Who is Catherine Connolly? The left’s outspoken presidential candidate

Independent Galway-West TD Catherine Connolly has managed to achieve the support of Sinn Féin, the Greens, Labour, the Social Democrats, and People before Profit - but will a left alliance be enough to get her in the Áras?

Background

68 year old Catherine Connolly hails from Shantalla - a Galway suburb - and is one of 14 children. She credits her upbringing for giving her political consciousness. Her father worked as a boat builder and carpenter. The politician has spoken before about the impact that the early loss of her mother has had on her. 

Connolly has qualified and worked as a barrister and a clinical psychologist - and received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Leeds in 1981, and in 1989, she earned a law degree from the University of Galway and became a barrister-at-law in 1991.

Before qualifying as a barrister and psychologist, Connolly worked as a cleaner and a nurse’s aid. She is married with two adult sons. Her brother-in-law is Declan Bree, a left-wing politician based in Sligo. 

Career

Connolly was elected to Galway city council in 1999 as a Labour candidate. She served as Mayor of Galway in 2004. Connolly left the party in 2006 when Labour leadership declined to run her as a Dáíl candidate on the Galway ballot alongside Michael D. Higgins. Catherine Connolly ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate, before she was first elected to the Dáil in 2016.  

Connolly then served as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in the last Dáil. She remains a prominent member of the Dáil’s powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

She has proved herself to be an outspoken critic of the government. In her position as Leas-Cheann Comhairle she was broadly respected and considered to be fair. 

Presidential campaign 

At her campaign launch Connolly said: “I want to empower and enable you to realise the power that you have, and the power is within this community and within all the communities in Ireland, and you need to use your voice and demand answers, and I’m proud to be part of that movement.” 

She has promised to be “a president for all the people, especially for those often excluded and silenced".

Connolly has repeatedly spoken in solidarity with Palestine and in favour of Irish neutrality. Catherine Connolly is the sole presidential candidate that is a fluent Irish speaker, a quality which she believes to be essential to the role.   

Across media appearances, the former Leas-Cheann Comhairle has highlighted her strong constitutional knowledge as one of her strengths. 

Connolly has described her political leanings as socialist, but has asserted that she doesn’t like labels. She has positioned herself as in opposition to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáíl, having received the backing of parties critical of the government. 

Controversies 

Several topics of contention have emerged from the early days of Catherine Connolly’s campaign.

Connolly previously went on a “fact finding” mission in Syria with Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, and met a supporter of Assad - who is a known dictator.

Connolly also nominated conspiracist and former Irish Times journalist Gemma O’Doherty for president in 2018. While Gemma O’Doherty did not publicly espouse quite-so radical views at that time, Connolly has been subject to questioning about her reasoning behind this decision. She has replied that she nominated O’Doherty to give her a chance to stand. 

More recently, Connolly said on BBC Northern Ireland that she thinks Hamas have a role in the representation of Palestinians. She has since clarified those comments and said that Israel and Hamas have both committed unconscionable actions. 

Catherine Connolly’s chances 

Early polling from the Red C and the Business Post has revealed that Catherine Connolly’s popularity is flagging slightly in comparison to Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin. The race is likely to be incredibly close, with three contenders on the ballot. Commentators have suggested that transfers will be crucial in the election of the President. The 2025 Presidential election may very well come down to which candidate is the most transfer friendly.