Dana looks to 2018
Dana Rosemary Scallon has not ruled out running for president in seven years’ time.
The Independent candidate, who finished second from last in the race, initially thought her age would go against her if she were to run in 2018 when she will be 67.
She said: “I might be too old to run for president again. No, maybe not, because I’d still be younger than Michael D.”
She also said she would learn from this experience for a possible future career in politics.
While Ms Scallon said she is not thinking far enough ahead to consider standing for the Oireachtas, she added: “We’ll take a deep breath and we’ll look back on this experience.”
The Eurovision winner, from Derry, added that she had no regrets about entering the race – but she was delighted to see the end of it.
“We all faced difficult challenges,” she said.
“I’m very glad to be here. It’s an extraordinary experience. I wouldn’t have missed it and I don’t regret standing up for what I believe in.”
Meanwhile, Mary Davis said although she came last in the election, she too had no regrets about running.
“It was a dirty campaign, there’s no doubt about that,” she said.
Ms Davis said she believes that while she started off well in the campaign, the final few weeks in which the two frontrunners were identified may have hampered her chances.
“It was very much focused on the two top candidates and then all the voters gravitated towards those candidates,” she said.
