Bertie Ahern has announced his withdrawal from the Presidential Election, accusing Micheál Martin of being “anti-me”. 

The former Taoiseach had hoped that the party he led, Fianna Fáil, would nominate him as their candidate. 

However, in recent days, momentum has been building behind former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin’s bid to be the party’s standard bearer in the contest. 

Mr Martin was widely understood to be against running Mr Ahern as a candidate, fearing he had too much baggage that would be brought up during a campaign. 

Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Ahern also ruled out standing as an independent candidate. 

"As a former leader of the party, I respect Fianna Fáil and its legacy far too much to even consider that independent idea," he said in a statement.

"I've always been a Fianna Fáil person.

"I suppose the only area where [Micheál Martin] has indicated in the past why he was anti-me was the Mahon Tribunal and the economy."

Mr Ahern added that Ireland was not the only country to be plunged into recession during the financial crisis, omitting that the State was one of the few to require a bailout by the IMF.

"The reality is that the economy from ’97 to today has grown practically nearly every year bar the years of the international recession which was a worldwide recession," he said.

Bertie Ahern and Mary Harney enjoy a cup of tea wit John Bruton outside the Dáil in 2000. Picture by: Paul Sharp/RollingNews.ie.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Political Correspondent Seán Defoe said Mr Ahern clearly feels aggrieved. 

“Fianna Fáil nominations close today, it looks like it will be only Billy Kelleher and Jim Gavin,” he explained. 

“Bertie Ahern sort of blamed everybody but himself, he was almost trying to gaslight the country it felt like. 

“The statement that he put out to people said that the economic crash wasn’t his fault, that lies had been told about him through the Mahon Tribunal finds and really the reason that he wasn’t running was down to Micheál Martin. 

“Micheál Martin being anti-him based on the findings of the Mahon Tribunal. 

“So, it was sort of a look around and blame everyone but himself.” 

Bertie Ahern in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk

Despite this, although many in Fianna Fáil doubted he would do well in an election, many thought he could serve as President competently enough. 

“He’s been on the Council of State for an awful time, he knows the role inside out,” Seán said. 

“His constitutional knowledge was never in doubt but they didn’t want to have to go through the campaign and address all of those things. 

“About Mahon, about the financial crash and the impact of it, about what that Government was doing at the time.” 

The Council of State in 2024. Picture by: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

The Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party will meet on Tuesday at 11.30, where TDs and Senators will vote to choose a candidate. 

“Jim Gavin has more than 30 public declarations at the minute, he needs 35 in order to win the vote,” Seán continued. 

“Billy Kelleher has five; what a lot of people are saying behind the scenes is that this is a secret ballot, there could be a lot of people saying to Micheál Martin, ‘Oh I’ll absolutely vote with your man.’ 

“Similar to what happened in 1997 when Albert Reynolds had the promise of Bertie Ahern and others. 

“Of course, when it went to the secret ballot, Mary McAleese won out in the end.” 

The Presidential Election will take place on 24th October.

Main image: Bertie Ahern with Micheál Martin. Picture by: Alamy.com.