Race to the Áras: Catherine Connolly tops opinion poll as Jim Gavin flounders

Ms Connolly sits on 32%, with Fine Gael choice Heather Humphreys in second on 23%. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie

The first major opinion poll in the Race to the Áras shows that Catherine Connolly is the most popular choice to become the President in three weeks.

By a sharp contrast, Jim Gavin is the third choice for the public, according to the Ireland Thinks polling in the Sunday Independent.

Ms Connolly sits on 32%, with Fine Gael choice Heather Humphreys in second on 23%.

Mr Gavin is third on 15%.

If reflected at the polls on October 24, it would be a disaster for Fianna Fáil and Micheál Martin.

Crucially for them, a large section of the public remain undecided, according to the Ireland Thinks poll, with 31% of respondants saying they weren't certain who to vote for.

The three candidates will all feature in the second major presidential debate on Sunday.

They will take part on RTÉ's This Week In Politics show at midday.

All three candidates have begun to rack up the mileage in a bid to press the flesh and win over the voters.

Catherine Connolly took to the streets of a rain-sodden Ballyfermot on Tuesday, while Jim Gavin headed to Roscommon. Heather Humphreys made her way through Louth on Wednesday and Meath on Thursday.

Having been on the campaign trail with all three, the Irish Examiner's Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford analysed the hopefuls, which you can read here.