They couldn't get 10,000 signatures for any presidential candidate? Around here, we could get 10,000 signatures to run my cat for Congress, if we wanted to.
Maybe the Irish just aren't into grass-roots democracy.
"or a petition of 10,000 citizens" - not so. it required 4 councils or 20 members of the Oireachtas (congress). There's not mention in the irish constitution of 10,000 signitures - Ireland ain't a US State or Switzerland!!!