FIANNA FÁIL MEP Billy Kelleher and former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin will formally go head-to-head for the party’s nomination to contest the presidential election.

The party had opened a nomination process which required a potential candidate to secure support of at least five members of the parliamentary party.

As that process closed today, Kelleher had secured far fewer public endorsements from Fianna Fail TDs, senators and MEPs than Gavin – who also enjoys the support of party leadership, including Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

The names of the two hopefuls will go to a secret ballot on Tuesday, after which the party will declare the winning candidate.

Kelleher said he would be engaging with party colleagues ahead of the vote.

“The purpose of this is to ensure that we have an interrogation of the candidates, that we have an interrogation of ideas and values, and that we put forward a candidate that actually reflects the Fianna Fail values that we want to take into the campaign.”

Speaking to RTE’s Six One News, he said: “I think it’s important in a democratic party like Fianna Fail, that we do have a healthy debate.”

Asked about whether he believes he will be successful, given that Gavin had 31 public endorsements when only 36 is needed for a majority, Kelleher said: “That’s the beauty about the process – in the sense that it is going to be a secret ballot.”

The MEP rejected claims that a vote for him would undermine Martin’s leadership and added that he was unaware of Gavin’s interest when he first approached the idea of running.

Asked if he would not have put himself forward if he had known about the leadership’s support for Gavin, Kelleher said: “I still believe that there should be a contest. I don’t believe in coronations.

“I think we have to get people into the ring. They have to be able to present and articulate their views, to express themselves.”

Pressed on whether he was saying that Gavin could not do that, he replied: “I can only speak for myself. I speak regularly. I engage with colleagues, I have been debating my entire life. I stand on my record.”

Former Fianna Fail leader and taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who had canvassed party leadership about backing a potential bid, announced he would not be entering the race.

Ahern ruled himself out of contention late on Thursday night after expressing a view that he had never seen leadership not get its way on “these things”.

So far, left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, who has the backing of various opposition parties, and former Fine Gael minister Heather Humphreys are the only candidates who have secured the support needed to get on the presidential ballot paper.

Sinn Fein has yet to announce whether or not it will back Ms Connolly, or if it will nominate its own candidate before the window closes on September 24.

Meanwhile, former weather forecaster Joanna Donnelly and Riverdance star Michael Flatley announced they were no longer pursuing their bids for the office.

Flatley said he had to put his family and health first, adding: “I feel I can better serve the Irish people by continuing my work promoting Ireland and Irish culture globally.”

Donnelly told supporters she came to understand she was “underprepared” for a tilt at the Aras, saying in a social media post: “I was naive to think I could meet the challenges of the campaign.”

The presidential election will be held on Friday 24 October.