WEALTH October 7, 2025 0 Comments

Exclusive: The Shocking Sum Michael Martin Poured Into Jim Gavin’s Presidential Bid—And Why It Could Change Everything

So, here’s the million-euro question nobody’s shouting loud enough: How does a savvy political leader like Taoiseach Micheál Martin blow nearly half a million euros on a Presidential candidacy pick that fizzled out before it even warmed the public stage? Well, that’s exactly what happened when Fianna Fáil’s star choice, Jim Gavin—the five-time Dublin football manager with name-recognition out the wazoo—pulled out after some pesky personal debts came to light. What this misstep really unmasked isn’t just a financial faux pas; it’s a simmering crisis gnawing at Martin’s grip on leadership. When a premier sidesteps his own party’s voices—and trusts a rookie candidate without the proper vetting—expect a political upheaval masked as a “fiasco.” And trust me, with dissenters sneaking through party seams and backbenchers feeling steamrolled, Martin’s dance with destiny just got a hell of a lot more complicated. Ready for the full scoop and all the drama steaming through Fianna Fáil? LEARN MORE

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has wasted about €500,000 of his party’s money and exposed himself to a potential leadership challenge through the bungled choice of Presidential candidate, writes Craig Hughes.

The fallout from Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin dramatically withdrawing from the race on Sunday night after revelations he owed a former tenant €3,300 sent shockwaves through the party.

It amounts to a serious threat to the Taoiseach’s leadership that he will have to utilise all of his political experience to survive, while the sleeper cells of antiMartin dissenters are now moving quickly within the party.

One thing is becoming almost certain: he will not be permitted to remain as leader beyond November 2027 when his tenure as Taoiseach ends.

Fianna Fáil TDs and senators have long criticised Mr Martin’s highly centralised decisionmaking approach that gave the voice of the parliamentary party little weight.

Until now, it didn’t matter how out of joint backbenchers’ noses were put as Mr Martin’s leadership brought the party from near wipeout in 2011 back into government in 2020.

It is now the largest party in national and local government.

However, his decision to effectively bypass the party in this instance has cost Fianna Fáil dearly as it exploded into an embarrassing “fiasco”, as the party’s MEP for Dublin Barry Andrews described it.

Mr Martin wanted former Dublin football manager Mr Gavin to be the party’s Presidential candidate.

He explained that he believed Fianna Fáil needed someone outside of the party with name recognition to have the broad appeal necessary to win the Áras race.

There was no consultation with TDs or senators before Jim Gavin, the five-in-a-row-winning Dublin manager, was wheeled out as Presidential candidate.

What the leader wants, he gets.

It didn’t matter that he had to put aside party loyalist Billy Kelleher in the process.

As Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-Central Pádraig O’Sullivan described it, senior figures in the party were “frogmarched” to vote for Mr Gavin without having ever met the candidate.

Mr O’Sullivan, who backed Mr Kelleher in the internal race, warned about the perils of not listening to backbenchers and said that if there had been an “open airing”, they might have collectively made the right decision.

Mr Martin will argue that Mr Gavin “came through the process”, but the reality is that going against the leader would have come with consequences.

There was no surprise, then, when all of Mr Martin’s senior ministers endorsed Mr Gavin.

The solo run meant that Mr Gavin arrived as an unknown force to the party. However, even those who backed him said they expected he would have been better at public speaking, at a bare minimum.

Instead, they got a candidate who fumbled his words and looked uncomfortable speaking on topics such as defence, despite his military background.

There would have been an expectation that proper vetting of any prospective candidate would have been conducted to unearth any potential skeletons.

Given the publicly available data on property in this country, questions should have been asked about a home that was surrendered to the banks in the financial crash.

Mr Martin will now seek to blame Mr Gavin for not making the party aware of the issue that ultimately sank his campaign, but the ship was sinking and destined to hit the rocks long before that.

The Taoiseach will also point to his strong track record in government as he seeks to shore up support, but that may not be enough.

The decision to install deputy leader and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers as director of elections has also raised questions about Mr Martin’s judgment.

How was Mr Chambers expected to manage a novice candidate while also preparing a Budget?

He could also become collateral damage if he is not careful.

When Mr Martin faces the parliamentary party tomorrow, any promises he might offer of reform will be treated with heavy scepticism.

After all, TDs and senators were not given the courtesy of a meeting to give their input into today’s Budget.

Former Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry once noted that all backbenchers were good for, in the eyes of the leadership and headquarters, was selling superdraw lotto tickets and tickets to the annual Cáirde Fáil dinner (which takes place this Saturday).

Even the most loyal of party members will find it hard not to feel angry as expensive Jim Gavin posters and leaflets continue to be delivered to their constituencies this week.

Last month, Mr Martin declared he would lead his party into the next election.

But this is simply something leaders must say to avoid being a lame duck, even if they are planning an exit before then.

The prospect of being seen to be walking towards the exit door would drain his power.

The last threat came in July 2021 when eight members of his parliamentary party signed a document seeking a Fianna Fáil leadership race.

In order for a confidence motion to be triggered, TDs need to collect ten signatures supporting the motion or, alternatively, the party leader can call a vote of confidence.

Jim Gavin — Mr Martin wanted former Dublin football manager Mr Gavin to be the party’s Presidential candidate.(Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

The ploy collapsed when the frontrunner and now Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, told those opposed to Mr Martin that he would not be supporting the plot or signing the proposal.

The level of open criticism directed at Mr Martin now is unprecedented in his time as leader of the party.

In last month’s vote on a party candidate for the Áras, 29 members of the parliamentary party voted against the leader’s wishes in favour of Mr Kelleher.

There is a rump of discontent in Fianna Fáil that is there to be utilised if someone in the party is willing to do so. Mr Martin has found himself in a fight for his political life.

Photo: Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin shaking hands with the winning candidate Jim Gavin walking out of Leinster House after winning the nomation to became their candidate for president. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie