Race to the Áras: Catherine Connolly’s to lose — but Heather Humphreys isn’t done fighting yet
Much will hang on Tuesday's 'Prime Time' debate after this week's polls showed Catherine Connolly (left) has a commanding lead on Heather Humphreys (right). Photo: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA
As the last radio debate of the presidential campaign wound down on Friday morning, both candidates sounded hoarse.
Given the nature of the campaign, with its focus on meeting and speaking to so many people and doing so many interviews, press conferences and debates, it's not surprising. But it perhaps illustrated the way many people are feeling around this campaign which, since shrinking to just two candidates, has no doubt felt somewhat repetitive at times.
That RTÉ debate saw at least some original questions — candidates were asked their beliefs on the existence of God and which books they've been reading — but being one of four debates in the last seven days, it struggled to add much to the understanding of the candidates beyond what was already understood.
That said, much will hang on Tuesday's debate after this week's polls showed Catherine Connolly has a commanding lead on Heather Humphreys.
During her interview this week, Ms Humphreys had to deny a charge that she was only focused on the northeast of the country, which was somewhat unfair to a campaign which has put in many miles.
This week, in fact, Ms Humphreys was in Dublin more than anywhere, taking in the Jameson Distillery, Grafton Street and Howth among others. She did make a trip back to her old school in Cootehill, County Cavan and spoke to farmers in Slane, too.
For Ms Connolly, it was the west on Monday as she took in Connemara and Castlebar, before trips around Kildare on Tuesday and Meath on Wednesday.
An event focused on disabilities was her focus on Thursday and the launching of an Irish-language policy in Dingle on Friday.
Catherine Connolly. The week ended with more questions about her 2018 trip to Syria which prompted two newspaper front pages about an issue Ms Connolly just can't seem to shake. But the week also saw her build a commanding lead in the Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll.
She was adamant on Thursday that "polls don't win elections" and her team will be guarding against complacency that could hit turnout, but with a week to go, being ahead is better than being behind.
Heather Humphreys. It's less a knock on Ms Humphreys — who arguably had her strongest debating performances during the week — and more a reflection on the momentum the Connolly campaign has built up, to say hers was a bad week, but this is now a binary competition and being so far behind in the poll is a worry.
Ms Humphreys started the week out being threatened with a defamation case for comments made in Sunday's debate about People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy before doubling, then tripling down. When the case was then officially launched, she wrongly said Mr Murphy was the manager of Ms Connolly's campaign during an RTÉ interview, a mischaracterisation that was bizarrely not corrected on air.
The centre left may or may not hold
Between Labour's Alan Kelly and a trio of former Green parliamentarians, the broad left backing of Catherine Connolly is leading to localised skirmishes within parties. In a piece for the , former Limerick City Green party TD Brian Leddin said the party's "core purpose is to tackle the destruction of our natural environment, climate change and its catastrophic impacts, none of which are the preserve of either the political left or right, and the party really should concentrate on these".
Mr Kelly's interventions in telling people he is backing Ms Humphreys were discussed at a Labour parliamentary party meeting during the week, with party sources saying that while he is backed by a cohort of the party, some of his fellow TDs have raised concerns about his openness in not backing Ms Connolly.
Team Humphreys is looking for votes everywhere
On Friday, councillors on Dublin City Council from a number of parties received an email. It was from the Fine Gael candidate's campaign asking for votes.
"I know there are many people unsure how to vote and some are considering not voting at all," it read.
"I am humbly asking you to use your vote and vote for me. If elected, I will use Áras an Uachtaráin as a safe place for you to have your voices heard about the direction and future of this country."
Quite how councillors would be treated under a Humphreys presidency is not outlined, but one councillor called the move "desperation".
The Fianna Fáil fallout could last a while
After dominating the week of the Budget, Fianna Fáil's internal row over its running of Jim Gavin for the presidency very much took a back seat this week. So much so that it might have been missed that the party has put in place a four-person panel to review its botched presidential election campaign.
Following a fiery parliamentary party meeting last week that lasted for over five hours, the party gathered for a shorter and less contentious meeting on Wednesday evening and agreed the terms of reference of a review which will report back by November 12.
It will include three members of the parliamentary party, Tom Brabazon, Eamon Scanlon, and Margaret Murphy O’Connor, and will be chaired by barrister Ciaran O’Loughlin.
"We’re in the space of asking middle Ireland to lend us their vote,” Tánaiste Simon Harris lays out his party's plan for the week.
“I think (Fine Gael) is very worried that this movement is gaining momentum with every day, every minute, every hour," Catherine Connolly says that her opponents are worried.
“I am supporting Heather Humphreys for President. Given the geopolitical issues that arise in the world today, Ireland is very vulnerable as a small country,” Former Tánaiste Mary Harney gives her backing to Ms Humphreys' campaign, along with former Tánaistí Mary Coughlan and Frances Fitzgerald.
The week ahead will be hectic, as the candidates head out on the road in a bid to claim those last votes which could send this contest one way or another.
The set piece of the week will be Tuesday's debate. In the past, hello 2011, the last debate of the campaign has been crucial. Could Tuesday see the race swing?
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
