A Catherine Connolly presidential election victory would be an enormous fillip for the political left that assembled behind her and a humbling defeat for two Government parties. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni
The presidential election is turning into a flaming disaster for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll, whose findings on the presidential race were published on Thursday, was worse than either feared. But it only confirmed what observation of the campaign, on the ground and on the airwaves, suggested. The only surprise was the size of Catherine Connolly’s lead. People expected that the poll would show Connolly ahead – just not by so much.
For Fine Gael, the hope that Heather Humphreys would narrow the gap with Connolly by attracting centre ground, especially Fianna Fáil, voters, was dashed under the onslaught of numbers that mean only an earthquake would change the outcome now.
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