Tony Holohan will not run for president to protect family from campaign ‘abuse'
Tony Holohan
has announced he will not now seek a nomination to run for the
presidency
because he wants to protect his family from the 'personal abuse' of a campaign.
Prof Holohan said he could not expose his family to 'distress, criticism or abuse at a time when we are all still rebuilding our lives'.
He had been strongly considering trying to enter this year's presidential race, after a poll commissioned by his supporters last week put him at 15 per cent.
But in a statement to The Irish Times, Prof Holohan said that, 'after a lot of careful consideration and reflection, I have decided not to seek a nomination to contest the election'.
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'While a number of different factors have influenced my decision, my overriding consideration has been my wish to protect my family from the kind of personal abuse which is becoming increasingly normalised in Irish politics generally and in presidential elections in particular,' he said.
'I understand the very tough nature of modern politics and, while I am more than capable of defending my reputation and the decisions which I have taken over a long career during challenging times in public service, my family is not. I cannot now expose them to further distress, criticism or abuse at a time when we are all still rebuilding our lives.'
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Covid, CervicalCheck and the Trinity job: questions for Tony Holohan if he launches a presidential run
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Prof Holohan said he 'earnestly' hopes the upcoming campaign will be marked by 'civilised and respectful debate'. He wished the next president success, and said they will have his 'full support'.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael will meet on Monday to consider the
presidential election
campaign as support grows inside and outside of the party for
Heather Humphreys
to run.
The former minister has said she is giving the matter '
very serious consideration
'. She had ruled out the possibility in May.
Ms Humphreys, who did not contest last year's general election, has emerged as the favourite to replace former MEP
Mairead McGuinness
, who on Thursday announced she was stepping down as the Fine Gael candidate on
health grounds
.
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Can you have too much democracy?
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A number of Independent politicians have come out in support of Ms Humphreys running to succeed
Michael D Higgins
. Ministers of State
Michael Healy-Rae
,
Noel Grealish
and
Seán Canney
have said they would support her candidacy, noting her 'broad' appeal and ability to 'bring a lot of people together'.
Ms Humphreys is also understood to be the preferred candidate for a number of senior Fine Gael ministers.
Fine Gael MEP
Seán Kelly
, a former
GAA
president, on Saturday said he was weighing up his options about seeking the party's nomination after this week's news about Ms McGuinness.
He said last month that he would not run, describing it as the 'most difficult decision' of his political life, but on Saturday told
Newstalk
'the goalposts have changed'. Mr Kelly said the discussion within Fine Gael on who it would now run as its candidate 'hasn't started really' out of respect for Ms McGuinness.
'I think next week will be time enough to reflect properly on that and take action. There's no rush,' he added.
Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty, a member of the national executive, said there should be a contest if Mr Kelly and Ms Humphreys both put their names forward.
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'Your numbers have gone through the roof and your myeloma has gone crazy again,' he was told. 'We need to take you off this drug and get you on a new one.' That was three months ago. He had to check into the hospital that night and ended up staying for a month to see if he could deal with the side-effects of the drug. He got pancreatitis. There is pain and then there is pain. Pancreatitis was hell. But this feeling he had on that Friday morning was way worse, sitting on a blue chair, holding a beige-coloured ticket, staring at the clock, waiting and wondering. If the news was good, if he was told the drug was working, then life would go on. He'd return to work 'to CPM, the best employers in the world who have looked after me while I have been ill'. But if this drug wasn't working, what then? Was there a fifth drug they could try? He hadn't asked. 'Sitting in that room, waiting for that news was the first time I was seriously worried. Three treatments had failed. 'I had my bloods taken the day before. I had scans. As the clock ticked towards noon. I was waiting to be told if my numbers had improved or got worse. 'I have always fought it (his cancer) head on. This was the first time when I realised this was a trial drug; so if this doesn't work then what the hell is the next treatment?' The stem cell transplant he had received was supposed to give him ten years in remission. 'For the cancer to come back after 18 months was kind of unheard of for my age. I was obviously nervous waiting for the result.' Nervous waiting for a result! He remembers the first time he issued those words, back in 1998. He was a St Pat's player then. They won that year's League of Ireland title on the last day of the season, beating Kilkenny City away. But to become champions, they needed Dundalk to defeat their rivals, Shelbourne. So they waited for a result from Oriel Park. They got the news they wanted. The following year something similar happened, Pat's beating Bray on the final day of the season to win back-to-back titles. Consumed by the game, he worked to make the most of what he had, reaching an incredibly high level, representing his country at underage level, winning bronze at the 1997 Under 20 World Cup. And when he spent a month in the Mater Hospital over Easter, all those players from all those teams came in to visit. Brian Kerr, his Ireland manager in 1997, checks in at least once a week. Brian Kerr, the former St Pat's and Ireland manager, is still a regular at Saints games (Image: ©INPHO/Tom Maher) 'Brian has been incredible,' Hawkins says. 'He has such a big heart. Football people, they're great. They don't forget. They remember the big nights, you being there for them on the pitch. "This time they were there for me. All these years later and the dressing room spirit is still strong. It's why football is special.' 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'You are responding well.' That was eight weeks ago. Today Colin Hawkins is in remission. This champion football player has just won the biggest prize of his life. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
