Independent Connolly had the backing of parties on the left in the run-up to the election, including Sinn Féin. Reacting to the news of her election on Saturday, the north’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said that it marked “an era of hope”.

Outside politics, Connolly is a passionate Irish speaker and a keen sportswoman who ran marathons and played badminton competitively in her younger years. The 68 year old recently showed off her skills on the campaign trail by playing football and basketball with children at a block of flats in northside Dublin.

Catherine Connolly, Ireland's next president, comes from a large family in Galway and has been married for over 30 years.

The left-wing independent candidate showed her political and physical stamina during the final months of the campaign.

Catherine Connolly, la candidata independiente de izquierda que obtuvo el respaldo de los partidos izquierdistas de Irlanda, incluido el Sinn Féin,