Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly elected as Ireland’s president
“I’m absolutely delighted with the result and I want to thank all my supporters,” he told reporters on Saturday as the count showed the extent of his victory.
“I actually want to thank everyone, even those who didn’t vote for me.”
Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys, a former cabinet minister from one of the governing parties, conceded defeat on Saturday afternoon (Sunday AEDT) during the counting of votes cast in Friday’s election.
Connolly, 68, entered politics with the Labor Party in his native Galway in the 1990s but left the party and later ran as an independent in the 2016 national election, winning a seat in the country’s lower house, Dáil Éireann. He is married and has two adult sons.
As head of state, Connolly must act on the Taoiseach’s advice but has a key role in convening or dissolving parliament and appointing the leader of the government based on seats in parliament.
But its success underlines the challenges facing the government formed in January by a coalition between Fianna Fáil, led by Martin, and Fine Gael, led by Simon Harris. The deal keeps Martin as Taoiseach until November 2027, when Harris takes over.
Fianna Fáil fared poorly in the presidential election, with its candidate leaving early, while the Fine Gael candidate received around 30 per cent of the vote.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald supported the Connolly campaign as a way to oppose the government and champion the cause of a united Ireland. He was also backed by Adams, the Irish republican who led Sinn Féin for three decades.
“Vote for a president who will shape a new, united Ireland,” he said on social media in the final days of the campaign.
While all candidates for the presidency supported the idea of a united Ireland, Connolly promised to use his “moral authority” to put it to a popular vote; this helped consolidate support for Sinn Féin and others.
“We cannot delay, deny or hinder this right,” Connolly said. “The Irish and British governments must agree a date for the border survey and start preparing now to ensure it is inclusive, fair and respectful of all traditions.”
Under the 1998 Good Friday agreement, a united Ireland requires a majority in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland. A survey conducted by Irish Times In February he found that unification would be defeated in the north and approved in the south.
Geldof, the frontman of Boomtown Rats and the driving force behind the Live Aid concert that raised money to alleviate famine in Africa, said on Thursday he was considering running for president but called the Taoiseach when the leader had already chosen a candidate.
“If I were standing, I would be walking,” he said. “And I would be really good at it.”
Geldof acknowledged that he may have had difficulty securing a formal candidacy without a major party behind him.
“People are very uncertain about me, I totally understand that because I am uncertain about myself.”
