Catherine Connolly to be Elected Ireland's 10th President After Decisive Victory

Catherine Connolly is set to become Ireland's next President after Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys conceded defeat this afternoon, with early tallies from today's count showing the Galway independent TD holding an insurmountable lead of approximately 63 per cent of first preference votes.

The 68-year-old barrister and former Mayor of Galway is on course to secure a decisive victory, with Humphreys trailing on 27 to 30 per cent according to tallies from constituencies across the country. Former candidate Jim Gavin, who withdrew from the race earlier this month but remained on the ballot, has received between 7 and 8 per cent of votes.

When formally declared later this evening, Connolly will become Ireland's third female president and the first woman elected to the office since Mary McAleese in 1997. She will succeed Michael D. Higgins as Ireland's 10th President when she is inaugurated at Dublin Castle on 11 November 2025.

In Cork constituencies, Connolly demonstrated particularly strong support as counting continued throughout the day. Cork North-Central tallies showed her winning 67.8 per cent of first preferences, while Cork South-Central delivered 64.7 per cent. Even in the more closely contested Cork North-West, Connolly maintained a clear lead over her rival.

Heather Humphreys, Fine Gael candidate:

"Catherine will be a president for all of us and she will be my president, and I really would like to wish her all the very, very best. I have absolutely not one regret."

Humphreys, who campaigned on a message of unity and reconciliation between communities North and South, acknowledged the result before the full national count concluded, stating her opponent had secured an unassailable lead.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued a statement congratulating Connolly on what he described as "a very comprehensive election victory": "It is clear she will be the next President of Ireland. She has secured a clear mandate to represent the people of Ireland as Uachtarán na hÉireann over the next seven years. As Taoiseach, I look forward to working with the new President in the time ahead."

The Taoiseach also paid tribute to both Humphreys and Jim Gavin, noting that "it takes great courage to put yourself forward for the highest office in the land, and both are people with a long history of public service and community involvement."

Tánaiste Simon Harris congratulated Connolly, saying she would be a president "for all this country and for all of us", whilst acknowledging the disappointment for his Fine Gael colleague Humphreys.

Yesterday's election saw relatively low turnout at around 45 per cent nationally, with Cork constituencies following this pattern. Count staff described the turnout as "soft" for a presidential election. Additionally, almost 90,000 spoiled ballots were recorded nationally, with some tally teams interpreting this as protest votes - a historically high number for an Irish election.

Connolly's campaign, which was openly backed by Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit, focused on housing affordability, social justice, and cost of living pressures. Her strongly critical stance on Israel's actions in Gaza resonated particularly with younger and progressive voters.

The President-elect ran a grassroots, social media-driven campaign that toured regional towns and positioned her as outside the traditional Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael establishment. In her home base of Galway, early tallies showed her taking more than 80 per cent in some boxes.

Political analysts are describing the expected result as a landslide and a serious warning sign for Fine Gael at national level, viewing it as evidence of voter anger with the cost of living crisis and frustration with long-standing government parties.

Connolly has indicated she wants to use the presidency to "speak up for communities" and marginalised groups, whilst respecting the constitutional limits of the office. She is expected to adopt a more outspoken and activist style compared to recent incumbents, though the presidency remains largely ceremonial under the Constitution of Ireland.

A by-election will be required in Galway West to fill Connolly's Dáil seat, which must occur within six months of the vacancy under Irish law.

The Presidential Returning Officer Barry Ryan indicated that the formal declaration could come by early evening, potentially around 7:30pm, similar to the 2018 election timeline.