Galway West TD Catherine Connolly’s bid to emerge as a united left-wing presidential candidate gain momentum in earnest this week with meetings with Labour and Independent Ireland.

Yesterday she formally launched her campaign on Raidió na Gaeltachta before fronting the national media outside the Dáil in Dublin.

She had confirmed her decision to run to the Galway City Tribune last Friday after winning support from a number of the smaller parties and senators.

She estimates that she is well past the magic number of 20 to get her name on the ballot paper — the Social Democrats with twelve TDs, People before Profit’s two votes, as well as a number of senators have backed her bid. Sinn Féin, Labour and Independent Ireland have yet to declare their intentions.

This week she told the Galway City Tribune that it had taken months to finally take the leap.

“It was tortuous for me — it was the biggest hurdle. It took months, it didn’t happen overnight, it happened organically. I’m happy the process is over, and I thank your paper for helping me get over that hurdle, it’s a relief, and I’m ready for the campaign now,” she remarked.

Asked what she believed would be the biggest hurdles between now and election day — expected to be in October — she repeated her disapproval of how campaigns are described.

“I don’t like those terms vicious, I think it’s a bullying tactic. I expect to be questioned extensively, I’m sitting on the Public Accounts Committee where I question public bodies every week and rightly so,” she said.

“Equally politicians — anyone who dares to put themselves forward — should be able to answer questions, I’ve no difficulty as long as they’re in a manner that’s respectful. I don’t think the campaign should be used to stop people running.”

She said the overwhelming support of the public from all counties in Ireland — through letters, emails and calls — had helped make up her mind to run as a successor to Michael D Higgins.

“I’d like to be a unifying left candidate. Labour came back last week and invited me to a meeting, and I did that yesterday and they said they’re going to make that decision within two weeks. Sinn Féin are going through their own process, and I respect that, I’ve had great support from individual TDs on the ground,” she said.

After running the last two Dáil campaigns from her own resources, she said she would be seeking financial contributions from the parties and the public to run.

“I was proud that I was able to run completely independently and show people they do not need an excessive amount of money to stand for local or national politics. But half a million euro has been estimated as the cost by the government parties — I’m not saying it’s going to be that much, but it’s too much for me alone.”

Her campaign team are already in place and she plans to visit every corner of Ireland.

“The presidency is here for the welfare of the people. We’re facing a united Ireland at some time in the future, we’re facing a world normalising war, a world normalising starvation, normalising genocide … there is a different way of doing this … there will be a united Ireland by consent and the president has an important role in that.

“Michael D has been very courageous at a point in the world when we need more courage against the devastating consensus that war is a way to get to peace.

“I see myself as enabling people, empowering people to find their voice.”

Pictured: Catherine Connolly TD, who has announced she will run as a candidate in the presidential election, pictured at the Westside Garden Open Day during the Westside Arts Festival at the weekend. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.