The Irish President
This book examines how the presidential role in Ireland has been steadily reinterpreted and expanded by a new generation of office holders who to an increasing extent have expressed their political views openly. The book assesses the degree to which a new model of the presidency has emerged, catapulting the office out of its traditional, British-style, deferential and monarchical niche into an assertive role similar to the non-executive but politically active presidencies of other European states.
John Coakley, MRIA, is Emeritus Professor of Politics at University College Dublin and a fellow of the Geary Institute there. His publications include Nationalism, ethnicity and the state (2012), Reforming political institutions: Ireland in comparative perspective (2013), Non-territorial autonomy in divided societies (edited, 2017), Negotiating a settlement in Northern Ireland, 1969-2019 (co-authored, 2020), and Politics in the Republic of Ireland, 7th ed. (co-edited, 2024).
Kevin Rafter is Full Professor of Political Communication at Dublin City University. He has been a Fulbright Scholar at Boston College and a visiting professor at Arizona State University. He is the author/editor of over a dozen books on Irish media and politics including biographies and histories of key political parties. His most recent books include Fearless! Vincent Browne’s Magill and Ireland in the 1980s (2026), Dillon rediscovered (2025) and Taoiseach and the arts (2022). He previously worked a political journalist with The Irish Times, The Sunday Times and RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster.