Irish bookie PaddyPower has announced that it is paying out – more than two weeks early – on punters’ bets on independent candidate Catherine Connolly to be the Republic’s next president because her rival, right-winger Heather Humphreys, just can’t keep up:

Catherine Connolly: odds on

Despite being an independent candidate, socialist Catherine Connolly had received the backing of Sinn Féin (SF), with party president Mary Lou McDonald saying Connolly will be:

An Uachtaráin [the President] who will be a voice for citizens with disabilities, for carers, for the marginalised and for those too often ignored by those in power.

An Uachtaráin with a record of standing for fairness, for compassion and for economic justice, and we believe that Catherine can be that Uachtaráin.

McDonald added that SF had decided to back Connolly despite her not being an SF representative because:

we passionately believe that it is essential that the Irish people have that clear choice between the old order of [right and centre-right] Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil… or the politics of social justice.

(Video: Mick Caul)

Centre-right Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin had already announced his withdrawal from the race last Sunday. Connolly is highly regarded by the Irish left and looks a certainty – enough for the bookies to close their book and pay out so early – to romp home in the first two-horse presidential race in Ireland in more than fifty years.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

This post was originally published on Canary.