Former Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin has won the Fianna Fail presidential nomination.

He defeated the party’s MEP and former junior minister Billy Kelleher in a secret ballot of the parliamentary party on Tuesday.

Mr Kelleher had secured far fewer public endorsements from Fianna Fail TDs, senators and MEPs than Mr Gavin – who also enjoys the support of party leadership, including Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Speaking on his way in to Leinster House, where the vote was held, Mr Gavin said he had “a great two weeks” visiting parliamentary party members.

placeholder image — Former Dublin Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin speaking to the media after he was announced as the Fianna Fail presidential candidate, at Leinster House in Dublin. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

He added: “A great energy and I’m just looking forward this morning to putting my view (to) the party. I think competition is very good.”

Mr Kelleher said he would emphasise to the parliamentary party how the next president should use their “soft power” to advocate for citizens on the margins.

He said that the president should be a unifying figure.

“Either way, the idea that we would have a good, robust debate within our party I think was a positive step, I like to see democracy play out in all aspects.”

Mr Gavin is the third candidate of Ireland’s presidential election, which will be held on Friday October 24.

To run as a presidential candidate, a person must be an Irish citizen over the age of 35 and nominated by either 20 Irish parliamentarians or by four local authorities.

Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Fine Gael command enough support in the Dail parliament to put forward their own candidates.

Former social protection minister Heather Humphreys is Fine Gael’s presidential nominee, while left-wing independent Catherine Connolly has secured the backing of a variety of opposition parties.

Sinn Fein has not yet decided whether it will field its own candidate or back an independent, such as Ms Connolly.

The party said it will decide on September 20, four days before nominations for candidates close.

‘Honoured’

Mr Gavin has said he was “delighted” and “honoured” to be the Fianna Fail presidential candidate.

He was speaking alongside Taoiseach Micheal Martin and members of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party after the majority voted for him to become their candidate for the election on October 24.

“It’s a great honour for myself, a great honour for my family,” he said outside Leinster House where the vote took place. “I’m thinking at this time of my father, Jimmy, who hails from west Clare, who was very proud of me, and indeed for my community from Dublin and the wider Gavin family.

“We’ve had a very robust competition, and I’ve been involved in competitions all my life, and I think this will be the toughest campaign that I’ve ever been involved in, but I’ve got great support from the parliamentary party.

“I travelled the length and breadth of the country over the last week, meeting deputies, senators, MEPs, sharing my vision for the presidency, getting their feedback, and giving them the opportunity to ask me some questions.

“So I’m very honoured. The competition was really welcome with Billy (Kelleher). We had a great chat this morning.

“He’s a phenomenal MEP. Competition is good. Don’t think anybody wanted a coronation. I’ve learned a lot. I think the parliamentary party, the energy that I felt in the room today, was so positive, so energetic, and it speaks to my vision to have a presidency with energy and an active presidency on behalf of the Irish people.”

‘Proud’ republican

Mr Gavin has described himself as a “proud” republican and said he voted Yes in the abortion and marriage equality referenda.

The Fianna Fail presidential candidate said he has not spoken to the media yet because he wanted to engage with the party members to secure their nomination first.

“That took a lot of time,” he said after the party voted to back him.

“Now it’s about getting myself out there and meeting the communities. People know me already, from sport, from my work in the northeast of the city, for my 20 years serving in Oglaigh na hEireann. So people know me, but obviously, I think over the next two months, they’re gonna get to know me better.”

“I’m a proud republican. I’m a constitutional republican, I’ve served the state. I’m motivated by a sense of duty.

“I’m motivated by serving the people of the country that has always been in my DNA, I look forward now to taking this presidential campaign out to the people and show them what I’m about.”