‘Footballers can’t rely on medals to score a Dáil seat’

Any Kerry footballer who believes All-Ireland medals are the key to the Dáil has been advised to think again.

Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan recalled: “I had five [All-Ireland] medals in 1982 and it was not good enough to win me a seat.”

His comments came amid speculation that Fianna Fáil are head-hunting Darragh Ó Sé and other big-name Kerry footballers.

Mr Deenihan said: “If you look back, great Kerry footballers like Mick O’Connell, Con Brosnan, Joe Keohane, Gega O’Connor, Mick Gleeson, they didn’t’ succeed in [Dáil] elections.

“So it doesn’t automatically guarantee you a seat if you are a Kerry footballer. So that’s a word of caution.

“But anyone who might think about it, irrespective of what party they would run for, would have my best wishes and any advice I can give them about politics, having spent almost 30 years in it, I would be delighted to do so. I have only five [All-Ireland] medals and they were a good platform as far as name recognition was concerned.”

Mr Deenihan recalled being asked to stand for Fine Gael by Garret FitzGerald on Nov 5, 1982, after the Dáil was collapsed.

He said: “Five medals nearly got me there, but didn’t.

“Any Kerry footballer has to consider it carefully. Name recognition is a big help in politics and that is why parties are inclined to go for footballers, hurlers, TV personalities and whatever. You have footballers and hurlers all over the country, who have been asked to run for politics, but it doesn’t guarantee success.

“And I was a captain of a four-in-a-row team. I did not play in the five-in-a-row final against Offaly in 1982, due to injury and the common opinion was that if I was there we would have won.

“Even with all that, it did not get me into the Dáil the first time I ran two months after that final. If anybody thinks they can get into the Dáil based on sentiment, it doesn’t happen like that.”