Leftwinger Catherine Connolly takes clear lead in Ireland’s presidential race | Ireland
Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly is on track to win the Irish presidential election, according to early polls.
Reports from counters, unofficial but generally reliable observers at counting centers, gave Connolly a clear lead soon after ballot boxes opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Opinion polls predicted that Connolly, 68, who has captured the imagination of many young people and is backed by an alliance of left-wing opposition parties in Friday’s election, would suffer a huge loss.
The presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but a victory for Connolly, a member of parliament from Galway, would be a humble rebuke to the centre-right government.
His opponent, former cabinet minister Heather Humphreys, 62, who is running for the Fine Gael party, has been tarnished by her association with the unpopular ruling coalition.
Anger over the housing crisis and the cost of living, campaigning mistakes by Fine Gael and ruling partner Fianna Fáil, rare unity among left-wing parties and masterful use of social media have combined to make Connolly a symbol of change.
Early data from Clare, Dublin, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Meath and Wexford gave Connolly a clear lead; in some cases he outnumbered Humphreys by two to one. Labor leader Ivana Bacik said the result “looks incredibly positive” for Connolly.
There were also signs of low turnout and an unusually high number of incorrect votes; this reflected widespread disappointment with the proposed election and the lack of additional candidates on the ballot.
Supporters are excited by the prospect of Connolly succeeding President Michael D Higgins and serving a seven-year term at the presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin. He speaks Irish, advocates equality, and wants to protect Ireland’s neutrality from what he calls Western “militarism”. He compared Germany’s arms spending to the Nazi period and accused Britain and the USA of encouraging genocide in Gaza.
The former clinical psychologist and lawyer has enthused young people through podcasts and posts that have gone viral on social media; Among them were videos showing what he was doing awake. Artists and musicians such as Kneecap and Mary Wallopers supported him.
Critics portrayed Connolly as a radical who dodged awkward questions and could damage Ireland’s relations with Washington and its European allies.
Irish presidents have traditionally taken on quiet, symbolic roles, but since 1990 Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and Higgins have transformed the office into a more visible platform.
Connolly said he would respect the boundaries of the office, which some interpreted as an implicit promise to rein in controversial views, but analysts predicted friction with the government.
When he announced his candidacy in July, he was a marginal political figure, with only minor parties (Social Democrats and People Before Profit) supporting him. Labor then endorsed him, and Sinn Féin, which decided not to nominate its own candidate, threw its formidable resources and electoral organization behind Connolly.
Celebrities such as Bob Geldof, Michael Flatley, Conor McGregor and other would-be candidates have expressed interest in running for president but have failed to gain the political support necessary to get on the ballot.
Fianna Fáil fielded a political neophyte named Jim Gavin, who stood down after a financial scandal collapsed his campaign. His late withdrawal meant his name remained on the ballot.
Fine Gael’s main candidate, Mairead McGuinness, left the party due to health issues and the party turned to Humphreys. Borderland Presbyterian was thought to have wholesome, mainstream appeal but performed poorly in debates.
The official result announcing who would be Ireland’s 10th president was expected to be announced later on Saturday.
