If coming across as natural and personable counts in a presidential election – and it does – then Catherine Connolly is winning that particular race. Connolly has been quietly using podcasts to reach younger audiences and give listeners a sense of who she is and what her values are.

She has spoken at length on The Blindboy Podcast; Catch Up with Louise McSharry, The Simpler Life?; Free State, and Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige. These platforms have allowed Connolly to tell her story, including outlining her life growing up in social housing in Galway in a family of seven sisters and seven brothers, the death of her mother when she was nine years old, the jobs she’s had, her love of reading, that she has run marathons, her political career, her positions and values, the issues she cares about and so on.

As a result, I know much more about Connolly now than I did before this campaign started. Conversely, I know pretty much the same amount today as I did about Heather Humphreys’s life and values pre-campaign.

The podcast drive has been a good strategy for Connolly. Podcasts offer a more intimate, candid setting to lay out your stall. Connolly has been able to do this because she actually can talk at length in a reflective and authentic manner. The format........

© The Irish Times