We have a runner – Catherine Connolly becomes first confirmed Irish Presidential candidate

Catherine Connolly has become the first person to officially confirm that she will be running for President of Ireland this year.

The race to replace Michael D Higgins has been plagued with people who otherwise would have been prime candidates confirming that they wouldn’t be going for the Áras.

Ms. Connolly, an independent TD in Galway West who was the previous Les-Cheann Comhairle in the Dáil from 2020 to 2024, was the second favourite to succeed fellow Galwegian in Michael D, but nothing had been confirmed — until she said that she will be officially launching her campaign next week after receiving support from left wing parties.

"Yes, my mind is made up to run," Deputy Connolly told the Connacht Tribune.

"I’ve support from across the spectrum, including the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Solidarity, as well as a number of senators and others.

"Labour and Sinn Féin are still completing their own internal processes which I fully respect. I’ll be formally launching my campaign next week."

There were talks of Deputy Connolly potentially running from a left-party united front, however Sinn Féin and Labour are yet to decide if they will run a candidate.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald hasn’t ruled herself out of going for the Áras, while Labour had approached Joe Duffy to run under their banner — something the former Liveline presenter rejected.

Mary Lou McDonald. (RollingNews.ie)

The current favourite to replace Michael D is former MEP Mairead McGuinness, who is expected to run under the Fine Gael ticket once nominations for the party close next week. She is currently running unopposed after Seán Kelly confirmed on Thursday that he wouldn’t be seeking the nomination from the party.

Mairead McGuinness. (RollingNews.ie)

The bookies currently have Ms. McGuinness as even to win the election, set to take place sometime in October, while Ms. Connolly’s odds were around 4/1 before she confirmed that she’d run.

Mary Lou McDonald appeared to have changed her mind from not wanting to go for it to considering the job earlier this week, and is currently the third favourite to win with odds of 6/1, while former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who hasn’t ruled anything out, was sat at around 9/1 odds.

Bertie Ahern. (RollingNews.ie)

Mary Hanafin also expressed her desire to run under the Fianna Fáil banner, but nothing has been confirmed by the party at the time of writing.

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.