Catherine Connolly, a prominent figure known for her far-left stance and advocacy for a united Ireland, achieved a sweeping victory in the Irish presidential election last night. Connolly, 68, who has drawn comparisons to ‘an Irish Jeremy Corbyn,’ expressed her excitement and satisfaction at defeating former cabinet minister Heather Humphreys to become the successor to Michael D. Higgins as the nation’s president.

The former clinical psychologist and barrister is set to take over the presidency from Mr. Higgins next month, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of the Irish Republic. Her election comes at a time of heightened unrest in Dublin, following public disorder triggered by the alleged sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl near a migrant accommodation on Monday.

Connolly’s victory is likely to cause concern among Western foreign ministries, particularly in Washington and the United Kingdom. Her outspoken left-wing views and support for Irish unification have been the subject of intense scrutiny.

She has been vocal in her criticism of Israel, describing its actions as akin to those of a ‘terrorist state’ following the events of October 7. Additionally, she has taken issue with UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing that he was wrong to exclude Hamas from participating in the prospective government.

Ms Connolly’s victory will send a shiver through Western foreign ministries – in particular those of Washington and Ireland’s closest neighbour, Britain – after a series of hard-Left and pro-unification remarks.

She has accused Israel of behaving like a ‘terrorist state’ in the wake of the October 7 attacks, and criticised Sir Keir Starmer after he announced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state – saying he should not have stipulated that Hamas could have no role in the new government.

She said: ‘I come from Ireland which has a history of colonisation. I would be very wary of telling a sovereign people how to run their country. The Palestinians must decide, in a democratic way, who they want to lead their country.’

And during a trip to Belfast as part of her election campaign, she declared that she would use her voice ‘in every way possible’ to achieve a united Ireland. 

Irish president-elect Catherine Connolly (pictured at a demonstration in September) believes that the terror group Hamas ‘is part of the fabric of the Palestinian people’

Ms Connolly’s campaign was backed by Gerry Adams (pictured holding a ‘Connolly for President’ flyer), the former president of Sinn Fein

Denying it was a ‘waste of time’ to visit the province – where people could not vote in the election – she said: ‘Absolutely the opposite. I have always felt that we have cut off a limb of our body in having Northern Ireland cut off from us’.

Ms Connolly, who will work with centre-right Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin, is an independent member of the Dail who managed to unite the majority of Left-wing parties – Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats and Labour – behind her candidacy.

But the election of Ireland’s tenth president saw an unprecedented number of deliberately spoiled voting papers – many in protest at the country’s migrant crisis that sparked last week’s rioting. The number of spoiled votes was believed to be around 13 per cent. Turnout was 45 per cent of 3.6million eligible voters.

At the official declaration at Dublin Castle last night, it was revealed that Ms Connolly won a record 63 per cent of first-preference votes, more than double the 29 per cent secured by her rival, Ms Humphreys, of the Fine Gael party. 

Fianna Fail’s Jim Gavin won seven per cent, despite withdrawing from the campaign three weeks ago.

Speaking to reporters in Galway after it became clear she had clinched victory, Ms Connolly, who was backed by the controversial Belfast rap group Kneecap, said: ‘I am absolutely delighted with the result and I want to thank all my supporters. 

‘Actually, I want to thank everybody – even those who did not vote for me. I understand their concerns in relation to who will represent them best.’

Ms Humphreys conceded defeat after early vote tallies showed an unbridgeable gap between the candidates. 

‘Catherine will be a president for all of us and she will be my president and I really would like to wish her all the very, very best,’ Ms Humphreys, 62, said.

Taoiseach Mr Martin congratulated Ms Connolly on her ‘comprehensive victory’ and described her campaign as ‘impactful’, saying he had ‘no doubt’ she ‘will serve the country well’. 

Ms Connolly (pictured at a pro-Palestine rally) accused Israel of behaving like a ‘terrorist state’ in the wake of the October 7 attacks

During a trip to Belfast as part of her election campaign, Ms Connolly (pictured in September) declared that she would use her voice ‘in every way possible’ to achieve a united Ireland

Irish presidents have traditionally played symbolic roles, but since 1990 Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and current head of state, Michael D Higgins, have used the office as a more visible platform.

Speaking last month on Irish broadcaster RTE’s Morning Ireland show, Ms Connolly said she ‘utterly condemned’ Hamas and the October 7 attacks but added that Israel was behaving like a ‘terrorist state’.

She continued: ‘[Hamas] were elected by the people the last time there was an election. Overwhelming support for them back in 2006 or 2007. They are part of the civil society of Palestine.’ 

Ms Connolly added: ‘Both sides have committed war crimes’.

A hardliner on Irish neutrality, Ms Connolly is a vocal critic of European Union rearmament programmes to deter Russian aggression and has criticised the ‘militarisation’ of the EU.

During her campaign, she also likened Germany’s arms spending to its Nazi-era past, a comment that sparked uproar among her rival candidates.

In a post on Instagram last week, Ms Connolly – whose campaign was backed by Gerry Adams – called for a ‘border poll’ on Northern Ireland’s separation from the Republic of Ireland, writing: ‘The Good Friday Agreement makes clear that the people alone will decide our future.

‘We cannot delay, deny or obstruct that right. The Irish and British governments should agree a date for a border poll, and begin preparing to ensure it is inclusive, fair and respectful of all traditions.’

Anger over immigration, a housing crisis and the soaring cost of living, coupled with blundering campaigns by Ireland’s primary political parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, combined to boost Ms Connolly’s appeal. 

She also managed to enthuse young people by her deft use of podcasts and posts that went viral on social media, including videos of her playing ‘keepy-uppy’ with a football.

Singer Bob Geldof, Riverdance’s Michael Flatley and Conor McGregor, the disgraced MMA champion, had expressed interest in running for president but failed to win the necessary backing to get on the ballot. 

For many, a key concern will be the scale of the protest by voters who signalled their disaffection by spoiling their ballot papers. Social media accounts showed some bearing messages such as ‘no democracy’ and ‘EU puppets’.

Others wrote the name Maria Steen, an anti-abortion campaigner who failed to get enough nominations to become a candidate, and references to the alleged assault that sparked the recent anti-immigration demonstrations in Dublin.