Catherine Connolly: How much of a victory for Ireland's left?

On November 11, after winning a record 63% of first preference votes (more than Eamonn De Valera), independent TD (Teachta Dála/Member of the Irish Parliament) for Galway West, Catherine Connolly, will be inaugurated as the tenth Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland). 

Although chiefly a symbolic role, with Ireland being at a boiling point in terms of dissatisfaction among her citizens, it is hard not to view Connolly’s victory as a significant one.  

Her presidential campaign was a masterclass in modernist canvassing, seeing her ignite Ireland’s left and excite her youth. Connolly’s team effectively utilised the reach and effect of social media and gained endorsements and partnerships from popular artists and cultural figures in Irish society, including Aoife Cawley, Christie Moore, and The Mary Wallopers.  

When it came to more traditional media, the President-elect proved herself to be thoughtful, compassionate, and a clear, concise communicator. At times, she came under pressure, facing difficult questions on things such as her history as a barrister, which were dealt with calmly and effectively.  

Connolly must also be commended for her unequivocal solidarity with the people of Palestine — her support for the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and her firm stance against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The current President-elect has been quoted as referring to Israel as a “terrorist state,” which acts as genuine political representation for the vast majority of Irish people.  

Despite her impressive run for the Áras (Presidential residency), the road for Connolly was a relatively easy one. Jim Gavin, the candidate backed by the centre-right governing party, Fianna Fáil, dropped out of the race early in October after an Irish Independent report alleging he owed more than three thousand euros to a former tenant.  

This has proved extremely embarrassing for Fianna Fáil, with party leader and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin now coming under pressure from within.

According to Dublin South-West TD John Lahart, Gavin was nominated, “on the trust and the judgment of what the leader was saying; what the leader was recommending.” Although there are no solid moves being made just yet, questions are certainly being asked of the Irish premier, and doubts linger as to whether he’ll still be in the job when the Republic of Ireland assumes the EU presidency in July 2026.  

On the other side of the governing coalition, also centre-right Fine Gael’s nominee was, frankly, a terrible pick. Heather Humphries personified Irish neo-liberalism in such a distasteful way that it was reflected clearly in her 29% vote share. Humphries was evidently rehearsed, stiff, and awkward.

In fact, Connolly could likely have found similar success by saying nothing at all and simply allowing both Gavin’s and Humphries’ disastrous campaigns to win the election for her. In the end, Connolly’s opposition found themselves resorting to negative campaigning, smears, and straw-clutching to be in with a chance of beating her- all, of course, in vain.  

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Catherine Connolly’s victory will bring hope to Ireland’s left. She was supported for the Áras by a united left-wing front, including opposition party Sinn Féin, who were late to back the President-elect, before eventually being won over after Connolly brought her campaign to West Belfast, speaking on Irish language rights in the occupied six counties, and the inability of Irish people who live there to cast a vote in thier own presidential election.  

The Irish left should look at Connolly’s run with keen interest. Her success represents the potential for political progress when these parties work together. 

Fine Fáil and Fine Gael have been operating in very much the same way, essentially aligning to survive, swapping and sharing power between themselves following Fianna Fáil’s domination of Free State politics throughout the twentieth century. 

So, perhaps Connolly’s achievement, gained in part by a unified left, might convince these parties that it will take more than Sinn Féin alone to dethrone the neoliberal centre-right, and that coalition, collaboration, and a clear, unified message are extremely effective when it comes to political campaigning.  

Complacency, however, is the enemy of progress. It is safe to assume that the centre-right will not only learn from their mistakes, but learn also from the Connolly team’s tactics- expect to see a cringe-inducing attempt at recreating her successful youth and cultural outreach in the elections to come.

 And it’s important to remember the limitations of Connolly’s new role — Michael D. Higgins, her predecessor, is a greatly popular figure among the electorate in the Republic of Ireland, the man is virtually a national treasure at this stage, like Catherine, he is progressive, left-leaning, and outspoken on Israel's genocide in Gaza, yet still his position for the past fourteen years as Uachtarán has done little to loosen the Fianna Fáil/Fianna Gael grip on Irish parliamentary politics. 

In fact, no president, regardless of their popularity, has ever been of any use in dismantling the ninety-nine-year stronghold. 

As resounding as Connolly’s victory seems to be, there is, in fact, a very large, very angry elephant in the room, and as much as Catherine may prefer to do so, it can no longer be ignored.

On the closing days of the campaign, following an alleged sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl by a foreign national, rioting broke out outside Dublin’s Citywest Hotel. This, of course, is just the latest of violent incidents across the entire island of Ireland, fueled by anti-immigration and far-right sentiments.  

When votes were cast last Friday, 213,738 of them were spoiled (13%), a more than tenfold increase on the number in 2018. Before long, images appeared on social media of ballot papers defaced with abuse for the candidates, and expressions of extreme vexation for government policy in the free state, a large number of which included far-right and racist symbolism.  

It seems a new Ireland is soon upon us. The entire island feels like it’s at a pivotal point, and we must consider what we want it to look like when Catherine finishes the term she’s about to begin. 

Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, claimed that the election “put Irish unity at centre stage,” going on also to claim that a referendum on the matter is likely to occur “during Catherine’s presidency.”

As a Republican myself, I would love nothing more than for the defining event of Connolly’s legacy as Uachtarán to be the establishment of a thirty-two-county Irish republic, but I fear the direction of Ireland’s change is not toward those greener pastures, and instead lies in deep, murky waters full of new-age, AI-decorated fascism.  

The level of disillusionment, dissatisfaction, and disgust that exists in Ireland on both sides of the political divide is not going away, and if Connoly wants, as she has stated, to be “an inclusive president for all,” she will need to work to heal the deep wounds bleeding now through Irish society, and help to redirect the anger being spread left and right into the neoliberal centre, where it firmly belongs. 

Seán Óg Ó Murchú is an Irish writer and activist working out of London. He has published several short stories, plays, and articles, and is the founder of the Palestinian charity project ‘Dlúthpháirtíocht’. 

Follow him on Instagram: seananseanchai

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