Aras Of Tralee

Daithi's the best man to be next president, says Kathryn

- SANDRA MALLON

KATHRYN Thomas has backed her Rose of Tralee co-host Daithi O Se to be the next president of Ireland, saying he's "a man of the people".

It comes after Today Show star Daithi admitted he was seriously thinking of running for the Aras one day.

At the launch of the Rose of Tralee yesterday at the MV Cill Airne ship in Dublin, Kathryn was asked if she backed him for the presidency and insisted: "I do. He's a man of the people, and everybody loves Daithi. Daithi is very Irish.

"And, yeah, I think he'd be brilliant." Asked if he thought it might be his last year hosting the Rose of Tralee before he has a tilt at the big job, Daithi clarified that it wasn't something he was thinking about this year when President Michael D Higgins steps down.

The Kerryman said: "I take it on a year by year basis, as I always have.

"Somebody asked me, what about the presidency? It was a leading question in one sense. It's something, honestly, I think that everybody who is in the public eye or a public servant should at least think about, OK?

AMBASSADOR

"Because it is the top job in the whole country. You're an ambassador for the country at home. You're an ambassador for the country all around.

"You are a custodian of the Constitution and so on and so forth.