Prof Mary McAleese has refused to be drawn on the political fallout from the controversial Fianna Fail meeting which chose her as the party's presidential candidate and has insisted that she does not know the names of any of those who supported her.
She said she was not a member of the party and was not privy to any discussions that had taken place.
"I imagine it would have been very hard for anybody to predict the outcome of the vote. All of us going in knew that it was going to be the democratic vote of a democratic party, and there was no way anyone could tell in advance what would happen."
Asked if she had received the support of members of the Cabinet, Ms McAleese said: "I have no idea how any individuals voted, and I think that is the way it should be. In a democracy we respect the integrity of the ballot box, and I know nothing beyond that."
Ms McAleese was speaking to journalists in Dublin on Saturday after addressing members of the Women's Political Association (WPA) in the Republic, who were meeting with women involved in politics in the North. She said it would have been "rather refreshing" to see some male candidates in the election. Ms McAleese said she hoped that any difficulty surrounding Dana's nomination would be sorted out. "I would regard it as a minor hitch, and I hope that is all it is."
Asked about her comments over the years on social issues, Ms McAleese denied that she was a "right-wing anything".
She said it was difficult any longer to put people in pigeonholes and portray them as stereotypes. "Frankly, it is a lazy thing to do," she added.
Describing her as a clone of Mary Robinson was insulting to the former president, she said.
"While Mary Robinson and I have certainly a number of areas of life which overlapped, my life's experiences are by any stretch of the imagination considerably different to hers."
The chairwoman of the WPA, Ms Bonnie Roche, wished Ms McAleese well in her campaign.
She said the visit to Dublin by women involved in Northern politics was to be the first of many.