Gallagher Emerges As Surprise Contender In Presidential Election

Independent candidate Sean Gallagher has emerged from nowhere to become a serious contender in the Irish presidential election, according to two opinion polls published last week.

The entrepreneur and star of RTE's Dragon's Den (the Irish equivalent of ABC's Shark Tank) is now second favorite for the Aras behind frontrunner Michael D Higgins of Labour.

It's was a stunning poll result for the businessman, who had been seen very much as an outsider by most political commentators when the campaign started.

Mr Gallagher has refused to engage in negative campaigning, and has made entrepreneurship and jobs a central plank of his agenda.

He has also made headlines with appeals for candidates not to use election posters and to share mailing facilities in order to cut down on the cost of the campaign to taxpayers.

While the other candidates did not sign up to these pledges, they struck a chord with a public in the current climate of austerity.

The two opinion polls carried out by different companies and published within 24 hours of each other last week, both told the same story.

Michael D Higgins of Labour is in front with Sean Gallagher and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness in second and third.

There is a considerable gap to the rest of the field, where Independent David Norris has seen his support collapse, Independent Mary Davis has failed to gain any ground, and Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell is struggling badly.

Dana Rosemary Scallon scores the lowest number of first preference votes in both surveys.