In a landmark moment for Ireland, Catherine Connolly has been elected as the country’s 10th president, achieving a landslide victory. The independent candidate, who was supported by major left-wing parties, defeated Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, who had already conceded the race. The official announcement was made at Dublin Castle.
Connolly, a 68-year-old from Galway, has served as a TD (member of the Irish parliament) since 2016. Prior to her political career, she worked as a psychologist and barrister. Her presidential bid was marked by a record-breaking achievement: she secured 914,143 first-preference votes, the highest number ever recorded in an Irish presidential election.
In her acceptance speech, delivered first in Irish and then in English, Connolly pledged to be “an inclusive president for all.” She stated, “I will be a president who listens and reflects and who speaks when it’s necessary.” She further emphasized her commitment to being “a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, a voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change, and a voice that recognises the tremendous work being done the length and breadth of the country.”
The election saw a significant number of spoiled votes, totaling 213,738, an unprecedented figure. The overall turnout was 46%. Humphreys secured 29% of first-preference votes, while Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, who had withdrawn from the race but remained on the ballot, received 7% of first-preference votes.