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L-R: Former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte and Dr Tony Holohan. Alamy Stock Photo

Pat Rabbitte open to presidential run, while Tony Holohan won't confirm or deny

Pat Rabbitte and Dr Tony Holohan are the latest to refrain from ruling themselves out of the Áras race.

FORMER LABOUR PARTY leader Pat Rabbitte has said he is open to considering a run for president.

Rabbitte was leader of the party between 2002 and 2007 and served as minister for communications, energy and natural resources between 2011 and 2014.

The Co Mayo man is currently chairman of Tusla.

Asked on Newstalk radio today if he would rule out running for president, Rabbitte said: “No, one should always keep one’s options open.”

He went on to say he would “entertain” a bid if he was approached by a “broad cross-section of moderate opinion”.

However, he added: “I better kill this quickly before it gathers feet: I am very, very happy to leave this challenge to others.”

The Labour party has yet to formally back a candidate.

Meanwhile, The Irish Mail On Sunday reported former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has also not ruled out seeking a nomination.

The newspaper reported today that “plans are in progress” for Holohan to announce his candidacy as he refused to “confirm or deny” whether he would enter the race. It is unclear whether he will be backed by a political party, although it was reported that he has a cordial relationship with both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Fine Gael’s candidate Mairead McGuinness was confirmed by the party, but has yet to be formally ratified. Fianna Fáil have yet to back a candidate.

Former minister Mary Hanafin yesterday said that the party should be running a candidate, coming after she expressed her own desire to represent Fianna Fáil in the election.

Public Expenditure minister Jack Chambers told RTÉ’s This Week that he was “not aware of any engagements” between Fianna Fáil and Holohan regarding his potential candidacy.

The face of Riverdance, Michael Flatley, didn’t rule out his own potential bid yesterday. Michael Healy-Rae said that he would not be contesting the election after broadcaster and former Fine Gael TD Ivan Yates told BreakingNews.ie that the Kerry TD could be a “dark horse”.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly is the only candidate to have formally announced her campaign, having been backed by the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.

An opinion poll conducted by The Irish Times showed that Mairead McGuinness is currently the most popular candidate in the mix, followed by Catherine Connolly, but that many voters are not engaged in the Áras race.

With reporting by Press Association 

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jay
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    Apr 13th 2025, 8:19 PM

    29 going on 49. You are only young once pal.

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    Mute P. J.
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    Apr 13th 2025, 10:36 PM

    @Jay:
    That’s the only type who would keep a money diary!!
    Have you noticed how many accountants and money managers come up?

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    Mute George Bowling
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    Apr 13th 2025, 8:57 PM

    Maybe if the journal offered a free bet to write one of these diaries we’d all finally get the account of the young life of the hard drinking tearaway whose rent this week is entirely dependent on the 3.30 at Kempton that we all secretly hope to read whenever we open one of these articles.

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    Mute P. J.
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    Apr 13th 2025, 10:33 PM

    @George Bowling:
    Haha, it would have to be a lot more than one free bet to get someone like that to keep an accurate money diary

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    Mute Laney Sinc
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    Apr 13th 2025, 8:06 PM

    Youth is wasted on the young.

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    Mute Lance Taylor
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    Apr 14th 2025, 5:23 AM

    @Laney Sinc: he is a very rich one and saving a pretty penny

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    Mute Trish
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    Apr 13th 2025, 9:23 PM

    Well done. I think you’re doing great.

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    Mute Thomas O'Brien
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    Apr 13th 2025, 9:51 PM

    Woke up, got out of bed, dragged the comb across my head. Made my way downstairs and drank a cup and looking up I noticed I was late.
    Found my coat and grabbed my hat, made the bus in seconds flat.
    Found my way upstairs and had a smoke and somebody spoke and I went into a dream.

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    Apr 13th 2025, 8:50 PM

    I can only assume the engineer is either Elec, Mech or similar. His remuneration shows the exploitation large companies get away with. You can be guaranteed they are charging the client double if not more for his role. Of course I’m guessing but this would be typical of construction companies. After all the years studying being an engineer is no longer seen as it was once before.

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    Mute Dan The Man
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    Apr 13th 2025, 9:12 PM

    @Thomas Meaney: He could grow a pair and go work for himself and double his salary immediately minimum.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Apr 14th 2025, 4:47 AM

    no kids, carreer oriented and no life

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    Mute Dan The Man
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    Apr 14th 2025, 6:05 AM

    @Dominic Leleu: People don’t seem to realise you pay for selfish choices at the end in old age when loneliness and isolation kick in.

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