GAA PUNDIT JOE Brolly has revealed that a number of political parties have asked him to consider running for election to become Ireland’s next head of state.
Brolly, the Sunday Game analyst and former Derry forward confirmed to the Belfast Telegraph that he has been approached but he has refused to confirm his interest in the role, admitting he sees it as “very ambassadorial”.
The 46-year-old has plenty of time to make up his mind though with Michael D Higgins in office for another three years.
The barrister seems more intent on targeting social change, something he is unsure he could achieve as President of Ireland.
“What we’ve seen over the last three presidencies – and all of them have been outstanding presidents taking into account the constraints of the role – we’ve seen very academic people with very academic interests, and even people with their sort of heft have been unable, really, to influence any agenda,” he said.
“There are a lot of really important social issues that I think could be advanced. I’ve seen Opt for Life – our organ donation campaign, totally voluntary – in the space of the three years since it was created begin to create real awareness here in the North.
When we started three years ago our rates were extremely low and now … we’re number one in the world for kidney donation.
If Brolly does decide to run to become Ireland’s head of state he has insisted it would be a no-frills campaign.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t be attracted to it, but it would have to be a zero-cost campaign and it would have to be voluntary.
“There wouldn’t be any of the razzmatazz or anything, and it would obviously be on important social issues and things like that.”
