Nenagh councillor Morris endorses presidential bid

Nenagh Independent councillor Séamie Morris has endorsed presidential hopeful Gareth Sheridan in his bid to seek a nomination to enter the election to become Ireland’s First Citizen.

The 35-year old multi-millionaire businessman has said he has support in Tipperary and Laois county councils as he embarks on a campaign to get a nomination from local authorities. Anyone hoping to get their name on the ballot needs to get the support of four councils or 20 members of the Oireachtas.

Cllr Morris and another Independent from South Tipperary, Liam Browne, who has also endorsed Mr Sheridan, are members of Tipperary County Council. The full council, or the required number of members, have yet to give official backing to any candidate.

At the launch of his campaign last week, Mr Sheridan said he is confident he can be proposed and seconded by six local authorities.

Mr Sheridan’s hope of securing an endorsement from Tipperary County Council comes after Cllr Morris and Cllr Browne posed for a photograph with him at the Tullamore Show earlier this month and expressed their support for his bid for the Áras.

NENAGH VISIT

Mr Sheridan visited Nenagh on Sunday week last where Cllr Morris welcomed him to the Éire Óg club during the staging of a club Walkaton.

Cllr Morris said Mr Sheridan, his wife Heidi, and their young child, Roe, had a great day at the event, and made a generous donation to the club.

“He is the man for the future for all those wishing to have a future in this great country,” declared Cllr Morris.

Meanwhile, after meeting with Mr Sheridan at the Tullamore Show, Cllr Browne said it would be great to see him on the ballot paper. “We need a different choice for the same old tired faces that turn up looking for another pension every time the presidential election comes around,” said Cllr Browne.

Mr Sheridan said his campaign is partly focused on a delivering more housing. The multi-millionaire businessman, who founded US-based pharma company Nutriband, says younger people need to be represented in the upcoming election.

Mr Sheridan would be the youngest ever presidential candidate if he gets the nomination.

At his election launch, he said his net worth was $16 million (€13.7 million) based on the current value of his shares in his business Nutriband and he has $500,000 (€429,627) in cash holdings.

Mr Sheridan holds both Irish and US citizenship. He and his wife lived in America for several years before returning to Ireland in early 2025.