Former Taoiseach John Bruton rules out presidential bid

The former Taoiseach has decided not to seek the Fine Gael nomination for president.

FORMER TAOISEACH John Bruton has this afternoon ruled out of a bid for the presidency.

The former Fine Gael leader had been tipped to be a candidate to replace Mary McAleese when the presidential election takes place later this year but he has ruled out running in what is an already crowded field of candidates.

Fine Gael MEPs Mairead McGuinness and Sean Kelly as well as former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox are the governing party’s other possible candidates who have expressed an interest in running for the Áras.

Poll: Who would get your vote as next President of Ireland? >

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More