Jim Gavin has been selected as Fianna Fáil’s candidate for the Presidency.
The former Dublin GAA manager beat rival Billy Kelleher MEP by 41 votes to 29 in a ballot of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
The margin was smaller than expected, with Mr Gavin enjoying the support of Taoiseach Micheál Martin and a commanding lead among those who publicly backed a candidate.
Speaking to Newstalk afterwards, Mr Gavin predicted the election would be “toughest campaign that I've ever been involved in”.
"I'm very honoured, the competition was really welcome with Billy, we'd a quick chat earlier on this morning, he's a phenomenal MEP,” he said.
"Competition is good, I don't think anyone wanted a coronation.
"For me the presidency is being the first person of the state, not the first politician.”
Jim Gavin with members of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party. Picture by: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ieMr Gavin’s defeated rival, Mr Kelleher, congratulated him and vowed to “canvas every day I can to ensure that he is elected because he shares the values that I share”.
Not backing Bertie
One want who was not on Fianna Fáil’s ballot paper today was their former party leader Bertie Ahern.
The three term Taoiseach pulled out of the race last week and accused Micheál Martin of being “anti-me”.
He added that he would not seek a nomination to stand as an independent.
"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."
On The Pat Kenny Show, his daughter, the novelist Cecelia Ahern said he was “clearly disappointed” not to be standing in the election.
“I encouraged him if it was something he wanted to do,” she revealed.
“I knew that he’d be brilliant at it to be honest, I thought he’d be absolutely brilliant in that role.
“But look, it’s not to be; we’ll have him back with us a bit more.”
Despite this, she predicted that he will stay busy and has been “doing so many different things internationally” in recent years.
“He’s incredibly active, has not left politics or conflict negotiation,” she said.
“He is incredibly busy and he’ll just continue doing that.”
View this post on Instagram
The Presidential Election will be held on 24th October; as well as Mr Gavin, Heather Humphreys of Fine Gael and independent Catherine Connolly will be on the ballot paper.
Sinn Féin has yet to announce if it will nominate a candidate.
Main image: Jim Gavin speaks to the media after winning the nomation to became Fianna Fáil's candidate for President. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie
