The singer, who’s currently the bookies’ favourite to succeed Michael D Higgins in the Áras, will appear on the "Late Late" with her daughter Aoife Scott — with Frances expected to confirm or deny if she’ll be seeking a nomination.
But for the uninitiated, who is Frances Black, and how was she fared both on the musical and political stage?
Who is Frances Black?
Frances Black, photographed in 1998.
Growing up in Dublin as the youngest of five siblings, Frances Black grew up around music — with her mum being a singer, and her dad being a fiddler and mandolinist. When she was 17, she joined the Black Family band alongside her sister Mary (also a well-known singer!) and their three brothers.
The family, whose forte was trad and contemporary Irish music, have been on the scene intermittently for the past five decades, with Mary also enjoying a successful solo career — with her debut album Talk to Me spending a massive eight weeks atop the charts in Ireland.
She went on to release eight more albums over the years, with her latest release, Stronger, being released in 2013. She also went back to college as a mature student in 2004, qualifying as an addiction counsellor, and has embarked on several charitable ventures.
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Trading the musical stage for the political stage
Entering the world of politics in 2016, Frances was elected in the Seanad Elections on her first attempt as an Independent, running on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. She was re-elected in 2020 and 2025, and was a member of the Civil Engagement Group in 2025.
Throughout her career as a Senator, she tabled bills such as the Occupied Territories Bill in 2018 and the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. She is also an advocate for Irish reunification and the BDS Movement.
Áras bound?
Frances Black.
While she hasn’t formally announced that she’ll be seeking a nomination in the 2025 Presidential Election (unlike some much louder folks), Frances didn’t rule herself out of running altogether — saying just last week that she’d be open to the possibility of running (which is pretty much delaying the inevitable).
Betting sites should never be replaced for opinion polls and actual analysis, but Frances is currently sitting as a 4/1 favourite to succeed Michael D Higgins according to Paddy Power, with Mairead McGuinness coming second at 9/2. Heather Humphreys, Sean Kelly and Catherine Connolly round out the top five.
Frances and her daughter Aoife are set to appear on the "Late Late" on Friday night (March 28), with it being expected that she’ll open up a little more on a potential bid for the Presidency and if she’ll confirm or deny that she’s going to go for it.
* This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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