Editing Mary Robinson (section)

== Presidential campaign ==
{{main|1990 Irish presidential election|Presidency of Mary Robinson}}

{{BLP sources section|date=February 2021}}

=== Background ===
Robinson won the Labour Party nomination over former [[Minister for Health (Ireland)|Minister for Health]] [[Noel Browne]] by a 4:1 majority.{{Sfn|Robinson|1997|p=130}} She had the advantage of being the first candidate nominated for the election (and the first female), in that she could cover more meetings, public addresses and interviews. However, she refused to be drawn on specifics in case she would alienate possible support. She also received the backing of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' newspaper, and this proved hugely advantageous.

=== Candidates from other parties ===
Robinson ran against two other candidates: [[Austin Currie]], for Fine Gael, and [[Brian Lenihan Snr|Brian Lenihan]] for Fianna Fáil. Currie was widely seen as Fine Gael's last choice as a candidate, nominated only when no one else was available. Fianna Fáil's candidate, then [[Tánaiste]] and [[Minister for Defence (Ireland)|Minister for Defence]] Brian Lenihan had become popular during his three decades in politics. Like Robinson, he had delivered liberal policy reform.

At the beginning of the campaign, Lenihan was seen as the favourite to win the presidency. As the campaign proceeded, however, it became apparent that Robinson was a serious contender. Crucial to her appeal was the deep unpopularity of the Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, and the rising popularity of Dick Spring.

Robinson obtained the backing of the [[Workers' Party (Ireland)|Workers' Party]] which was strong in [[Dublin]] and [[Cork (city)|Cork]] and was considered crucial to getting working-class votes.

A transfer pact was agreed upon between Fine Gael and Labour, as both parties were normally preferred partners for each other in general elections.

=== Lenihan controversy ===
{{Main|Brian Lenihan Snr#The Lenihan tape|Brian Lenihan Snr#"On mature recollection"}}
During the campaign it emerged that what Lenihan had told friends and insiders in private flatly contradicted his public statements on a controversial effort in 1982 by the opposition Fianna Fáil to pressure [[Patrick Hillery|President Hillery]] into refusing a parliamentary dissolution to Garret FitzGerald, the Taoiseach at the time; Hillery had resolutely rejected the pressure.

Lenihan denied he had pressured the President but then a tape was produced of an interview he had given to a postgraduate student the previous May, in which he frankly discussed attempting to apply pressure. Lenihan claimed that "on mature recollection" he hadn't pressured the President and had been confused in his interview with the student. The issue, however, nearly led to the collapse of the government.

Under pressure from the junior coalition partner, the [[Progressive Democrats]], Haughey sacked Lenihan as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. Lenihan's integrity was seriously questioned. Lenihan's role in the event in 1982 seemed to imply that he could be instructed by Haughey in his duties, and that electing Lenihan was in effect empowering the controversial Haughey. In an effort to weaken Robinson, a government minister and Haughey ally, [[Pádraig Flynn]], launched a controversial personal attack on Mary Robinson "as a wife and mother" and "having a new-found interest in her family".<ref name="itim22" /> Flynn, even more controversially, also joked privately that Robinson would "turn the Áras ''[President's residence]'' into the Red Cow Inn ''[a pub in Dublin]''". Flynn's tirade was itself attacked in response as "disgraceful" on radio by [[Michael McDowell (politician)|Michael McDowell]], a senior member of the Progressive Democrat party which up to that point supported Lenihan's campaign.<ref name="quote1" /> When Robinson met McDowell later in a restaurant, she quipped, "with enemies like McDowell<!--the quote is about McDowell. Technically he was an enemy as he was part of the government.-->, who needs friends?" Flynn's attack was a fatal blow to Lenihan's campaign, causing many female supporters of Lenihan to vote for Robinson in a gesture of support.

Lenihan's support evaporated, and Haughey concluded that the election was as good as lost. Haughey distanced himself from Lenihan and sacked him from the Cabinet. This had unintended consequences, as disquiet within the Fianna Fáil organisation concerning Haughey's leadership increased dramatically. Many canvassers now restarted the campaign to get Lenihan elected. However, Lenihan's personal confidence was shattered and although he recovered somewhat in the polls towards the end of the campaign, it was insufficient. He was ahead on the first count with 44% of the first-preference votes — Robinson attaining 39%.<ref name="elei42" /> However, transfers from Currie proved critical and the majority of these went — as expected — against Fianna Fáil. Lenihan became the first Fianna Fáil presidential candidate to lose a presidential election. Robinson became president, the first woman to hold the office, and the first candidate to be second on first preference votes to win the presidency.

She became the first Labour Party candidate, the first woman, and the first non-Fianna-Fáil candidate in a contested presidential election to win the presidency. RTÉ broadcast her victory speech live rather than [[The Angelus (television programme)|The Angelus]]. Her first television interview as President-elect was on the RTÉ children's television show The Den with [[Ray D'Arcy]], [[Zig and Zag (puppets)|puppets Zig and Zag]] and [[Dustin the Turkey]], another puppet.<ref name="zigzag" />