Ireland votes for next president as polls predict landslide for Catherine Connolly | Ireland
Irish voters head to the polls on Friday to elect a new president; Latest opinion polls predict a big vote win for outspoken left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, who has captured the imagination of many young people.
An opinion poll on Thursday gave Connolly 40% of the vote, while his rival, former cabinet minister Heather Humphreys, had 25%. When the numbers were adjusted for those who were undecided or planning to cast their vote, Connolly received 55% of the vote and Humphreys received 35%.
Two polls taken earlier this week also showed Connolly, 68, a clear frontrunner in the race to succeed Michael D Higgins, Ireland’s 10th president, who served two terms over seven years.
Nearly half of voters feel unrepresented by either candidate, raising concerns about low turnout and high rates of inaccurate votes.
The presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but the Galway MP’s victory would be a humble rebuke to the centre-right government. It also marked a victory for the alliance of left-wing opposition parties – Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Greens – who formed a rare union to campaign jointly on Connolly’s behalf.
The Irish-speaking former clinical psychologist and lawyer, until recently a marginal political figure, has enthused young people through podcasts and posts that have gone viral on social media. Artists and musicians such as Kneecap and Mary Wallopers supported him.
Connolly advocates equality and wants to protect Ireland’s neutrality from what he calls Western “militarism”. Comparing Germany’s arms expenditures to the Nazi era He accused Britain and the USA of encouraging genocide in Gaza. Critics portray him as a radical who could damage Ireland’s relations with its European allies.
Irish presidents have traditionally played quiet, symbolic roles, but since 1990 Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Higgins have transformed the office into a more visible platform for advocating pluralism, reconciliation with Northern Ireland and ethical foreign policy.
Connolly has vowed to respect the boundaries of the office if he settles into Áras an Uachtaráin, the presidential residence in Phoenix Park, but supporters hope he will continue to talk about the housing crisis, hospital waiting lists and foreign relations.
“The interaction between the government and the Áras may be about to enter a new and distinctly less pleasant phase,” the Irish Times said.
Nomination rules and errors by the ruling centre-right coalition have created a two-horse race that gives Connolly the advantage.
Celebrities such as Bob Geldof, Michael Flatley, Conor McGregor and other would-be candidates failed to gain support from the four local councils or 20 legislators needed to put their names on the ballot. Geldof said he would “walk that path” and make a “really good” president if he were nominated.
Fianna Fáil fielded a political neophyte named Jim Gavin, who stood down after a financial scandal collapsed his campaign. Late withdrawal means your name will remain on the ballot.
Fine Gael’s main candidate, Mairead McGuinness, left the party, citing health problems, and the party turned to Humphreys, 62, a border Presbyterian thought to have mainstream appeal. But he performed poorly in the debates and was tarnished by his relationship with the government, which has been blamed for a housing shortage and a cost-of-living crisis.
Humphreys held a meeting in Cork and Clare on Thursday and said he could win the race as a midfield candidate. Connolly appealed to Roscommon and Galway and said victory was not guaranteed. “I don’t take that lightly, absolutely not. It would be an absolute privilege for the Irish people to choose me when they vote,” he said.
Voting centers open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., and the results are expected to be announced on Saturday. The number of eligible voters is 3.6 million.
