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Sean Gallagher: "I really wanted to do for enterprise and jobs what Mary McAleese had done for the peace process." RTÉ

Gallagher doesn't rule out having another run for President

Asked by Gay Byrne if he’d do it all over again, the former Dragons’ Den panellist – and soon-to-be new dad – simply says: “Who knows?”

FORMER PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Sean Gallagher has not ruled out a second attempt at running for Ireland’s highest office.

In an interview to be broadcast on TV tomorrow evening – the first since the end of the Presidential campaign that saw Gallagher finish second to Michael D Higgins – the former Dragons Den investor said: “Who knows?”

The 50-year-old said public life was not his priority for the time being, as he was more focussed on beginning a family – revealing that his wife Trish is expecting the couple’s first child next March.

The Cavan native, a former member of Fianna Fáil’s national executive, ran as an independent candidate in last year’s election and led the polls until the last week of campaigning before a high-profile TV debate saw him come under fire for his former role as a party fundraiser.

“I had a wonderful experience,” Gallagher said, referring to that campaign, in spite of the scrutiny he came under. “I met some of the most amazing people.

“2,500 people joined my campaign and campaigned every night for me. I had an army of wonderful volunteers. I was sorry for them in the end. I kicked myself for them,” Gallagher said in the interview, conducted by Gay Byrne.

It was the only time in the campaign that I got emotional and upset was when I addressed a couple of hundred of them, who were fathered after the campaign, and I said, ‘I’m really sorry that I let you guys down.’ And they said, ‘You haven’t let anyone down.’

Gallagher added that he did not consider last year’s campaign to be a failure, and that it would only have been a failure if he had had “the desire to stand, to have wanted to make a difference, and not to have had the courage to stand.”

“I really wanted to do for enterprise and jobs what Mary McAleese had done for the peace process,” he said.

I got to head the polls a few days out from the election. So I think it was a great success, albeit the last week didn’t come the way we would have wanted it.

‘The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne’, featuring Sean Gallagher, airs tomorrow night at 10:30pm on RTÉ One.

Previously: Gallagher: RTÉ went ‘into defence mode like Catholic church’ after ‘Twittergate’

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45 Comments
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    Mute Jack Hackett
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    May 6th 2015, 7:02 PM

    Hopefully they can get a feta deal

    95
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    Mute O Swetenham
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    May 6th 2015, 7:08 PM

    Let the cheese puns begin. I think this could lead to a bitter fromage fray between the Canadians and the Greeks

    46
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    Mute Marco Reilly
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    May 6th 2015, 7:12 PM

    Ah Cheeseus, they’re terrible

    45
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    Mute Joanna
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    May 6th 2015, 7:42 PM

    Greece seem cheesed off, Canada feta get their act together.

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    Mute Symbolism
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    May 6th 2015, 7:07 PM

    Hard cheese

    27
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    Mute Dermot Mc Loughlin
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    May 6th 2015, 9:18 PM

    Damn Canadians up to no gouda.

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    May 6th 2015, 7:49 PM

    That Statahakis fella, Edam well better discuss it with colleagues!!

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    May 6th 2015, 8:03 PM

    I hope the Greeks use the veto. Enough of the deFETAist attitude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    18
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    Mute Joey Sullivan
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    May 6th 2015, 8:07 PM

    Canada under stephen harper is another corporate owned cesspool. Tar sands and corporate ownership of govt are destroying a once model nation. Corrupt america junior.

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    Mute Reg
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    May 6th 2015, 7:49 PM

    Partial to a bit of Haloumi myself!

    15
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    Mute Gene Parmesan
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    May 7th 2015, 12:40 AM

    They should caerphilly tell the Canadians that this nacho cheese!

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    Mute William Bayle
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    May 6th 2015, 8:04 PM

    Fêta is made with ewe milk . See what I did there

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    Mute Proinsias Ó Foghlú
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    May 7th 2015, 6:36 AM

    Feta is made primarily from sheep milk, up to 30% goat milk is permitted! Come on stop making silly mistakes like this on the Jounal, Google is your friend.

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    Mute Kevin Feeney
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    May 7th 2015, 11:24 AM

    Is the market worth three million euro or does three million euro represent 10% of that market ? Either way the money involved won’t help Greece in any way.
    Please be more accurate dear Journal.

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