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Summary
Independent candidate Catherine Connolly has been elected Ireland’s 10th president in a landslide, becoming the first from Galway and the third woman to hold the office. She defeated Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys to secure the presidency.
Catherine Connolly has been elected as the 10th President of Ireland after a landslide victory that marks a shift in the country’s political landscape. She becomes Ireland’s third female president and its first from Galway.
The independent candidate, backed by major left-wing parties including Sinn Féin, defeated Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, who conceded defeat before the official declaration of results at Dublin Castle on October 25, 2025.
Catherine secured 914,143 first-preference votes, a record-breaking 63% of the total, while Heather received 29%. Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, who had withdrawn from the race but remained on the ballot, received 7%. There were 213,738 spoiled ballots, with voter turnout standing at 46%.
Delivering her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English, Catherine pledged to be “an inclusive president for all” and “a voice for peace.”
“I will be a president who listens and reflects, and who speaks when it’s necessary,” she said. “A voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, that recognises the existential threat of climate change, and that celebrates the tremendous work being done across the country.”
A former barrister and long-serving Galway West lawmaker, Catherine has been a member of Ireland’s parliament (Dáil Éireann) since 2016 and previously served as Deputy Speaker. She began her political career as a Galway city councillor in 1999 and was elected mayor in 2004.
Her campaign, which she described as a “movement,” resonated strongly with voters seeking a break from establishment politics. Dublin correspondent Gabija Gataveckaite described her as the “anti-establishment candidate” who successfully challenged the government’s preferred choice.
Catherine Connolly succeeds Michael D. Higgins, who has completed the maximum two seven-year terms.
Though largely ceremonial, Ireland’s presidency is the only national office directly elected by the public, serving as a symbol of unity, conscience, and representation for the Irish people.
