Connolly, backed by Ireland’s left-wing opposition, is expected to double his nearest rival’s vote, count shows
Irish presidential candidate Catherine Connolly, who is running as an independent in the October 24 election, takes part in the Irish National Plowing Championships in Sreggan, Ireland, September 16, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
Catherine Connolly, a veteran lawmaker from Ireland’s far left, was expected to be elected president by a landslide on Saturday, with members of the ruling parties admitting they expected a heavy defeat.
Connolly, 68, an independent candidate backed by the entire left-dominated opposition, was likely to win more than double the votes of her closest rival, an official from one of the ruling parties said, citing an incomplete vote count.
Fine Gael general secretary John Carroll told national broadcaster RTE that data suggested Connolly would win more than 60% of the vote, with his party’s candidate – former minister Heather Humphreys – likely to finish in the low 20s.
“It seems likely that Catherine Connolly will be elected and we now move on to the task of working with her as a government,” added Higher Education Minister James Lawless, a member of the second ruling party, Fianna Fail.
The final result will likely be announced later on Saturday.
Strong critic of the EU and the US
A long-time critic of the European Union in a predominantly pro-EU Ireland who has repeatedly denounced EU plans to increase military spending, Connolly was far from a household name at the start of the competition for the largely ceremonial role.
Many of her views – from questioning the reliability of the US, Britain and France over their stance on the war in Gaza to comparing German rearmament spending to that of the 1930s – are well to the left of many of the parties that support her, as well as the outspoken outgoing president Michael D Higgins.
Ireland’s president is largely a figurehead, with powers rarely used to test the constitutionality of legislation, but he often speaks on the international stage and welcomes other heads of state to the country.
Connolly is a former clinical psychologist and lawyer who served as deputy speaker of the Irish lower house after first being elected in 2016. She gained momentum throughout the campaign by criticizing government policy in areas such as housing, finding wide appeal with young voters in particular.
It also benefited from the disastrous campaigns of the recently re-elected center-right coalition. Humphreys was hastily selected after Fine Gael’s first choice candidate withdrew due to illness. Fianna Fail’s choice, former Gaelic football manager Jim Gavin, abandoned his candidacy early on due to a financial scandal.
