Jim Gavin Will 'Never' Run For President Again

Jim Gavin has said that he will "never" run for President of Ireland again.

Gavin has opened up on this for the first time since his dramatic withdrawal from the presidential race last year, following reports that he had owed a former tenant €3,300 since 2009.

Speaking to Off The Ball, Gavin, renowned for leading the Dublin senior men's GAA team to five All Ireland titles in a row,  has insisted that he will "never" run for president again.

“I’ll never do it again but I have no regrets of what I did", Gavin said, before going on to describe last year's campaign for Fianna Fáil as "bitter and intense". 

When asked if he thought others would be put off running for president due to his experience, Gavin added that he “wouldn’t blame them for that being of that perspective”.

He continued: “Nonetheless, if you have that sense of duty in you, a sense of service to countries Ireland".

Admitting that it was a shock at "how intense the whole thing was", Gavin added: “I probably had a romantic view of public service and duty, from my time in the Defence Forces", he added.

Having announced plans to run for President of Ireland, Jim Gavin later withdrew from the race following revelations that he owed €3,300 to a tenant since 2009, which was an overpayment of rent which the tenant claimed was never returned.

According to the tenant, the payments were made by mistake and were never repaid.

The reported property was also not registered with the Residential Tenancies Board at the time, a fact which Jim Gavin had acknowledged and admitted was a mistake which stemmed from financial difficulties and not being completely familiar with the rules at the time.

In the end, Gavin withdrew from the race, releasing this statement last October.

“Recent days have given me cause to reflect. I made a mistake that was not in keeping with my character and the standards I set myself. I am now taking steps to address the matter. I have also thought long and hard about the potential impact of the ongoing campaign on the wellbeing of my family and friends. Taking all these considerations on board, I have decided to withdraw from the presidential election contest with immediate effect and return to the arms of my family". 

Back in December, it emerged that Taoiseach Micheál Martin was aware of Jim Gavin's issue with a former tenant prior to being chosen as Fianna Fáil's presidential nominee. More on this story here.