Leftwing Catherine Connolly wins Ireland presidential election

Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly secured a landslide victory in Ireland’s presidential election after her centre-right opponent, Heather Humphreys, conceded defeat on Saturday afternoon.

Humphreys congratulated Connolly on her win, "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".

Counting was underway on Saturday, as early tallies showed Connolly holding a substantial lead to succeed outgoing president Michael D. Higgins, who has been serving as the president of Ireland since 2011.

The majority of left-leaning parties, including Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Greens and the Social Democrats, had expressed support for the left-wing frontrunner, who has been an independent lawmaker since 2016.

Connolly, 68, is a fluent Irish speaker from Galway in the west of Ireland, and has promised to be a voice for all the people of Ireland and for peace.

The former barrister has been a strong critic of both the European Union and the United States, and denounced the EU's plans to ramp up military spending. She has also been an outspoken critic of Israel over its offensive in Gaza. Connolly gained support among young voters after she blamed government policy for the housing crisis.

Professor of EU law Tobias Lock from the university of Maynooth tells Euronews the incoming President will not impact the relationship between Dublin and Brussels.

"She won't be involved in day to day politics obviously, it is not part of her role and she won't be involved in the Irish presidency of the EU either," he said. "Connelly voted against the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 but insists she is pro European, but wants a different Europe, a more social Europe," adds Lock. The German native found the whole campaign rather strange as candidates were asked about issues they have no influence over, from housing to defence.

Initially three candidates were in the running to become the country's tenth president. However, Jim Gavin, the candidate for Prime Minister Micheál Martin’s Fianna Fáil's party, pulled out from the race over a financial dispute dating back to 2009. Despite his withdrawal, Gavin's name remained on the ballot paper.

Irish presidents represent the country on a world stage, host visiting heads of state and hold specific constitutional powers, the role is largely ceremonial as they do not hold power to shape laws or policies.