Free Republic

Catherine Connolly’s lop-sided victory to be Ireland’s next head of state was accompanied by a surge in vandalized ballots from right-wing voters. DUBLIN — Independent socialist Catherine Connolly swept to a landslide victory Saturday to become Ireland’s next president, dealing a record-breaking rebuke to the two center-ground parties of government.Jubilant supporters of the 68-year-old Connolly, a lawmaker from the western city of Galway, embraced and kissed her as final results from Friday’s election were announced at the Dublin Castle count center.In her victory speech, Connolly struck an immediate note of unity. She stood side by side with Ireland’s government...

As an example of political self-harm by establishment political parties, the current Irish presidential election will be hard to equal. The latest opinion poll before Friday’s vote indicates that the far-Left independent candidate, Catherine Connolly, is likely to romp home in this two-horse race. With just two days to go, Connolly has an unassailable 19-point lead over her sole opponent, Heather Humphreys of the centre-Right Fine Gael party. Humphreys ended up being the establishment candidate, after the centrist Fianna Fáil party’s candidate was forced to withdraw from the election as a result of a minor scandal regarding overpaid rent of...