The two candidates for the Irish presidency are making late pushes for votes as they campaign across the country.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a rally in Monaghan, left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly denied assuming she would win the election, stating she was taking \u201cnothing for granted\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys is spending the day canvassing in counties Cork and Clare.<\/p>\n
She has insisted she can win the race for the presidency and made a plea for Fianna Fail supporters to \u201clend me their vote\u201d as the centre-ground candidate.<\/p>\n
Voters across the Republic of Ireland go to the polls on Friday to elect a successor to the outgoing president, Michael D Higgins.<\/p>\n
The campaigning continued on Thursday, just hours after the two rival candidates faced off during a debate on RTE\u2019s Prime Time.<\/p>\n
Independent TD Ms Connolly launched her Future Voices initiative during the rally in Monaghan town.<\/p>\n
She was asked about comments during the RTE debate when she said \u201cwhen\u201d rather than \u201cif\u201d she wins Friday\u2019s vote.<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly, who has been leading in opinion polls, was asked if she was taking victory for granted.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI am absolutely not taking it for granted, absolutely not.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be an absolute privilege if the people of Ireland elect me when they cast their vote on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am taking nothing for granted, I am canvassing the rest of the day and tomorrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we had three hours\u2019 sleep last night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not complaining, I am simply explaining that that is the nature of the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly said if she does win the race for the Aras, it sends a strong message to the Irish Government.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI hope it sends a very positive message that they should reflect on the way they have approached this campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, there is a gap between what the Government are seeing and what people are seeing on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see it everywhere we go, that people are crying out for honesty, integrity and for a different vision for the country and for a solution to our problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Connolly has received support in her campaign from Sinn Fein as well as a number of smaller parties.<\/p>\n
Sinn Fein vice president, and Northern Ireland\u2019s First Minister, Michelle O\u2019Neill, was in Monaghan to support the candidate.<\/p>\n
Ms O\u2019Neill said Ms Connolly\u2019s campaign had given people hope.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cI think what we are saying over the course of this campaign marks a change in Irish politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt very much marks a new beginning and that is something that we all want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI think you have reminded everybody what politics is all about and that is the service of people, giving people hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever ever has there been a time when we more need to see that independent vote in the Aras.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms O\u2019Neill also said it had to be the last Irish presidential vote in which people from Northern Ireland were not permitted to vote.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Cork, Ms Humphreys said there were a lot of \u201clot of people who haven\u2019t made their mind up\u201d how to vote on Friday.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI would say to people, please come out and vote on Friday, and I\u2019m saying very clearly to them that I\u2019m a centre-ground, pro-European, pro-business, common-sense, person, and I will bring all of those skills and all of the experience I\u2019ve gained throughout my life\u2026 to the office of the presidency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really am asking people to put their trust in me, because I certainly won\u2019t let them down on the international stage, whether it\u2019s representing this country, both diplomatically, culturally, or opening doors for Irish businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Humphreys replied \u201cI sure do\u201d when asked if she still believed she could win the race for the presidency.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cIt\u2019s a two-horse race, and I\u2019m asking people in the centre-ground to please come out and vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m in Cork here too, because the Taoiseach of the country has said he\u2019s going to vote for me. Many prominent Fianna Fail TDs and ministers have said they\u2019re going to support me, they\u2019re going to vote for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m asking those Fianna Fail supporters to please come out and lend me their vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor those people that want to vote number one for Jim Gavin, and I understand that, please give me the two.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cThere\u2019s a broad range of support there.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the most important thing is that people come out on Friday and exercise their vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
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