Pro-Palestinian left-wing candidate Catherine Connolly won 63% of the vote, defeating her centre-right rival.
Published October 25, 2025
Left-wing independent candidate Catherine Connolly won Ireland’s presidential election with 63% of the vote, defeating her centre-right rival.
Mr Connolly, 68, was officially declared the winner of Friday’s vote after voting ended in all 43 constituencies on Saturday night, hours after Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys conceded defeat.
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Mr Humphries, who won 29.5% of the vote, said on the same day: “The Duchess of Cambridge will be a president for all of us, and she will be my president. I wish her all the best.”
Opinion polls suggested voters consistently strongly supported Mr Connolly over Mr Humphries, 64.
Deputy First Minister and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was also quick to wish Ms Connolly “every success”, adding: “She will be the president of this whole country.”
“Her success will be Ireland’s success,” he posted on X.
Mr Connolly, a former lawyer and independent MP since 2016, has been an outspoken critic of Israel over the Gaza war and has the support of a wide range of left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin, Labor and the Social Democrats.
Her campaign was particularly popular among young people, who supported her strong pro-Palestinian stance and commitment to social justice.
Mr Connolly and Mr Humphrys are the only candidates in the race after Prime Minister Michael Martin’s Fianna Fail candidate Jim Gavin withdrew from the race three weeks before the election, citing old financial issues. Martin supported Gavin in this race.
Ireland’s president represents the country on the world stage, hosts visits from world leaders, and plays an important constitutional role, but he has no power to shape laws or policy.
Mr. Connolly will succeed Michael D. Higgins, who has served as president since 2011 and has served a maximum of two seven-year terms.
She will be Ireland’s 10th president and the third woman to hold the post.
