Did you hear the one about the Eurovision winner, the gay lecturer and the IRA man? There’s no punchline yet – we won’t get it until Irish voters choose a new president on 29 October. But at the close of nominations today the lineup they’ve got to chose from is bigger and more fascinating than it has ever been before.

The Irish Presidency is a ceremonial office, one that is not known for exciting contests or, it must be said, candidates. Dr Patrick Hillery, for example, was elected unopposed in 1976, was President until 1990, and is not well remembered outside Ireland. The two Marys – Robinson and MacAleese – have brought a touch of colour to the office but they’ve been fairly uncontroversial.

This time its different.

NORRIS

The most interesting candidate is arguably David Norris (the gay lecturer). His sexuality shouldn’t matter but it does for two reasons. Firstly if he won, and on early polling he’s doing well, Norris would be the first openly gay head of state in the world.

Secondly Norris actually withdrew from the contest following a scandal in the summer. It emerged that he had written to an Israeli court pleading for clemency for a former lover who was accused of statutory rape. Many of the Norris campaign team resigned. But his support actually seemed to grow following the scandal. Norris, previously known as a bit of a character with a fondness for the works of James Joyce, re-entered the race.

MCGUINNESS

The IRA man is of course Martin McGuinness. He’s not an IRA man any longer apparently, but he was for long enough for it to be a big issue. There is less support for Sinn Fein south of the Irish border than there is north of it and McGuinness has faced a barrage of sharp questions about his past. He has been forced into stating that he never actually killed anyone; that’s quite something for a presidential candidate to have to say.

The other thing about McGuinness is that he holds office in the UK – as a Westminster MP (who doesn’t take his seat) and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (from which he has stepped down temporarily).

SCALLON

The Eurovision winner, Dana Rosemary Scallon, has stood before. She has some support but its hard to see her winning. That said Dana wasn’t favourite to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970 either so who knows?

THE REST

With such colourful characters involved it’s easy to overlook the rest of the field but some of them are pretty interesting too. Michael Higgins is the Labour candidate and a strong contender. Sean Gallagher is a judge on Ireland’s ‘Dragon’s Den’, Gay Mitchell has the support of the ruling party. Mary Davis is of the great and the good and, well, she’s called Mary – it didn’t hurt the last two.

Fortunately candidates don’t have to have been born in the Irish Republic to stand for the Presidency as the lineup would not be so much fun without Norris (born in Kinshasa), McGuinness (Derry) or Scallon (Islington).