Left-wing Connolly set to win Irish presidency as opponents concede

FILE PHOTO: Irish presidential candidate Catherine Connolly, who is running as an independent in the October 24 election, attends the Irish National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Ireland, September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Catherine Connolly, a veteran lawmaker on the far-left of the Irish political spectrum, was set to be elected the country's next president on Saturday as members of the governing parties conceded defeat.

Early tallies of votes after counting began at 0800 GMT showed a wide lead for Connolly, 68, an independent candidate. She is a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland and was far from a household name at the outset.