Norris to re-enter Race for the Áras

Senator David Norris is preparing to re-enter the race to become the next President of Ireland, according to the Sunday Independent.

The flamboyant senator withdrew from the race earlier this year after revelations that he had appealed for clemency for a former partner accused of statutory rape of a teenage boy became public.

The race to become Mary McAleese’s successor has so far failed to capture the imagination of the public, who have been underwhelmed by candidates such as Gay Mitchell, Sean Gallagher and Mary Davis, but Norris could be about to breathe some life back into the campaign by staking his claim once more.

Norris has reportedly been convinced to re-enter the race after the continued support of the public, encouragement from independent TDs and senators and, surprisingly, the confirmation that a number of Fianna Fail Oireachtas members will support his bid for a nomination.

Norris is expected to hold a meeting with his advisers tonight and could announce his intention to re-enter the race for the presidency next week, possibly on The Late Late Show next Friday.

Given that Fianna Fáil have so far failed to convince popular broadcasters Gay Byrne and Micheal O Muircheartaigh to run for the presidency, they are set to throw their support behind Norris, a move that makes sense according to a party spokesman.

"We haven't got our own candidate and given the level of public support for Norris I think it would play well to nominate him," a senior party figure told the Sunday Independent.

"I think the party leadership would turn a blind eye if some TDs or senators signed his papers.

"It would probably be up to the senators. They know him. He is a colleague," he added.

Despite the damaging revelations earlier this year, Norris still clearly has the support of the people.

A Sunday Independent/Quantum Research telephone poll shows that 39 per cent want Mr Norris on the ballot paper and 40 per cent would vote for him in the election in October 27.

More than 7,000 people signed an online petition supporting his nomination last week, with 2,000 more adding their names to a paper petition which was organised in Dublin and Cork in the last two days.

The race for the presidency, which at one point seemed as if it was going to be given to whoever wanted it rather than who was most worthy, may be about to get interesting once again.