In voting for Catherine Connolly – the Irish Jeremy Corbyn – as president, Ireland has been gripped by political schizophrenia, accelerating its race towards woke… and inevitable discord: LEO McKINSTRY

The presidential election drama shows that Ireland is in the grip of a kind of political schizophrenia. On the one hand, the contest took place against a backdrop of growing anger over unprecedented waves of mass immigration to the Republic.

But in stark contrast to this resentful and increasingly nationalist mood, Ireland voted overwhelmingly for the most Left-wing presidential candidate in its history.

With her radical socialism, vocal support for minorities and hostility to Western ‘imperialism’, the next President Catherine Connolly fully embodies the spirit of wokeness that a large section of the Irish people are determined to challenge.

Despite Ms. Connolly’s landslide victory, hers will be a recipe for further discord and division. Indeed, voters went to the polls after several nights of rioting in Dublin triggered by reports that a ten-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted by a failed African asylum seeker.

The clash was the latest in a growing catalog of provocative demonstrations against the open borders stance of the ruling coalition of two centrist parties Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, which has been in power since 2020.

Also as in Britain, many of the most explosive protests took place outside former hotels now housing asylum seekers. The magnitude of the demographic change caused by migration also caused alarm. More than 100,000 newcomers arrived in each of the past four years; This is a huge influx for a small island with a population of only 5.5 million.

But the anti-immigration movement will find no support from Ms. Connolly, the embodiment of progressive sentimentality. A former psychologist and lawyer, he brings to the presidency all the predictable views of hard Left groupthink, including antipathy towards NATO and condemnation of Israel, which he accuses of ‘genocide’ in Gaza. A pacifist, he calls for the abolition of the Irish army while also supporting drug decriminalization.

In fact, there are striking parallels between his rise and that of Britain’s silver-haired radical, Jeremy Corbyn. Like Corbyn, Ms Connolly was in her late 60s when she reached her peak and had no ministerial experience.

Like him, he had a falling out with the Labor Party. He once served as a leading politician for the Irish Labor Party in his native Galway, resigning in 2007 due to the perception that the party was hindering his ambitions. He then won his seat in the Dail (Irish parliament) and the presidency as an independent in 2016.

Like Corbyn, he has the ability to create combustible rows with his words and actions. His recent comparison between increased German military spending and Nazi rearmament in the 1930s sparked widespread outrage, as did his visit to Syria in 2018 during the Assad regime.

He is frequently described by his colleagues in the Dail as personally ‘kind’ but politically ‘dogmatic and inflexible’; This again reminds me of the MP for Islington North.

Even the rhythms of their oratory are similar, often repeating the same phrase with great regularity, such as ‘normalising…’, whether ‘inequality’, ‘violence’ or ‘genocide’.

Ms Connolly, backed by Ireland’s left-wing parties, says she is ‘absolutely delighted’ with poll results

So how did this controversial name emerge as such a prominent figure? It was the first two-horse race in half a century, and part of the answer lay in the weakness of her opponent, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys. He was disabled by his Ulster Protestant heritage and his relatives’ past membership in the sectarian Orange Order.

During the campaign, Ms Humphreys emerged as a poor debater and speaker with little command of the Irish language; whereas Mrs Connolly spoke fluent English or Welsh at every stage.

In addition, Ms. Humphreys’s emphasis on her reputation in the establishment as a long-serving minister only reinforced her opponent’s outsider status.

Despite her staunch socialism, Ms Connolly has proven a surprisingly adept operator, holding together a volatile Left-wing alliance that embraces Labour, the Communists, Sinn Fein, the Greens and the Social Democrats. He was equally adept at using social media, revealing parts of his character beyond the politician.

A post that went viral around the world revealed his impressive skills in football and basketball. His sporting talent also came to light with the revelations about his long-distance running, in which he set a highly creditable personal record in the marathon of 3 hours and 36 minutes.

This was part of an inspiring back story that increased its popular appeal. Born on the outskirts of Galway, he was one of 14 siblings and was raised by his father, a carpenter and boat builder, when his mother died aged nine. She described him as a quiet, principled man who taught him not to prejudice marginalized groups such as travelers and immigrants.

His early belief in socialism was also strengthened by his association with the Legion of Mary, a worldwide Catholic organization that encourages volunteer work.

A mural of Mrs Connolly stands next to the waterways of Dublin, Ireland’s capital

He has been married for 33 years and has two adult sons. However, the pressure on his family will now intensify. His role as President will be largely ceremonial, but he will have significant political powers, such as the right to appoint the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), dissolve or convene parliament, and elect other senior members of the Government. He will also be Ireland’s representative in the world.

This explains why the location has such constitutional significance in the history of the Republic. When Ireland first gained autonomy from Britain in 1921, the Head of State was still the British monarch; This was a situation that deeply disturbed the Republican movement, which had long fought for full independence. But in 1932 the shrewd Republican leader Eamon De Valera, like Taoiseach, began the process of gradually dismantling the apparatus of royal influence.

In 1937 he took the step of eliminating the semi-colonial position of the Governor-General and replacing him with a president in the respected academic Douglas Hyde. Ireland became a full-fledged Republic in 1949 and the presidency became less important, becoming a sort of retirement prize for senior politicians from the dominant Fianna Fail party.

But all this changed in 1990 with the election of Labor lawyer Mary Robinson, who became the first non-Fianna Fail and first female president. While many consider him religious, he has brought a new international profile to the mission, particularly through his work on human rights. His stilted and serious demeanor set the tone for future presidents, and was eagerly adopted by his two successors, Mary McAleese (another lawyer) and Michael Higgins (a politician and poet).

This kind of leadership, dripping with moral rectitude, is the primary reason why the Irish political class is regarded as one of the most woke in the world. And Ms Connolly will accelerate this trend.