The Irish presidential election campaign has been thrown into turmoil following the withdrawal of Jim Gavin, the Fianna Fáil candidate, over a 16-year-old rental dispute. Gavin, a prominent figure in Irish sports and politics, was chosen by Fianna Fáil, the largest party in Ireland’s coalition government, to represent them in the upcoming election. However, his candidacy was short-lived after details of a 2009 rental dispute with former tenant Niall Donald surfaced in the media. The dispute, which involved an overpayment of €3,300 by Donald, had remained under the radar for over a decade until it was reported by the Irish Independent last week. Gavin’s inability to address the issue during a televised debate led to widespread speculation about the viability of his campaign, culminating in his abrupt withdrawal. This has left Fianna Fáil without a candidate and has sparked internal criticism of the party’s leadership, particularly Taoiseach Micheál Martin, for their handling of the situation. Meanwhile, the remaining candidates, Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, are now in a direct contest for the presidency. Both have faced their own campaign challenges, including the unauthorized use of President Michael D Higgins’ image in a promotional video and a geographical error in a campaign video. The Irish presidential election is set to take place on October 24.