Overview

• Sinn Féin confirmed it will fund and staff Catherine Connolly’s campaign, joining Labour, the Social Democrats, the Greens and People Before Profit in a unified backing.
• At her Dublin launch, Connolly emphasized housing, healthcare, neutrality, human rights and Irish reunification, presenting herself as an inclusive candidate beyond traditional left–right lines.
• Connolly said both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes, condemned the October 7 attack, agreed with Hamas’s terrorist designation and said Israel is acting as a terrorist state, arguing Palestinians should decide their own governance.
• Government figures pushed back on her remarks, with Minister of State Thomas Byrne stating no aspiring president should show any tolerance for Hamas.
• The ballot is on course to feature Connolly alongside Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, as businessman Gareth Sheridan exited after failing to secure enough council nominations and Maria Steen races to reach 20 Oireachtas backers before Wednesday’s deadline.