Catherine Connolly, a veteran lawmaker on the far left of the Irish political spectrum, is set to be elected the country's next president as members of the governing parties concede defeat.

Early tallies of votes after counting began at 0800 GMT on Saturday showed a wide lead for Connolly, 68, an independent candidate.

She is a long-time critic of the European Union in overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland and was far from a household name at the outset.

"It does appear likely that Catherine Connolly will be elected and we now move on to the job of working with her as a government," Higher Education Minister James Lawless, a member of the Fianna Fail party, told national broadcaster RTE.

Ireland's president is largely a figurehead, with seldom-used powers to test the constitutionality of legis

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