Sinn Féin has announced Liadh Ní Riada as its candidate to contest the Irish presidential election. The Irish presidential election of 2018 will take place on Friday, 26 October. Liadh Ní Riada is a native speaker of the Irish language and is the party's Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Ireland South constituency. She is the daughter of Seán Ó Riada (1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971), who was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Already in the election contest to date is incumbent President Michael D Higgins, businessman Sean Gallagher, Senator Joan Freeman and businessman Gavin Duffy.