Former ff advisor noel whelan rules himself out of race for the aras

Wexford born barrister and political pundit Noel Whelan has ruled himself out of the presidential race after admitting he spent some time considering it.

The former Fianna Fáil advisor, who ran for the party in the 1997 general election, said he did give the idea serious consideration in recent months. The Ballycullane native who writes a column for The Irish Times, had decided not to mount a campaign if President Michael D Higgins stood again, but revealed that he reconsidered the possibility of entering the fray over recent weeks.