Presidential hopeful 'definitely seeking a nomination' from Kilkenny

Nick Delehanty has confirmed that he will 'definitely' be 'seeking a nomination' from Kilkenny County Council ahead of the upcoming presidential election, in a bid to secure a place on the ballot.

Delehanty grew up on a farm in Tipperary and now lives in Dublin with his family. Last year, he ran in the General Election as a candidate in the Dublin Bay South constituency, receiving a total of 2,272 votes before being eliminated.

At 35-years-old, he has built his profile on grassroots energy and sharp messaging, pitching himself as a bold outsider with a strong stance on public accountability, government expenditure, immigration and the current planning system.

READ NEXT: 'Unacceptable and unsustainable': Fury as €28.8m spent on private agency staff at Kilkenny hospital

Speaking to Kilkenny Live, Delehanty confirmed that he has received backing from local councillor Maurice Shortall (Independent) and is now “trying to line up meetings with various [other] councillors.”

“Kilkenny doesn’t have too high a percentage of independents so you would be relying on Fianna Fáil and maybe some Fine Gael councillors,” he said. “We’ve written to them all and now, and we’re following up.”

He is not phased by the task of securing nominations from four local authorities, calling it “doable,” but adding that “we really need to put in the work.”

As part of “generation rent,” Delehanty says he wants to directly represent citizens who he feels are otherwise overlooked. He contrasted his position with fellow presidential hopeful Gareth Sheridan, who is also 35, stating that Sheridan “doesn’t quite fit the bill of who I’m trying to represent.”

“I think this is a perfect opportunity for a president that wants to grab conversation by the scruff of the neck and ask, are we doing democracy right?” he continued.

READ NEXT: Appeal to conserve water as two Kilkenny water supplies officially enter drought, two others at high risk

“So, you know, the question, if you’re 35-years-old or older and you don’t own a home in Ireland, the question is, why aren’t you running for president?

“Also I think it’s winnable because I’ve gained an awful lot of followers and loyal following and public support online. It’s not just Twitter, it’s Instagram, it’s LinkedIn, it’s YouTube and TikTok. 

“When you boil down the metrics of this, from an online campaign point of view, I’m the clear leader when it comes to online support at the moment.”

When asked what he offers potential voters in Kilkenny, Delehanty said he would support local councillors.

He referenced a recent motion passed by elected members in Kilkenny (proposed by Cllr Maurice Shortall) seeking to pressurise the government to withdraw “planning exemptions” for IPAS accommodation to ensure that “all properties go through the normal planning process.”

“That motion that got passed wanted to reject the planning exemptions. But yet when they [the councillors] take this message to headquarters in Dublin, they get no support," he noted.

SEE ALSO: 'It’s just amazing' - Kilkenny fans enjoy Oasis gigs in Croke Park

“In many ways, because the president doesn’t have executive powers and the councillors don’t have executive powers much these days either, the president is just a super councillor. So I want to support the councils and I want to empower local democracy.

“Some people, I think, want the presidency because they see it as a crown. But if there was a council election in two months, I’d be going for that too. If there was a general election or a European, I’m here to represent people. I’m not going to give up until I’m representing people of Ireland.”

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE