Former MEP and European Commissioner Mairead McGuinnes, who started her career as an agricultural journalist, has secured the Fine Gael nomination to run as a candidate to become President of Ireland.

Current President, Michael D Higgins will finish his second seven-year term at Áras an Uachtaráin in November.

The President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann) is Ireland’s Head of State. Every seven years the public elect a new president who can serve two terms in total.

According to the electoral commission, some of the president’s constitutional roles include:

Representing the people of Ireland;
Appointment of the Taoiseach, members of the government, judges and other officials;
Summoning and dissolving the Dáil, and convening the Oireachtas;
Signing legislation into law and/or referring Bills to the Supreme Court;
Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces.

To be nominated as a Fine Gael candidate, a candidate required the nomination of at least 20 members of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, 25 councillors and five members of the Fine Gael Executive Council.

McGuinness’s name will go forward for ratification at a party event in September. This will be the start of the Fine Gael presidential election campaign.

Tánaiste and Fine Gael president Simon Harris said: “The Fine Gael party is pleased to confirm Mairead McGuinness has been nominated as our candidate for the Presidential election and will be ratified by the party in September.

“Presidential elections are always an important point for the country. I believe Mairead possesses all the attributes to bring our nation together at this important time.”

Commenting on being nominated as the Fine Gael candidate for the role, Mairead McGuinness said: "I am conscious of the opportunity and challenge ahead, given the very important constitutional role of the President, and the esteem in which the office is held by the people.

 "The campaign when it starts will be full-on," she added.

A native of Ardee, Co. Louth, from a strong Fine Gael family, Mairead McGuinness is married to Tom Duff and they have four children. They now live near Drumconrath, Co. Meath.

McGuinness was educated locally at the Convent of Mercy National School and Ardee Community School.

She studied agricultural economics at University College Dublin (UCD), the first woman to qualify in the discipline and served as recording secretary of the Agricultural Society (Ag Soc) at the college.

She began her career in journalism in RTÉ immediately after college. She worked initially as radio producer and later in research on 'The Late Late Show'.

In more recent times McGuinness became well known as a presenter and driving force behind the 'Ear to the Ground' TV series.

She also held the role of editor of the Farming Independent.

Mairead McGuinness served two terms as chairperson of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists and helped develop the guild as an important network for those in food and farming communications.

She also chaired the Consumer Liaison panel set up by the Minister for Agriculture and Food. This panel spearheaded changes in food labelling and traceability initiatives.

McGuinness was first elected to the European Parliament in 2004 representing the Midlands North-West region of Ireland.

She was elected by European counterparts as vice-president and was also previously a full member of the Agriculture & Rural Development/AGRI Committee and a substitute on Environment, Public Health & Food Safety/ENVI Committee as an MEP.

She was voted by her colleagues as MEP of the Year for Agriculture in 2011. In 2014 she was awarded the UCD Foundation Day Alumni Award in Agriculture and Food Science.

In 2020, she was appointed European Commissioner for Financial services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union until 2024.