WITH just days remaining until the presidential election, Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has found herself under intense scrutiny after Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys publicly criticised Connolly’s work as a barrister in repossession cases during the financial crash over a decade ago.
Humphreys previously worked as a credit union manager for many years and positioned herself as the compassionate alternative, emphasising her efforts to help people remain in their homes amid financial hardship.
In an interview with the Sunday Independent, Humphreys said, “Before I got into politics, I was working as a credit union manager trying to help people stay in their homes. Catherine, by contrast, was working for UK banks to repossess Irish homes.”
She further pressed Connolly to disclose details about the number of homes involved and the fees she received for her legal work.
The attack marked a shift from the relatively polite tone of the campaign so far and drew swift rebuttals from Connolly.
Speaking to RTÉ, the independent candidate denounced Humphreys’ comments as “a new low” in the campaign.
Connolly insisted she had always acted professionally and has already addressed her past role in repossession cases.
“I will let the people of Ireland decide,” she said.
Fine Gael’s Education Minister Helen McEntee echoed these criticisms on RTÉ’s This Week programme, highlighting what she described as Connolly’s contradictory stance, having worked for banks involved in repossessions while later criticising those same institutions in the Dáil.
Meanwhile, the Fine Gael campaign released a social media video echoing these points, which Connolly’s team condemned as overly negative and reminiscent of American-style “mud-slinging”.
The exchange has led to other political figures also weighing in.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, speaking at the Fianna Fáil Wolfe Tone Commemoration, indirectly referenced Connolly when criticising eurosceptic rhetoric, suggesting some left-wing voices, including Connolly’s supporters, are “corrosive” to EU unity.
Despite this, Fianna Fáil is officially not running a candidate, leaving its supporters split between backing Humphreys, Connolly, or the withdrawn Jim Gavin, whose name remains on the ballot.
The final televised debate will air tonight at 9:35pm on RTÉ’s Prime Time, with the election set for Friday, October 24.