Maria Steen has said that a Hermès handbag she was photographed with at the time of her unsuccessful presidential bid was a gift from her husband and cost “nothing like the figures that were mentioned”.
Steen, a conservative campaigner who had tried to run as an Independent candidate in last year’s election, 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.
During her final public appearance in the nominations race, Steen was seen and photographed carrying a light blue Hermès bag on her arm, leading to much commentary in traditional and social media, with the accessory estimated to cost anywhere between €10,000 and €40,000.
In an interview with The Irish Times last year, Steen said the “handbag was deliberate” and that she wanted to “exposé the hypocrisy of the left who don’t love the poor; they just hate the rich”.
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Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Brendan O’Connor show on Sunday, Steen reiterated: “I was asked, ‘Was it [the handbag] deliberate?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I thought carefully about what I was going to wear that day. I didn’t know whether I would be going to the Customs House with my nomination paper or whether I would be giving a concession speech.
“But either way, I thought, ‘I’m putting myself forward for the highest job in the land. I should make an effort, and I should try to look my best for the sake of the people whom I am asking for their permission to represent them.’ And I think it’s a sign of respect to put your best foot forward and that’s what I did.”
She added: “The bag was a gift many years ago from my husband to me as a sign of affection and appreciation. And it costs nothing like the figures that were mentioned.”
Steen also said she did not regret seeking a nomination for the presidential election, describing it as “a fascinating adventure”.
She said the reaction from people was “overwhelming” and it took her months to get through emails sent to her.
“What I couldn’t get over was the breadth of support right across all kinds of communities, all kinds of backgrounds; tradespeople, teachers, stay-at-home mums, consultant doctors, lawyers; you name it,” she said.
Steen said such people were united on two issues – the “unfairness” of candidates being “blocked” for nomination, and also feeling their voices were not being heard in the Oireachtas, media and elsewhere.
She said she had been taking stock over recent months and “seeing what, if anything, I can contribute in the future”.
She has not had any formal approaches from any political party or movement, she said, adding, “We’ll see what the future holds.”
