The political pooh-bahs in Leinster House are sweating profusely this week, and not because a heatwave is on the way but rather because a certain Mary Lou McDonald is pondering a run at the Áras.
The decision as to whether the Sinn Féin leader and Dublin Central TD enters the Presidential election, just a few months out from the November poll, is one which will be taken by her party faithful.
But for our part, we think she certainly should throw her hat in the ring, even it means putting people before party.
Long and varied is the list of reasons put forward as to why Ms McDonald should sit out the race to replace the national treasure that is Micheal D. Higgins. But ultimately they all boil down to fear that Sinn Féin will set back its own advance if the party leader's candidature proves a flop.
Such fears are understandable but they are not reflective of the view on the street. Indeed, it could be argued that no politician in Ireland enjoys the confidence and affection of the populace to the degree that Mary Lou does. She can stake claim to a popularity beyond that of her party because she possesses that common touch which eludes 99 per cent of the political class — as Tanáiste Simon Harris can attest. Now — not when the next Dáil election rolls around — is the time to bring that popularity to market.
Not, mind you, so that we can have grander garden parties in the Áras or more Presidential proclamations but because a President McDonald would give Irish reunification the rocket fuel needed to propel it over the line.
Over the past decade, the argument for a United Ireland has moved to the mainstream and against every benchmark - social, economic, cultural — has won hands down.
Nevertheless, there remains a hulking road block between the Irish people and control of its own affairs once more. And we aren't talking about the hapless PM Starmer.
No, the greatest obstacle to a United Ireland is the deep-seated and resolute — some would say visceral — opposition of Taoiseach Micheál Martin to a United Ireland. When the 'leader' of 'Ireland' refuses to support the reunification of his own country (putting him at odds with his 'sister party', the SDLP), there is zero chance that the British, the EU, the Americans or indeed any other nation will back that goal.
Yet, what an amazing counterweight to the partitionist Fianna Fáil leader a pro-United Ireland President McDonald would make.
In the past there have been bold moves to move the chess pieces on the electoral chessboard to the advantage of Irish nationalists. We think of West Belfast teacher Fergus O'Hare dumping Gerry Fitt on the political scrapheap in 1981 by his out-of-left-field move to contest the Belfast City Council elections. Or Gerry Adams' own border crossing in 2011 which sowed the seeds for the transformation of Sinn Féin in the South. And, of course, there was the epoch-changing decision to have hunger striker Bobby Sands contest the Fermanagh-South Tyrone by-election, also in 1981.
In our opinion, if Mary Lou were to put her name forward, she would have every chance of winning the Presidential election and becoming the first actively pro-United Ireland President in the history of the Irish state. Such a development wouldn't be moving the chess pieces. That, much to the despair of the sweating status quo defenders in Dublin, would be tossing the entire board in the air.
Give it a lash, Mary Lou.
