"July 16: Independent TD Catherine Connolly announces her bid to become president. She is supported by Independents, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. August 14: Fine Gael presidential candidate Mairead McGuinness withdraws from the race. The former European Commissioner takes the decision on medical advice. September 2: Former minister Heather Humphreys is confirmed as the new Fine Gael candidate, with MEP Sean Kelly dropping out of the party race."
"September 20: Promising a gamechanger, Mary Lou McDonald announces Sinn Féin is backing Catherine Connolly and the party is not running its own candidate. September 24: In a dramatic rush to the nominations line, Maria Steen fails to get on the ticket, coming two names short on her papers. Gareth Sheridan also falls short. September 29: The first debate of the campaign on Virgin Media sees Catherine Connolly dominate, Jim Gavin struggle and Heather Humphreys stand back."
"October 5: Catherine Connolly takes a considerable lead in a Sunday Independent Ireland Thinks poll, showing she is nine points ahead of Heather Humphreys. October 5: Following revelations that he failed to repay a tenant €3,300, Jim Gavin withdraws from the race sending shockwaves through Fianna Fáil. October 23: On the eve of the election, an Irish Independent Ireland Thinks poll confirms the pattern of Catherine Connolly holding a substantial lead."
Catherine Connolly announced a presidential bid on July 16, backed by Independents, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit. Mairead McGuinness withdrew August 14 on medical advice. Heather Humphreys became the Fine Gael candidate on September 2. Jim Gavin was chosen by the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on September 9 after a vote against Billy Kelleher. Sinn Féin said on September 20 it would back Connolly and not run a candidate. Maria Steen and Gareth Sheridan failed to secure nominations on September 24. Connolly dominated the first televised debate on September 29. Polls in October showed Connolly leading; Jim Gavin withdrew October 5 after revelations about an unpaid tenant, and a late-October poll confirmed Connolly’s substantial lead.
Read at Irish Independent
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