FINE GAEL MEP Sean Kelly has said he is “reluctantly” ruling himself out of the race for the Áras, calling it “the most difficult decision” he’s had to make in his political life.

The Ireland South MEP also said he would support another likely challenger, fellow Brussels politician Mairead McGuinness, if she is selected as the party’s candidate.

The party opened its nomination process for anyone seeking the party’s candidacy for the upcoming presidential election earlier this week.

The nominations will close at 4pm next Tuesday 15 July, a statement from the party said.

To be nominated, a candidate needs the nomination of 20 members of the parliamentary party, 25 Fine Gael councillors and five members of the executive council, it said.

Explaining his decision on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme, Kelly said he had to weigh up the pros and cons of the decision.

I asked myself one question. I said, ‘Am I happy with what I’m doing with the moment?’ And I said, ‘I am.’ Would I be happier spending seven years in the Áras, considering John B Keane said, ‘A day out of Kerry is a day wasted.’ And I said, perhaps not.

The former GAA president admitted he was “very disappointed” in some respects, because the role is one “that comes along once in a lifetime” and he felt he had the support of many TDs and supporters within Fine Gael and outside the party too.

Kelly said he would continue his “responsible jobs” in Europe, adding that he “got a massive vote last year, by far and away, thankfully, the highest of any candidate” in that European election.

While he said he would support McGuinness for the presidency, he said he thinks the party members “would like to have a contest” to decide on the Fine Gael runner.

Speculation has been increasing about who will succeed Michael D Higgins, with Mary Lou McDonald refusing to rule herself out as a Sinn Féin presidential candidate, whereas former RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy has denied he will go for the position.