Catherine Connolly has been elected as the new President of Ireland, succeeding Michael D. Higgins. Although Connolly has stated that she will represent the entire country, she will largely be the voice of the working class and the oppressed, not of the Irish landowners and bankers. Ireland, a country divided by British colonialism, has a population of 5.2 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.5 million in the northern counties, which remain under UK control. Although she ran as an 'independent', Connolly had the support of the broad left: the Communist Party of Ireland, the Green Party, the Labour Party, Sinn Féin, and other movements. She dedicated most of her campaign to focusing on the direct problems facing the Irish people, particularly the housing crisis. This crisis was exacerbated after the 'Celtic Tiger' economic boom in the 1990s, which led to a surge in housing prices that have not collapsed even after the Celtic Tiger's demise following the 2008 credit crisis. As a lawyer in Galway, Connolly began her political career by winning a seat on Galway City Council in 1999 and later served as Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. The backing of Sinn Féin, the second-largest party in parliament, was crucial. Like her predecessor Michael D., Connolly will not be benevolent towards US imperialism and its allies. In June, she described Israel as a 'terrorist state' regarding its actions in Palestine. It is likely that this kind of stance will continue to be made from Dublin.
