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RIVERDANCE STAR MICHAEL Flatley is to seek a nomination to become Ireland’s next president, the High Court has heard.
The choreographer’s barrister made the announcement during a High Court case he has taken in relation to works carried out at his mansion in Co Cork, the Castlehyde.
Barrister Ronnie Hudson notified the court of a “material change in circumstances” for Flatley, and said he is to move back to Ireland within the next 14 days and look to run in the presidential election this autumn.
An affidavit, signed by Flatley’s solicitor Maxwell Mooney, was submitted to the court stating that the Irish-American is “to seek nominations to run for president of Ireland”.
Only earlier this month, Flatley had been coy about the possibility about standing for president but said he had not made a final decision.
The Lord Of The Dance star, who is a dual American and Irish citizen, had told RTÉ Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor that he had been approached by many people who asked about his intentions to run.
At that point he had “not made the decision” but said the idea of standing for president was something he “takes seriously”.
“If I thought that I could be of benefit to the Irish people and maybe more importantly, if I thought I could be a voice of the Irish people. Right now, I don’t think they have a voice, not a true proper deep voice that you know that speaks their language,” Flatley told the radio programme.
Flatley said he hears concerns from the “average person on the street” and they are not “happy right now”.
“Somebody has to speak for the Irish people,” he said.
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