Bob Geldof won't run for Irish presidency - but is glad another famous face has pulled out

Bob Geldof has confirmed helium volition not beryllium moving for the Irish presidency - and says it's partially due to the fact that he'd "miss London".

Speaking to Sky News astatine the Sky Arts Awards connected Tuesday night, the 73-year-old instrumentalist and assistance campaigner said: "My kids are here, my missus is here, my homes are here.

"I'd miss London. The set is here, I wouldn't beryllium capable to play."

In Ireland, immoderate Irish national implicit 35 tin tally for president - but to get connected the ballot, a campaigner indispensable beryllium nominated by 20 members of parliament oregon 4 section authorities.

Geldof said: "I simply wouldn't person had time."

He said helium had considered it, reasoning it could beryllium thing "new, absorbing and useful", 50 years aft uncovering fame successful The Boomtown Rats, and 40 years aft launching Band Aid.

Geldof said he'd concisely spoken to Prime Minister Micheal Martin, asking him: "'What would you deliberation astir Bob Geldof being the campaigner for the Fianna Fail Party?' He said, 'I deliberation it'd beryllium great, but I've already chosen someone'.

"I said, 'That's the extremity of the speech Taoiseach, acknowledgment precise much,' and that was it."

Former shot manager Jim Gavin was aboriginal announced arsenic Fianna Fail's authoritative candidate.

Conor McGregor pulls out

Geldof admitted helium was relieved erstwhile mixed martial arts combatant Conor McGregor was nary longer successful the running.

McGregor, who had promised to curb migration successful bid to support "Irish culture" and to springiness powerfulness "back to the people," announced helium was withdrawing from the contention earlier this week.

Ex-Riverdance performer Michael Flatley, 67, has besides expressed an involvement successful moving for office.

This year's ballot deadline is midday connected 24 September, a period up of the predetermination connected 24 October. A mostly ceremonial role, representing Ireland astatine location and abroad, it runs for a seven-year term.

'Please stop,' Geldof tells Israel

Geldof, who has Jewish practice and is the Founding Patron of the British Holocaust Museums Aegis Trust for Genocide Studies, besides spoke passionately astir the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Following a UN Commission study which recovered Israel was committing genocide successful Gaza, Geldof said: "When you purposefully starve children arsenic an instrumentality of warfare past you are a warfare criminal."

He went on: "People simply don't person the bandwidth to woody with the outgo of living, the emblem waving, the fearfulness of Ukraine, the horrors of Gaza. They're conscionable tired, and they conscionable privation Israel to delight halt it. And the UN has conscionable confirmed that. Stop."

The accusation of genocide has been made by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry connected the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Israel's overseas ministry said it "categorically rejects this distorted and mendacious report" and called for the committee to beryllium abolished.

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Geldof was speaking astatine the prestigious Sky Arts event, wherever helium was recognised for his power arsenic a instrumentalist and taste fig implicit the past 5 decades with a beingness accomplishment award.

Never acrophobic to beryllium outspoken, helium was 1 of the defining voices of the 1970s punk epoch earlier going connected to co-create Band Aid and the historical Live Aid concerts, reshaping the narration betwixt euphony and planetary activism.

Geldof performed with his band, The Boomtown Rats, during the ceremonial which took spot astatine London's Roundhouse, hosted by comedian Bill Bailey.

See each the Sky Arts Awards winners here.