‘My message is, use your voice in every way you can,’ Ms Connolly told the crowd gathered at Dublin Castle.

The Fine Gael candidate said she had ‘no regrets’ about running for the Irish presidency.

The choice is between three candidates, one of whom withdrew from campaigning three weeks ago.

The Irish speaker has been an elected politician for more than 25 years.

She grew up on a farm outside a village called Drum, located at the Cavan-Monaghan border.

The left wing independent TD has a 19 percentage point lead over Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, according to the Business Post/Red C poll.

He said the past 14 years in office have shown him that Irish people are committed to ‘seeing the ‘other’ as friend’.

Voters go to the polls on Friday to elect the next president.

The Fine Gael presidential candidate was asked about what representations she had made on behalf of a Co Monaghan family.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill said there was a ‘huge gap’ in that she could be a presidential candidate but cannot vote in the same election.

In a speech to supporters the Fine Gael candidate criticised her opponent Catherine Connolly’s approach to Brexit.

Catherine Connolly said she had ‘no control’ over who she met on the trip and noted Micheal Martin personally met Bashar Assad.

The Tanaiste’s comments came after Fine Gael candidate for the Irish presidency suggested a Stormont parliament could be retained in a united Ireland.

Rival presidential candidate Catherine Connolly accused the Government of not doing enough to plan for constitutional change on the island

Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys said she is ‘disappointed’ that Paul Murphy is taking legal action against her.

Presidential candidate Heather Humphreys is being sued over remarks she made about a politician supporting her election rival during a radio debate.

Catherine Connolly appeared on The Katie Hannon Interview Live on RTÉ.

Fine Gael is ‘very worried’ about the momentum behind Catherine Connolly’s campaign, the left-wing independent candidate has claimed.

The independent candidate said that questions put to her about hiring the woman have ‘backfired’.

Catherine Connolly was ahead in two recent polls ahead of the presidential election.

The left-wing independent candidate said there is a ‘golden opportunity’ for Fianna Fail supporters to back her campaign.

Mr Martin also said he was ‘glad to see that that has been resolved’ in relation to Mr Gavin reportedly repaying his former tenant.

‘I need all the votes I can get, there’s no question about that,’ Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys said.

‘I’m not involved in any smear campaign,’ Heather Humphreys said in Wexford on Friday.

The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party met in private on Wednesday night after Mr Gavin’s dramatic withdrawal.

However the Justice Minister said it is ‘not an immediate concern for me’.

In a campaign video entitled Why Should Catherine Connolly Be President Of Ireland?, clips are used of Mr Higgins and his predecessors, Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson.

The Fine Gael candidate said the image had been taken down.

The Fianna Fáil deputy leader came under pressure for the selection of Mr Gavin as the party’s presidential nominee.

Cork East TD James O’Connor said Jim Gavin ‘should have never found himself on the ballot paper’ in the presidential election.

Jim Gavin dropped out of contention late on Sunday night, too late for the ballot paper to be altered.

Micheal Martin said it is his intention to continue leading Fianna Fail, after the party’s presidential candidate dramatically withdrew from the race.

Minister Jack Chambers said a ‘clear contradiction’ emerged in relation to Jim Gavin’s account of payments due to a former tenant.

Billy Kelleher, who ran against Jim Gavin for the Fianna Fáil nomination, said the process to select a candidate were ‘quite chaotic’.

Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys has defended her record in Cabinet during a televised debate.

Launching his campaign, Mr Gavin said he will work to highlight the ‘strength and the voice’ of the Irish people.

‘No, it’s for veterans, and obviously we need to make all of the arrangements workable in practise,’ Sir Keir Starmer said.