Sinn Féin’s support of Catherine Connolly will allow the opposition to work collectively ‘take on the Government’ says TD
Over the weekend, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald confirmed her party's intention to back Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly.
In a surprise move, Sinn Féin chose not to run its own candidate and instead joined the left-wing alliance of the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, the Green Party, People before Profit-Solidarity and other Independent TDs.
Speaking after her party's announcement, Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh said the move marks a key moment in the campaign, and a reinforcement of the Alliance of the Left.
Deputy Conway-Walsh emphasised the significance of Sinn Féin's decision to support a candidate from outside the party, saying that the choice involved "considerable consultation with the party membership right across the country."
She maintained that the move would allow the opposition to work collectively to take on the Government in the race for the Áras, adding that Sinn Féin's two priorities are to keep Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael out of government and out of the Áras.
Deputy Conway-Walsh had been widely tipped as a frontrunner for Sinn Féin's nomination herself.
She confirmed that she had been approached by people within the party, and had previously said anyone who Sinn Féin chooses to back for the role of President would need to be a united Ireland candidate.
At the time, however, she declined to comment on whether she would put her name forward, saying that she was focused on her role as the party's spokesperson on enterprise, tourism and employment.
Now, Deputy Conway-Walsh has publicly endorsed Sinn Féin's decision to back Independent TD Catherine Connolly, saying the move offers the electorate a clear choice, "an alternative to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael."
"Sinn Féin intends to play a full and active role in this campaign. We are prioritising the people and the country over the party by backing Catherine Connolly and working with a combined opposition to collectively take on the Government," she said.
Reaffirming her party's core belief in Irish Unity, Deputy Conway-Walsh said that must be central to the election campaign.
"The next Presidential term will see Irish reunification and constitutional change firmly on the agenda. Catherine has already set out her hopes for a unity referendum to be held over the next seven years, and has visited Belfast recently to meet with Irish citizens in the North."
She added it was "highly disappointing" that citizens in the North would not be able to vote in the upcoming election, "despite promises from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael led governments to deliver on this."
Speaking last week, Deputy Connolly said it is the "firm will of the Irish people to have a united Ireland" and said she "will use her voice at all levels" to bring unity to the country by peaceful means and by consent.
When asked if it would be a possibility before 2030, she smiled before replying, "In my lifetime, that sounds very good and in my term as President, it sounds even better", but she declined to put a timeline on the chance of a referendum on the issue.
Calling Deputy Connolly a "New President for a New Ireland", Deputy Conway-Walsh affirmed her support for the candidate, framing her as a candidate for unity and change.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.