Former judge pondered Aras bid

The former judge (80) revealed her deceased husband, broadcaster and writer Proinsias Mac Aonghusa, was alive at the time she gave the Park her consideration.

She said when she decided not to run for the job as the country's figurehead, he felt it was the right thing to do and was very supportive of her.

"It's a job that you really have to settle down to the fact that you have to be really nice and polite to everybody for seven years," she said.

"That might be quite difficult for me, I think."

She said she would find it hard not to be able to say what she thinks, although "it's not that Michael D doesn't try his best, and does very well".

When she thought about running for the presidency, she said many people told her to stay where she was as she was important where she was.

"I don't feel I was the right person for that job really," she said. "I never regretted that."

When asked why she succeeded to the top of the legal profession where many women had failed, she said the legal profession is "now a bit hard on men".

Speaking on RTE's 'Sunday with Miriam', Ms McGuinness pointed out that the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, head of the gardai, Chief State Solicitor and DPP are all women.

She said women's experience here is a lot better than in England and Wales, where the only woman in the Supreme Court is Baroness Hale.