast it is clear there are inaccuracies,” the statement adds.
Heather Humphreys has addressed the fact that her campaign team accidentally used an image of the Bundestag in Germany, instead of Belfast City Hall, in a promotional video.
The video was taken down and a new version, which included the correct image, was posted across Fine Gael’s social media channels.
“That was a mistake,” Ms Humphreys told reporters in Dublin on Wednesday.
“It has been taken down, it has been rectified. It was an error.”
Ms Humphreys then raised a video which was posted by Catherine Connolly’s team and included footage of President Michael D Higgins.
According to a report in the Irish Independent, the footage was used without the current president’s permission.
“I just wondered, has Catherine got permission from the President?,” Ms Humphreys asked.
Also speaking in Dublin today, Ms Connolly said she was not aware of the issue but would look into it.
In his analysis of the Jim Gavin situation, Seán Moran writes:
“The rookie candidate has to project, and quickly, an image of themselves and their views – as well as wait for the media to locate any foibles that may be there.
“Neither was Gavin used to having to process failure. Extraordinarily, in seven years, he lost just one senior championship football match from which, characteristically, he learned and regrouped the Dublin team to historic effect.
“In an ideal world, he would have been running a presidential campaign for someone else.”
During the same interview, Mr Donald said he found it “frustrating” that Mr Gavin said he had “no recollection” of a dispute with a former tenant last Friday.
On the back of this, he contacted Fianna Fáil on Saturday with records detailing what happened.
Mr Donald said he was “amazed” to see Mr Gavin take part in a televised debate on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics on Sunday, where he was questioned on the matter.
On Sunday night, Mr Gavin withdrew from the race. Referring to the non-payment of the debt, Mr Gavin said he “made a mistake that was not in keeping with my character and the standards I set myself”.
Mr Donald said he feels sorry for Mr Gavin, noting “people make mistakes”.
“Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not.”
In terms of the money he is owed, Mr Donald said: “I’m not going to be ringing up looking for my money. So, it’s up to him if he wants to pay it back or not.”
Niall Donald, deputy editor of the Sunday World and co-host of the newspaper’s Crime World podcast, has confirmed he is the tenant involved in the Jim Gavin controversy.
Speaking on the podcast this morning, Mr Donald said many people who worked with him were aware of his history with Mr Gavin.
“Every time Dublin won an All-Ireland or whatever, people would say ‘Oh, there’s your mate Jim Gavin’,” he said, adding that he could not enjoy watching the matches.
(Mr Gavin managed the Dublin GAA men’s team from 2012 to 2019, securing a record-breaking five successive All-Ireland titles during his tenure.)
Mr Donald said he rented the apartment in Blackhall Square from Mr Gavin in Smithfield in Dublin 7 from 2007 to 2009. He cancelled one of the standing orders he used to pay rent when he moved out but did not cancel a second one, leading to an overpayment of €3,300.
Once he discovered his mistake, he said he contacted Mr Gavin about the issue, who reportedly said he’d “look into it”.
“Obviously you wait and you expect him to get back to you, and it didn’t happen. I phoned him a couple of times, he didn’t get back. Sent him emails, sent him texts,” Mr Donald said.
He said he tried contacting Mr Gavin for some time but received no answer, so he contacted the Defence Forces (where Mr Gavin worked at the time) and the Residential Tenancies Board about the matter and found out Mr Gavin wasn’t registered with the RTB.
After three months, Mr Donald said he contacted a solicitor to discuss his options to try to retrieve the money.
Mr Donald said he also called to Mr Gavin’s parents’ house in a bid to reach his former landlord. He said Mr Gavin called him after this, but he still didn’t receive the money.
The two remaining presidential candidates, Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly, are canvassing in Dublin. We’ll have updates from both campaigns later today.
Bertie Ahern conceded in late August that he would not seek the presidential election nomination from Fianna Fáil.
The former taoiseach said at the time: “I could have been a good president for the people...
“But I think, without the support of the leadership of your party, in all my time in Fianna Fáil I’ve never seen a period where the leadership really lose out in these things.
“That’s the way it’s been in my time and other times as well.
“And particularly when the leadership indicates so strongly and personally gets involved for a candidate, it’s unlikely that the leader loses out on these things.”
When asked why he didn’t back a presidential bid by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Mr Martin said: “If you want my honest opinion, I don’t think Bertie would have made it.”
Mr Martin told Newstalk he has “great respect for Bertie” because of his contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland.
“It’s one of the single greatest achievements in our society, and he deserves huge credit for that.”
Pat Kenny asked if Mr Martin didn’t back Mr Ahern because of his past “financial issues”.
The Taoiseach didn’t answer this directly, but said the campaign would have been “incredibly bruising” for Mr Ahern.
“I don’t know why he would want to bring it upon himself.”
Expanding more on the fallout, the Taoiseach acknowledged he backed Jim Gavin but said: “I’m not responsible for everything that unfolded, obviously, because we would have been totally unaware of the issue despite very comprehensive due diligence...
“Any due diligence is only as good as information you receive. But it was, I mean, it was intensive.”
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, Mr Martin said - as soon as Fianna Fáil became aware of a potential issue with a former tenant, via a media query from the Irish Independent - they approached Mr Gavin.
The Taoiseach said Mr Gavin said there was “absolutely not” an issue. Mr Martin said the party took this at face value, noting there were other unsubstantiated rumours about Mr Gavin being shared online at the time.
Speaking about Mr Gavin, Mr Martin said: “I feel very sorry for him ... it’s been very traumatic for him.”
Micheál Martin has said he understands why members of Fianna Fáil are frustrated and angry after Jim Gavin’s botched presidential election campaign.
Speaking on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk, the Taoiseach said: “I understand fully why people are angry. We had a presidential candidate and now we don’t.
“It’s devastating for members of the party out in the grassroots, it’s devastating for TDs.”
Mr Martin doesn’t believe his leadership is in danger, but said the situation “creates a pressure; I have to rise to it”.
In advance of Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday evening, a party source said Oireachtas members expect “a commitment to a full report on how the vetting process happened, who met Jim Gavin, what was asked, and what answers were provided”.
They added that this report should be delivered swiftly, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne write.
Another source said a review could be perceived as the issue being “kicked down the road” and some in the party will want answers tonight.
Housing Minister James Browne has told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that Micheál Martin’s leadership of Fianna Fáil is “absolutely not” under threat after Jim Gavin’s failed election campaign.
Mr Browne said Mr Gavin was “an excellent potential candidate when you look at his history and his background”.
Asked if FF Oireachtas members were put under pressure to back Mr Gavin, Mr Browne said: “TDs and Senators in the Fianna Fáil party are very robust people, they’ve to get elected into the Dáil or into the Seanad and many of them have done it numerous times.
“These are not easy people to influence, they make their own decisions and I think that was probably reflected in the close vote in the parliamentary party as to who would be nominated.”
Mr Browne said he was “lobbied by both sides” - those backing Mr Gavin and Belly Kelleher - “as you would expect”.
The disastrous election campaign - which saw Mr Gavin pulling out of the race on Sunday night after it emerged he owed a former tenant €3,300 - will be discussed at a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting at Leinster House this evening.
What does Jim Gavin’s decision to end his campaign mean for this presidential race – and future ones?
Analysts are debating what the typical Fianna Fáil voter is likely to do and what this all means for the left-right political divide, Paul Colgan writes.
“This is good news for Catherine Connolly,” said Eoin O’Malley, associate professor in political science at Dublin City University, of the Independent TD and left-wing candidate, one of only two now running for the Áras.
“It is likely to further suppress the vote on the Government side. More Fianna Fáil people are likely to stay at home, there will be fewer votes going around – and [that will] ultimately make it harder for Heather Humphreys to win.”
Aidan Regan, professor of political economy at University College Dublin, agreed that Connolly has been boosted by Gavin’s decision. He said the Fianna Fáil vote could easily splinter in a number of ways.
Maria Steen has called for the presidential election to be cancelled and run again, claiming its political legitimacy has been “further undermined” by Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin ending his campaign, Ellen Coyne reports.
Ms Steen, a conservative campaigner who had tried to run as an Independent candidate, missed out on a place on the ballot paper after securing 18 of the required 20 signatures from TDs and Senators before the deadline for nominations.
“Democracy is supposed to mean that the people get to decide. The political legitimacy of the presidential election was already in doubt due to the closing of ranks by the major parties, which prevented any Independent candidate from making it as far as the ballot,” Ms Steen said.
“It has now been further undermined by the dramatic implosion of the Fianna Fáil-backed candidacy of Jim Gavin. As a result, the public is left with very little choice, and a large constituency feels totally unrepresented.”
If you’re looking to keep up to date with all the latest Budget 2026 developments, we have another live story here.
If you have any questions about how the budget will affect you, our experts are answering your questions live.
Several Fianna Fáil members have made their feelings known about Jim Gavin’s departure from the presidential race.
Backbencher TD James O’Connor accused Micheál Martin and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers of “the most unceremonious dumping on a party candidate in modern Irish political history”.
He said Mr Gavin “should never have found himself on the ballot paper”.
Former minister Éamon Ó Cuív said it is “highly unlikely” that Mr Martin will lead the party into the next general election.
Fianna Fáil politicians will demand answers from Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the implosion of Jim Gavin’s presidential campaign during a tense showdown meeting on Wednesday evening.
There is anger and disappointment within Fianna Fáil that it no longer has a candidate in the race, about how Mr Gavin was selected and about a vetting process that did not uncover a dispute he had with a former tenant, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne write.
Former Dublin football manager Mr Gavin ended his presidential campaign on Sunday night amid the controversy over his time as a landlord in the late 2000s.
He was party leader Mr Martin’s preferred choice to be Fianna Fáil’s candidate.
Good morning.
As we enter into another day of the presidential election campaign, here is a round-up of what you need to know this Wednesday:
- The Taoiseach is to face questions from Fianna Fáil members over Jim Gavin’s failed presidential election campaign.
- Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor has accused Micheál Martin and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers of “the most unceremonious dumping on a party candidate in modern Irish political history”.
- Éamon Ó Cuív said it is “highly unlikely” that Martin will lead the party into the next general election.
- Maria Steen has called for the presidential election to be cancelled over Jim Gavin’s departure.
