Ireland may have first gay prime minister

IRELAND could be set for its first openly gay prime minister after Leo Varadkar was installed as clear frontrunner to replace Enda Kenny.

The veteran politician stood down from the helm of Fine Gael last week at an emotionallycharged meeting of party colleagues in Leinster House in Dublin after delaying the announcement for several months.

Kenny, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, led the party for 15 years and has been at the head of two governments for more than six years.

Nominations for the contest to replace him closed yesterday with the successor due to be elected by June 2.