Catherine Connolly, an independent and vocal critic of the Israeli regime, has claimed Ireland’s presidency in a landslide win over her center-right opponent.
Official results released on Sunday showed overwhelming voter support for Connolly, who will assume a largely ceremonial role in Ireland.
She secured 63 percent of first-preference votes, after ineligible ballots were excluded, compared with 29 percent for her rival, Heather Humphreys of the center-right Fine Gael party.
Connolly has long condemned Israel for its oppressive treatment of Palestinians.
In a campaign video shared on her Facebook page in June, she stated: “If we in this Dáil cannot recognize that Israel is a terrorist state, then we are in serious trouble.”