By Javier Aja
Dublin (EFE).- Ireland’s left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly appeared on Friday as the likely winner over Christian Democrat Heather Humphreys in the country’s presidential election, a largely ceremonial post contested by the two women amid notably low voter turnout.
National broadcaster RTE estimated that voter participation would remain below the 44% recorded in the previous 2018 elections, with polling stations open from 7:00 am to 9:00pm.
Analysts said the weak turnout could favor Connolly, the progressive candidate backed by a leftist faction in the Dáil (lower house), who leads Humphreys by 15 to 20 points in most opinion polls.
Connolly taps into discontent with establishment parties
Humphreys, representing the ruling conservative Fine Gael party, campaigned with the backing of coalition partner Fianna Fáil, which has shared power since 2016.
But it is Connolly, a 68-year-old independent lawmaker, who has captured the mood of voters seeking to punish the traditional two-party dominance over the years of austerity, a worsening housing crisis, and rising living costs.
Despite her apparent lead, neither Connolly nor Humphreys, 62, has inspired much enthusiasm among voters, with nearly half of the electorate saying they do not feel represented by either candidate.
Connolly, who once served as mayor of Galway and is known for her social activism, cast her ballot in the western city after arriving by bicycle with one of her sons.
Humphreys, an experienced minister and member of a well-known Protestant family from Monaghan, near the Northern Ireland border, voted in her hometown of Newbliss.
Her family has historical ties to the pro-British Orange Order, although she describes herself as a “nationalist Irishwoman.”
A vote seen as a left-wing showdown
Connolly has framed the election as a “clear choice” between Ireland’s political establishment and what she calls a “new republic.” She says her campaign represents “a movement for peace and unity” rather than personal ambition.
Echoing outgoing president Michael D. Higgins, who broke with presidential neutrality at times during his two terms, Connolly has been outspoken in her criticism of Europe and the United States over what she called “the genocide in Gaza,” as well as NATO’s “warmongering rhetoric” and the “militarization” of the European Union.
Humphreys, meanwhile, has positioned herself as a centrist, “pro-European, pro-business, and pragmatic” alternative to what she describes as Connolly’s “radical left-wing” agenda.
Her campaign has also emphasized her ability to bridge Ireland’s Protestant and Catholic traditions, citing her Presbyterian upbringing.
The campaign began with three contenders, but Fianna Fáil’s nominee, Gaelic football legend Jim Gavin, withdrew early following a financial scandal.
More than 3.6 million people were eligible to vote on Friday during the 15-hour polling day.
Counting is set to begin at 8:00 am on Saturday, with early results expected by midday and the official winner to be declared later that afternoon. EFE
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