As predicted, the radical far-left has emerged victorious from Ireland’s farcical presidential election, leaving the ruling coalition parties humiliated and obliterated in a shambles of their own making.

Catherine Connolly, Ireland’s 68-year-old answer to Jeremy Corbyn, will be Ireland’s next head of state. But large swathes of middle and rural Ireland who feel disenfranchised by this two-horse derby are seething. The number of deliberately spoiled votes reached a historic high, and in some constituencies, outpolled the Fine Gael candidate. This points to a dangerous polarisation for which the Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris are entirely responsible.

The backlash, when it came was as swift, harsh and deserved. Peadar Toibin TD, leader of Ireland’s only conservative party, Aontu, described it as ‘a political earthquake, the result of an FF-FG diktat to its members not to nominate any independent candidate.’ Ireland’s system requires presidential candidates to secure the nomination of 20 members of the Oireachtas or four county councils to get on the........

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