Rose of Tralee presenter Dáithí Ó Sé would be “very welcome” on the Fianna Fáil election ticket, the Education Minister has said.

Speaking this morning, Norma Foley said everyone in her native Kerry “loves” the host and broadcaster and suggested she would be open to campaigning alongside him.

It comes after fellow RTÉ presenter Gráinne Seoige announced her intention to seek the Fianna Fáil nomination in Galway West ahead of the upcoming General Election.

'I haven't ruled it out'

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast on Monday, Dáithí hinted that he might consider a similar path in the future.

“I haven’t ruled it out, not that I’ve sat down and thought about it,” he said.

“But it’s something you just don’t know what happens - I wouldn’t want to go for office later on in life and hear, ‘you told us years ago.’

“I’d have to get out of Kerry first.”

'A terrific ambassador'

Today, Minister Foley expressed her support for Dáithí’s potential entry into politics.

“Everybody in Kerry loves Dáithí,” she said.

“Dáithí is fantastic; he's a terrific ambassador for us in the county.

“He’s absolutely Kerry through and through, so if he’s considering it, he’d be very welcome.”

Similar paths

Dáithí wouldn’t be the first Rose of Tralee star to enter politics, as Maria Walsh, the competition's 2014 winner, secured a second term as an MEP for Midlands North West in June.

Former RTÉ Midlands correspondent Ciaran Mullooly was also successful in the same constituency, along with retired jockey and Dancing With the Stars winner Nina Carberry.

The General Election must be held no later than March 2025 but pundits expect it to happen much earlier, in October or November of this year.

Main image: Daithi O Se from RTE during the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin earlier this year. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo