Catherine Connolly takes office as Ireland’s president today. Her left-wing insurgent campaign took the Irish political establishment by surprise, winning a record number of votes and proving the Left can still triumph even in a bleak political landscape.

Ireland’s presidential election at the end of last month resulted in a decisive victory for the left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly. Connolly won more votes and received a bigger percentage than any previous candidate for the presidency in the history of the state. This came straight after a period when it looked as if the Irish left was in retreat and an emerging far-right movement was making the political running.

The local, European, and general elections held in 2024 were not good for the Irish left parties. While there were some

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