Posted on 07/25/2025 10:30:03 PM PDT by Cronos
After finding fame and fortune in Riverdance and other stage shows, Michael Flatley is to seek a new role: president of Ireland.
The Irish American dancer and impresario planned to move back from Monaco to Ireland and would seek nomination in the upcoming election, a Dublin court heard on Friday.
An affidavit submitted during a high court case in relation to a legal dispute over renovations at Flatley’s mansion said the 67-year-old was “to seek nominations to run for president of Ireland”.
An election for the largely ceremonial post must take place in the 60 days before 11 November, when Michael D Higgins steps down after two terms, totalling 14 years.
Flatley signalled a potential run in an RTÉ interview last week when he said Irish people were not “happy right now” and lacked “a true proper deep voice that speaks their language”.
His barrister, Ronnie Hudson, confirmed that intention when he notified the court of a “material change in circumstances” and said Flatley, who is an Irish citizen, would move back to Ireland within 14 days to seek a nomination.
The affidavit emerged during the choreographer’s continuing legal action over renovation work at Castlehyde, his 18th-century estate near Fermoy, in County Cork.
To be eligible to run for president, a candidate must be an Irish citizen and aged 35 or older. To get on the ballot, a candidate must be nominated either by at least 20 members of parliament or at least four local authorities. It is unclear if the Lord of the Dance star can muster such support.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Fab dancer. Does that count in politics?
Just what I thought. :)
LOL! Too tired right now to read the article. Is Flatley a lib or conservative?
Lord of the Dunce.
Isn’t he from the U.S.?
My first thought was, “Does he play the piano with his ——?”
But from his comments it appears he comes from the opposite camp (no pun intended).
I didn’t know he was homosexual, are you sure?
I know he dumped the best of Riverdance, Jean Butler, but not that he was homosexual.
Jean Butler: Riverdance - Countess Cathleen 1995
https://youtu.be/N8czqsOGyVs?feature=shared
He doesn’t appear to be homosexual and likes women and marriage.
I’d like to see him master several other styles of dance.
Maybe he and Rahm Emanuel can hook up for an event.
He’s the new Zelensky.
Anyone but Conor McGregor.
And looks like Flately is more than happy to oblige.
Watching that video makes my feet and knees hurt....
“Fab dancer. Does that count in politics?”
Clinton played the saxophone.
I took my screen name from Bill “Bad Tone Out Of Tune When In Doubt Trill I Won A Medal In High School” Clinton.
Watching Jean Butler in that video always made me feel like grabbing a battle ax and hacking through half of Europe to get to her, it made me understand Viking raids better.
Wikipedia:Relationships and family
Flatley met Beata Dziaba in London's Royal Albert Hall. The couple married in 1986 in a Danish registry office; they divorced in 1997 after his multiple affairs with other women. In the early 2000s, Flatley was engaged to Lisa Murphy; she died in 2024, aged 51.In June 2006, Flatley began dating Niamh O'Brien, a longtime dancer from several of his shows. As the Catholic Church does not recognize divorce and does not marry divorcees, his first marriage in a civil wedding was not recognized in Canon Law by the Church, so the 48-year-old Flatley and Niamh, 32, were able to have a Roman Catholic ceremony; on October 14, 2006 they married at St. Patrick's Church in Fermoy, County Cork, with a reception at Flatley's historic Castlehyde House in Cork.
He and his wife have a son, Michael St. James, born in 2007.
His Wikipedia page says nothing about Irish citizenship. He was born to Irish immigrant parents in the U.S. and grew up in the Chicago area. I guess he has claimed dual citizenship. Ireland offers it to grandchildren of emigrés.
I’m out of luck because it was my great-grandfather who was the immigrant during the Potato Famine.
And also children, of course.
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