Catherine Connolly is the new President of Ireland.Image: keystone
Catherine Connolly, supported by a left-wing alliance, has been elected as the new President of Ireland.
October 26, 2025, 08:03October 26, 2025, 08:03
She won the election clearly with 63 percent of the votes cast, as public broadcaster RTÉ reported.
“I will be a president who listens and reflects and will speak up when necessary,” Connolly said in her acceptance speech. She will also be a voice of peace and one that builds on the country’s policy of neutrality and will make her voice heard when it comes to the existential threat of climate change, she said.
Connolly’s victory became apparent early on
Her only competitor, Heather Humphreys of the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party, had already congratulated Connolly before the final result was available. “I would like to congratulate Catherine on becoming the next President of Ireland,” said Humphreys. She added that Connolly will be a president for all and that she wishes her the best. Humphreys received just under 30 percent of the vote.
Prime Minister Micheal Martin also did not wait until the official results were available to express his congratulations. It is clear that Connolly will be the next president of Ireland, he wrote on X.
Many ballot papers were invalidated
She will be the third woman to hold the highest office in the Republic of Ireland, after Mary Robinson (1990-1997) and Mary McAleese (1997-2011). She succeeds the 84-year-old incumbent, Michael D. Higgins, who served two terms at Áras an Uachtaráin, the Irish President’s residence in Dublin.
The independent candidate Connolly was supported by left-wing parties such as Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and the Greens. Connolly is considered a progressive politician who wants to unite rather than divide. Nevertheless, it is not without controversy. In recent weeks she has been criticized for comparing current German defense spending with the rearmament of the 1930s.
The downer is that a large number of ballot papers were reportedly invalidated in protest at the lack of additional candidates.
Prominent cancellations and withdrawals
The election campaign was marked by prominent withdrawals and cancellations. Former Dublin football coach Jim Gavin, briefly considered the favorite, unexpectedly withdrew at the beginning of October after a “personal misstep” in connection with a real estate affair – too late for the ballot papers, which had already been printed at the time. Despite his withdrawal, more than 100,000 people still voted for him. Several world-famous Irish people – including Riverdance legend Michael Flatley and the controversial martial artist Conor McGregor – were temporarily considered candidates, but an official candidacy did not materialize.
Similar to several European countries, the office of Irish head of state is largely characterized by representative tasks. However, the president plays an important role as a moral authority. It is expected that Connolly will be able to fill this role in a similar way to her predecessor Higgins. (sda/dpa)