Bob Geldof says he was never really serious about an Irish presidential bid

By David Young, PA

Bob Geldof has insisted he was never serious about running for the Irish presidency as he revealed details of his conversation with the Taoiseach about the prospect.

The Boomtown Rats frontman was linked with a potential run to become Ireland’s head of state several weeks ago, and, at the time, Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged he had a conversation with the Live Aid campaigner about the potential of him standing for his Fianna Fáil party in October’s election.

Geldof, who is originally from Dun Laoghaire near Dublin, said the discussion with Mr Martin did not progress very far, as the Irish premier had already chosen someone else as his preferred candidate.

Mr Martin backed former Dublin gaelic football manager Jim Gavin as Fianna Fáil’s nomination and the former army officer was formally confirmed as the party candidate last week.

Geldof, 73, was asked about his interest in the position after picking up a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Sky Arts Awards on Tuesday evening.

Asked by Sky News if he had ruled himself out of contention, the singer said he “would never walk myself in”.

He added: “What happened was we played at one of the big festivals in Ireland and coming off stage, somebody said, ‘Are you going to make a run for the President?’ But they ask that of everybody in Ireland, that’s the first thing – because anyone can (make a run), which is good.

"And I said, ‘Well, it’s 50 years of the (Boomtown) Rats, 40 years of Band Aid, yeah, I’d like to do something new, interesting and useful’. And that set the hares running.

“So then people who are fairly high-powered in Ireland rang me and said, ‘Are you serious?’ I said ‘No’.

"I said, ‘Literally, I have no time’. I knew about this (the lifetime achievement award), I knew about promo for the album, which is like tomorrow it’s wall to wall, and for the rest of the week, then I’ll go on tour. So you wouldn’t have had time.

“But they said, ‘will you talk to the prime minister, the taoiseach?’ I said, ‘Yeah, of course I will’. And he got the same lobby saying, ‘Will you talk to Geldof?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, of course I will’.

“So Micheál called me and I said, ‘What would you think about Bob Geldof being the candidate for the Fianna Fáil party?’ ‘I think it would be great,’ he said, ‘But I’ve already chosen someone’. I said, ‘That’s the end of the conversation Taoiseach, thanks very much’. And that was it.”

Geldof said if he was serious about running, he would have had to comply with the official requirements of getting on the ballot – something you can achieve by securing the backing of either 20 Irish parliamentarians or four local councils.

“And I didn’t want to do that,” he added. “I simply wouldn’t have had time. And then the issue is, would you have wanted to do it? It’s seven years so, you know, my kids are here, my missus is here, my homes are here, I’d miss London, the band is here. I wouldn’t be able to play.

“Would it be interesting? Yes, up to a point, though.”

Geldof also said he was relieved that controversial mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor had withdrawn from the presidential race this week.

Asked if he would have any interest in a tilt come the next election in seven years’ time, Geldof replied bluntly: “I’ll be dead”.