Independent TD and presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has officially launched her election campaign in Dublin.
Arriving at the venue in the inner city, she was accompanied by some of the leaders of the opposition and left parties that are supporting her, as well as other local TDs and Senators.
One after another representatives from Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats, Labour, PBP Solidarity and the Green Party praised Ms Connolly for the stances she has taken on many issues and the integrity she brings to politics.
When she took to the podium, Catherine Connolly spoke as Gaeilge and as Bearla about her vision for the presidency.
"This is a movement of energy, of vibrancy and of vision to say that we will steer the country in a different way, we will never accept the normalisation of genocide, we will never accept 16,000 households without a home as collateral damage to an appalling and unacceptable neo-liberal ideology that has made a philosophy of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing."
After her speech, there was no press conference, and journalists were unable to question her about earlier comments she made in a radio interview in which she said Hamas is part of the fabric of the Palestinian people.
'Neutrality does not mean standing aside'
Holly Cairns, the recently returned leader of the Social Democrats said the Galway West TD is the only candidate seeking to protect Irish neutrality.
"Catherine is the only presidential candidate who understands that neutrality does not mean standing aside, its means standing up for peace, for dialogue, for humans rights and international law."
Standing in for her party leader, Labour's Marie Sherlock said Ms Connolly gives voice to those suffering injustice.
"We need a president who can give voice to those who feel they don't have a voice, who can give voice to the real challenges in our society, who can give voice to the terrible terrible injustices happening in our world right now."
PBP Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said Mc Connolly's election would bring about profound change.
"Its about giving people the hope that the left can come together like we are here today, and that the more than hundred year rule of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can be ended."
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald praised Ms Connolly for her stance on Gaza, on all Island Unity and her integrity.
"She believes in us, she believes in our people, she knows we can realise a better future," Mc McDonald said.
'United opposition'
Sinn Féin endorsing Independent candidate Catherine Connolly in the Presidential Election "gives a clear signal to people that there is a broad, united opposition", party TD Pearse Doherty said.
He said the party's leadership listened to its members and decided to back Ms Connolly.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Doherty said his party has a dual objective of keeping the Government parties "out of the Áras" and having a candidate who will put forward issues such as a united Ireland, neutrality and "who will stand up for marginalised".
"The second priority was also that we want to put this Government out of office, because it is only by having a change of government, that you will actually have a change in the housing situation.
"It is only by getting Fianna Fáil out of government that you will actually be able to put the voices of those with disabilities and those marginalised front and centre with a Sinn Féin-led government.
"So therefore, they're the two priorities that we were looking at and how do we do them. So, that was the decision that we made and Catherine Connolly is an excellent candidate," Mr Doherty said.
"We have now something very unique where the combined opposition is supporting a candidate where Government have two candidates in the race and I think this is going to be a very exciting race and I have no doubt with the support of Sinn Féin that we have energised Catherine Connolly's campaign and our job now is to make sure that she is the next Uachtaráin of Ireland," he added.
Mr Doherty said that Sinn Féin will support Ms Connolly’s campaign financially, the amount of which will be decided in discussions with her team.
"We will fund her campaign. We will support her campaign financially. That's a discussion now that we will sit down with her party campaign. We will be part of that campaign.
"I think the biggest contribution that we're going to bring to Catherine Connolly's campaign is that we have a large organisation that has a reach right across the island of Ireland, that we're embedded in our communities, that we have a large support base that is out there already," he said.
He added that he thinks "people are really, really delighted that we have now a combined opposition".
