Cork Fianna Fáil MEP Kelleher putting his name forward for Áras

Fianna Fáil MEP and Cork native Billy Kelleher has announced this afternoon that he intends to seek his party’s nomination for the presidency.

Sources close to Mr Kelleher told The Echo this morning that his announcement was imminent and the Ireland South MEP confirmed the reports at lunchtime today.

Those sources said Mr Kelleher was “encouraged” by the reactions he had received from TDs and senators among Fianna Fáil’s 71 parliamentary party members, who will vote to nominate the party’s candidate.

GLANMIRE

Originally from the White’s Cross/Upper Glanmire area, Mr Kelleher has been an MEP for Ireland South since 2019 and prior to that he served since 1997 as a Cork North-Central TD.

Mr Kelleher was a junior minister at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 2007 to 2011 and served as a senator from 1993 to 1997. He worked as a farmer before becoming a politician.

However, is understood that Taoiseach Micheál Martin favours former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin as a possible Fianna Fail nominee.

A number of parliamentary party members said Mr Martin and Jack Chambers, minister for public expenditure and deputy party leader, had been calling members on Thursday evening urging them to support Mr Gavin.

Following calls to clarify Fianna Fáil’s position, Mr Martin told this newspaper last week that he intended to clarify the parliamentary party’s position on the presidency this weekend.

Pádraig O’Sullivan, who in 2019 succeeded Mr Kelleher as Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, said he intends to endorse Mr Kelleher to seek the party’s nomination.

“I’ll be delighted to support Billy. I think he showed bravery last week when he raised the issue of the presidency in the vacuum that was there, and I think he would make a great candidate for Fianna Fáil,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“I think he has all the attributes needed to make a great president — he has the prior political knowledge, he understands the possibilities, the limitations, and the remit of the role, and I think his experience gives him all the attributes to be a fine president.” 

President Michael D Higgins’s second term is due to end on Tuesday, November 11, and the election to replace him must be held in the 60 days before that date. It is thought likely that the election will be held towards the end of October.

Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly is so far the only confirmed candidate, having already secured the backing of Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit-Solidarity and a range of Independents.

Sinn Fein has yet to announce whether it will support Ms Connolly or run its own candidate.

Heather Humphreys and Sean Kelly are currently in a battle to secure the Fine Gael nomination following the withdrawal of Mairead McGuinness on health grounds.