Barrister Maria Steen appears set to become the fourth name on the Presidential Election ballot paper, as it has been revealed that she has secured the support of ten Oireachtas members.
A new President of Ireland will be elected later in the year when Michael D Higgins’s second term comes to an end.
Independent TD Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphrey and Jim Gavin, backed by Fianna Fáil, have all already confirmed they are running for Áras.
MMA fighter Conor McGregor claims he has enough backing to get his name on the ballot paper, including the support of the "most prestigious party," though nothing has been confirmed.
On Thursday evening, it was revealed that barrister, architect, and columnist Maria was halfway to getting her name on the ballot.
Maria Steen has emerged as the preferred presidential candidate among Independent TDs.
She says she’s confident of reaching 20 Oireachtas sponsors, after which she’ll stand down from the council route to facilitate others.#VMNews pic.twitter.com/pqUwoxF2Cn
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) September 11, 2025
The mother-of-five made pitches to several TDs and senators, a process organised by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, with eight Oireachtas members publicly declaring their support.
Those backing Steen are Tóibín, Mattie McGrath, Joe McGrath, Paul Lawless, Ronan Mullins, Carol Nolan, Sharon Keogan, and Sarah O’Reilly.
The other two members who have expressed their support for Steen have to speak to their teams first, according to Mr. Tóibín.
But what do we know about Maria Steen? What are her political views?
Family Life
Maria has been married to senior counsel Neil Steen since 2006, with the pair sharing five children, ranging in age from three to 18 years old.
Since the arrival of her children, Maria has stepped back from practicing law as she homeschooled her children. She is also a qualified Montessori teacher.
Mrs. Steen has written for several publications, including The Irish Times and The Irish Catholic, since 2012.
Politics
Maria is the niece of former senator Joan Freeman, who ran in the 2018 Irish presidential election. The barrister is a member of the Iona Institute.
Mrs. Steen holds a conservative viewpoint and campaigned against the referenda on same-sex marriage as well as abortion, participating in television debates in the run-up to both referenda.
Last year, she opposed the referendums on Family and Care and joined a group of barristers, Lawyers for No, where concerns were shared about the potential consequences of the proposed change. Following the defeat of both referendums, Steen said it was a "great victory of common sense."
Presidential bid
On her website, Maria says she is a "voice for families" and a "vision for the common good."
She said: "I am asking for your vote to serve as President of Ireland: to act as guardian of the Constitution, to uphold the dignity of the office, and to remind our Nation of the values on which it was founded."
Going further into detail, the candidate said she stood for families — their right to stay together, to protect innocent children and raise them in accordance with Irish culture and traditions.
She said: "The President does not make laws or set policy. But the President safeguards the Constitution, represents Ireland abroad and embodies the spirit of Irishness at home."
Should she get onto the ballot, she will be up against fellow Independent Catherine Connolly as well as Fine Gael’s nominee Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s nominee Jim Gavin.
Sinn Féin have yet to confirm whether they will be running a candidate or backing an Independent candidate.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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