Friends Lulu Murray (19) from Dublin and Eva Harbourne (20) from Co Wicklow are registering to vote in student council elections at a booth in the Arts block in Trinity College Dublin.
The presidential election is just over three weeks away and the students are already making up their minds.
The politics and sociology students said they are both leaning towards Independent Catherine Connolly as their preferred candidate.
This is a choice which seems overwhelmingly popular among their peers on campus, as they prepare to decide between the three candidates who will be on ballot papers later this month.
Students from Trinity College Dublin share their thoughts on the three presidential candidates following the first televised election debate. Video: Ella Sloane
“I know we’re kind of in such a bubble here. With the course I do there would probably be a lot of support for the Soc Dems and Catherine Connolly,” said Harbourne.
She had an idea which way she planned to vote in the election on October 24th before watching clips from the first debate last Monday, but said this has “solidified” her decision to opt for Connolly on the ballot.
For Murray, Connolly’s stance on Palestine is “very important”.
“I also like that she emphasises her use of Irish and I think that’s very important for the figurehead of the Irish state,” she said.
Referring to opposing candidates Heather Humphreys for Fine Gael and Jim Gavin for Fianna Fáil, Murray believes “their qualifications are somewhat disappointing”.
Of Humphreys, she believes “her speech was not what you would expect a presidential candidate to be at the level at”.
Law and politics student Tomás Murphy, from Belfast, also plans to vote for Connolly.
“I’m from Northern Ireland and I think she’s really the only candidate that has a real interest in supporting a united Ireland. She cares about northerners in a way I don’t think that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil do.”
He feels another positive is “that the left is united behind one common candidate”.
Others like Lorcan Canavan (22), are still undecided on where their loyalties lie.
[ Humphreys campaign trail: ‘Wee selfies’, spirit of Big Tom and Fianna Fáil votersOpens in new window ]
“I’m from Carlow and there’s a lot of posters up around the town,” said Canavan, adding that the majority of the campaign material he has seen at home belongs to Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin.
Sydney O’Reilly (19), from Meath, has reservations about Humphreys “just because of the connections to the Orange Order”.
During her campaign, Humphreys has spoken about her Protestant heritage and attending Orange Order parades as a child.
“I’m leaning towards Catherine Connolly, mainly because she can speak Irish,” said O’Reilly.
Speaking of Gavin’s GAA roots, O’Reilly adds: “I know a lot of people like him because he’s brought Dublin to victory, but I don’t know if he’d make the best representative.”
Sophie Morrissey (19), from Kildare, also watched the presidential debate on Monday night.
“Judging by the debate the other day, I think [Connolly] represented herself the best, versus the comments [from Humphreys] about 3D printing being able to solve the housing crisis which were a little bit left field for me,” said the philosophy and politics student.
Sarah Nolan (19), from Dublin, also tuned into the presidential debate and believes Connolly’s performance was strongest.
For Nolan, Connolly’s fluency in Irish is “a massive plus”.
“That’s really important today, especially when we’re trying to advance the use of our national language. It’s in the Constitution that it is Ireland’s first language.”
Nolan said Connolly would likely be getting her vote on election day because “her ideas generally benefit young people”.