Geldof: I Would Have Won Irish Presidency

At a TU Dublin event marking the Boomtown Rats’ 50th anniversary, frontman Bob Geldof and founding member Pete Briquette unveiled a commemorative plaque and reflected on the band's role as a soundtrack for a generation rejecting church abuse and corrupt government. Geldof told media he “would have walked” the presidential election and believes he “would have been good at the job,” but said timing and party politics — including a brief conversation with Taoiseach Micheál Martin after Fianna Fáil had already selected Jim Gavin — prevented him from standing. He acknowledged doubts about securing the county council nominations needed to run, described the campaign as “not very inspiring,” and praised the remaining candidates as capable. Jim Gavin later withdrew amid reports of an unpaid debt, leaving Independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys as the main contenders, with polls on the eve of voting showing Connolly with a clear lead. Geldof also recounted the band's early days, saying work in an abattoir inspired the song “Rat Trap” and calling the Rats the “first roar” of that generational rejection.