It’s often said that politics is the one job where it is commonly assumed that someone with no experience can do it better than someone who has worked at it for years.
The history of celebrity candidates in Ireland is a mixed one; for every Jack Lynch, there is a George Lee. The fate of the latest crop of celebrity candidates is still being decided in the slow-moving counts in the three European Parliament constituencies; but it looks like a decent showing. The former RTÉ midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly probably qualifies as a celebrity, at least in the midlands. He is certainly well-known, and as the candidate of the new Independent Ireland party, he is riding the wave of support for independents that has been one of the standout features of these elections. After the fifth count, he was in fifth position; his fate depends on his ability to attract transfers, but he is well-placed.
Down south, the former RTÉ television presenter and 1994 Eurovision Song Contest co-host Cynthia Ní Mhurchú will be in the mix for the last seat, having fought a barnstorming campaign. By all accounts, Ni Mhurchu’s fame, such as it is, was flogged for all it was worth on the campaign trail. She did a lot better than expected, winning nearly 56,000 votes; a seat is likely, though not certain.