Jarlath Burns says he's still not running for the Áras despite rumours linking him to Sinn Féin

GAA PRESIDENT JARLATH Burns has once again confirmed that he will not be contesting the presidential election, amid speculation linking him to Sinn Féin.

It’s understood that Burns was approached to run in the election, but that he has no intention of doing so.

Speaking on RTÉ earlier this month, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed that she has had “conversations” with potential candidates in recent weeks.

When asked if Burns was among these potential candidates, McDonald remarked: “I’m not going to name names, but we spoke to people who we thought would be interesting prospects and had very good conversations with them.”

At the National Ploughing Championships yesterday, McDonald said that her party’s participation in the presidential election will be a “game changer”, adding that “it’s very much game on”.

She also confirmed that the candidate that they’re backing speaks “a lot” of Irish.

Amid speculation that her “game” comments could be linked to a sporting figure, it was presumed by some that this could mean the former Co Armagh player and current GAA President Burns, who is also a fluent Irish speaker.

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These rumours were particularly rampant online and among GAA circles.

On one betting site, Burns’ odds of succeeding Micheal D Higgins fell to 7/1 yesterday evening.

This speculation was shot down by Burns himself this morning.

When asked again by The Journal if he would be Sinn Féin’s candidate, he said no.

Burns, who has served as president of the GAA since February 2024, had ruled himself out of the running earlier this year.

“Let me do that very clearly, that is not on my radar,” Burns remarked in February.

Sinn Féin has been mulling over its approach to the race for Áras an Uachtaráin in recent weeks, and now has just two options at its disposal – either run its own candidate, likely Pearse Doherty, or back independent TD Catherine Connolly’s campaign.

Either way, the party will announce their decision tomorrow.

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