With a 64% landslide victory, new independent president Catherine Connolly has been given a relatively simple mandate; to oversee meaningful change.
Traditionalists on both the right and left are becoming increasingly frustrated with the hold the political aristocrats have over Ireland (and the neighbouring UK), with the voters going out in force to propel Connolly to the helm.
Cynics would look at her standing as a prominent political figure in Ireland with a degree of caution but her status as a truly independent candidate cannot be questioned and she now finds herself in occupation of the top job in Irish politics.
Changing of the guard
While Connolly’s relatively quick rise to president would have caught a few people off guard, the growing discontent among Irish voters has been clear to see in recent times.
Division within society on key issues such as the economy and immigration and foreign policy has pushed the hand of the voters somewhat, who have sought strength in the unity that Connolly and her campaign promised from the outset.
From over 12 months before the presidential election took place, Connolly’s presence was setting tongues wagging and there was a growing confidence amongst political observers and betting sites that her sideways approach could ring true in the ballot boxes.
Political observers were quick to recognize the momentum building behind Connolly, with Irish slot sites and betting markets offering favorable odds on her victory months before the election, and she cruised to victory in the polls, obtaining 64% of the national vote.
Divided nation
Since the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic, one knock on effect has been the use of social media by political extremists on both sides of the fence, to propel and advertise division within society.
Polarising views on hot topics are commonplace within Irish communities and for the first time in generations, people in the same postcodes are beginning to see things differently.
Connolly, as one of Ireland’s steady hands on the tiller, will be looking to remove the division across the country and bring the Irish people together in key areas.
Whether or not this can be done remains to be a cause of significant debate, but Connolly should have the political acumen and presence to keep people on board with her policies.
Independent Ireland
Few concepts in Irish folklore are as alluring as independence and Connolly’s standing as the go-between with the everyman on the street and the political king makers, was arguably her USP.
Hailing from relatively modest roots in Galway, she appeals to every age demographic of voter, which was evidenced by her impressive haul of votes in the polls.
For Connolly, snaring a win ahead of key players from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, and Fine Gael was of course a bit of a coup but more importantly, it enables her to make the best decisions for the benefit of Ireland – not for any political organisation or party.
Bright future ahead
The aforementioned pandemic, coupled with financial pressures and economic recessions in Ireland, has led to the Emerald Isle being engrossed in a relatively quiet couple of decades.
With an undercurrent of discontent at key decisions made and a clear disconnect between voters and political parties, Catherine Connolly has built her campaign on a more prosperous future for the next generation of Irish voters.
Her monumental victory in the presidential race will go down in the annals of Irish politics, with Connolly becoming just the third Irish woman to lead the country.
However, the talking stops now and the action begins for one of Ireland’s most enduring political figures and she looks to have most of the country behind her in pursuit of a better Ireland.
