Although the president-elect says she learnt equality from growing up in a big family, sometimes favouritism can develop
Catherine Connolly shakes hands with her presidential rival Heather Humphreys
One of the reasons Catherine Connolly is so committed to equality, she has said, is that she was brought up in a family of 14 children. As one of seven sisters and seven brothers, she has stressed, fairness had to be the iron rule of the household.
This is a revealing glimpse into Ms Connolly’s formation, which must have been challenging in other ways, too, since she lost her mother when she was only nine. But being part of a very big family makes her, by definition, an unusual person in today’s society and may lend a unique element to her personality.