Ireland - Presidential Election 24 October 2025
Leftwinger Catherine Connolly posted a landslide victory in Ireland's 24 October 2025 presidential contest. The independent candidate reportedly had 64% of vote after two-thirds of ballot count, in a very public rebuke to the sitting government. Connolly 68, captured the imagination of many younger people and was backed by an alliance of leftwing opposition parties.
While the presidency is largely ceremonial, the office carries important constitutional duties, including referring legislation to the Supreme Court and representing Ireland abroad. Whoever wins will take office for a seven-year term, renewable only once.
Polling stations across the Republic of Ireland were open on Friday 24 October 2025 as more than 3.6 million voters began casting ballots in the presidential election. The vote would determine who serves as Ireland's head of state, a largely ceremonial role but with some key constitutional powers, for the next seven years.
On October 24, 2025, Irish citizens headed to the polls to elect the tenth President of Ireland in what has proven to be one of the most unusual presidential contests in the nation's history. The election marks the end of Michael D. Higgins' tenure as president, a role he has held since 2011. Having served two consecutive seven-year terms, Higgins is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, creating the first competitive presidential race since 2018 and opening the door for new leadership at Áras an Uachtaráin, the official presidential residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
The timing of this election is constitutionally mandated to occur within sixty days before the expiration of the current president's term, which ends on November 11, 2025. Polling stations across Ireland opened at seven o'clock in the morning and remained open until ten o'clock at night, giving approximately 3.5 million eligible voters the opportunity to cast their ballots. The election employs instant-runoff voting, also known as the single transferable vote system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one candidate. This system ensures that the eventual winner must achieve a quota of more than half the valid votes cast.
The Presidential Role and Constitutional Framework
The Irish presidency occupies a unique position in the nation's constitutional architecture, combining ceremonial functions with important constitutional safeguards. Unlike the Taoiseach, who serves as head of government and exercises executive power, the President of Ireland serves as head of state with a role comparable to constitutional monarchs in other European democracies. The president represents Ireland at home and abroad, receives visiting heads of state, signs legislation into law, and serves as commander-in-chief of the Defence Forces. Most importantly, the president acts as guardian of the Constitution, with the power to refer bills to the Supreme Court to test their constitutionality before signing them into law.
While the presidency is largely ceremonial and the president must act on the advice of the government in most matters, the office carries significant symbolic weight and moral authority. The president speaks for the nation at times of crisis, represents Irish values internationally, and can use the platform to highlight important social issues. Past presidents have used this moral authority to champion various causes, from human rights and equality to arts and culture, making the presidency an important institution despite its limited formal powers. The seven-year term, longer than the typical parliamentary term, allows presidents to take a long-term perspective beyond the immediate concerns of party politics.
The constitutional requirements for seeking the presidency ensure that only established figures can compete. Candidates must be Irish citizens aged thirty-five or above, and they must secure nomination through one of three routes: endorsement by at least twenty members of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament consisting of the Dáil and Seanad), nomination by at least four of Ireland's thirty-one local authorities, or self-nomination by a former or sitting president who has served only one term. These requirements create a high barrier to entry, ensuring that only candidates with significant political support or profile can contest the election.
Campaign Finance and Electoral Regulations
Irish law imposes strict spending limits on presidential campaigns to ensure a level playing field and prevent wealthy candidates from dominating the race through excessive expenditure. Each candidate faces a ceiling of 750,000 euros for their entire campaign, a reduction from the previous limit of 1.3 million euros. Candidates who either win the election or achieve more than twelve and a half percent of the vote on their elimination become eligible for reimbursement of campaign expenses up to 200,000 euros from state funds. This system helps ensure that candidates without substantial personal wealth can compete while still maintaining fiscal responsibility in campaign spending.
The regulations also govern donations to presidential campaigns, with individual donors limited to contributing no more than 2,539 euros to any candidate or their election agent in a given year. Third-party organizations face a higher limit of 6,348 euros for donations. All candidates must maintain detailed records of their campaign finances and submit them to the Standards in Public Office Commission, which publishes reports on donations and spending after the election concludes. These transparency measures aim to prevent undue influence by wealthy donors and ensure public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.
Historical Context and Electoral Precedents
The 2025 election takes place against the backdrop of significant changes in Irish political culture and party alignment. Since the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and the subsequent civil war, Irish politics have traditionally been defined not by left-right ideological divisions but by different approaches to the national question and by clientelism based on local and family loyalties. The two major parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, emerged from opposite sides of the civil war but have converged significantly in recent decades, both occupying the center-right of the political spectrum.
For much of Irish history, presidential elections were either uncontested or dominated by candidates with Fianna Fáil backing. Douglas Hyde became the first president in 1938 without facing opposition, as he was the sole nominee. On six occasions throughout Irish presidential history, elections have been unnecessary because only one candidate secured nomination, most recently in 2004 when Mary McAleese ran unopposed for her second term. The trend toward competitive elections with multiple candidates is a relatively recent phenomenon, reflecting the fragmentation of Irish politics and the declining dominance of the traditional major parties.
The 2011 election marked a watershed moment with seven candidates competing, the largest field in Irish history. This expansion of candidate numbers reflected the increased willingness of county councils to use their nomination powers to put forward candidates outside the traditional party structures. In both 2011 and 2018, four candidates secured nomination through council support rather than parliamentary endorsement, demonstrating the democratization of access to the presidential ballot. The 2025 race, while ultimately featuring only two active campaigners, initially had three candidates nominated through parliamentary rather than council routes, reflecting how the post-2024 election Oireachtas composition limited the nomination pathways available to potential candidates.
The election of Mary Robinson in 1990 represented a historic breakthrough, as she became Ireland's first female president and the first candidate to win without Fianna Fáil support since 1938. Robinson's victory, achieved as a nominee of the Labour Party and supported by progressive and liberal voters, demonstrated that Irish voters were willing to look beyond traditional party loyalties when choosing their head of state. Her presidency transformed the office from a largely passive role into an active platform for advocacy on human rights, emigrant communities, and social justice issues. Mary McAleese succeeded her in 1997, continuing the precedent of having a woman in the presidency and further developing the office's activist potential while also emphasizing reconciliation with Northern Ireland.
Contemporary Political Landscape
The 2025 presidential election occurs at a moment of significant transition in Irish politics. The 2020 general election forced Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, long-time rivals, to enter into a formal coalition government together for the first time in their history, partnering with the Green Party to achieve a parliamentary majority. This historic coalition reflected the rise of Sinn Féin, a left-wing nationalist party that had previously been associated with the Northern Ireland conflict but had gained substantial support in the Republic based on opposition to austerity policies and the housing crisis.
Following the 2024 general election, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael continued their partnership but dropped the Green Party in favor of independent members of parliament. This arrangement reflected the continued fragmentation of Irish politics and the difficulty the traditional parties face in commanding majority support on their own. The Sinn Féin surge, while not translating into government participation, demonstrated voter appetite for alternatives to the establishment parties. However, following the 2024 election, only Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin possessed the twenty Oireachtas members necessary to nominate a presidential candidate, giving these three parties a stranglehold on parliamentary nominations.
This concentration of nomination power frustrated independent candidate Gareth Sheridan, who ran an energetic campaign to secure the required support from four county councils. Despite obtaining backing from two councils and conducting extensive outreach, Sheridan ultimately failed to reach the threshold, with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors declining to support his candidacy. This experience highlighted ongoing debates about whether the nomination system should be reformed to make it easier for independent or non-establishment candidates to contest the presidency, though defenders of the current system argue it ensures only serious candidates with genuine support can compete.
Campaign Issues and Public Discourse
While the Irish presidency lacks direct policy-making power, presidential campaigns nonetheless become forums for broader discussions about national values, priorities, and direction. The 2025 campaign saw candidates articulate different visions for how they would use the office's symbolic and moral authority. Catherine Connolly's campaign resonated with voters frustrated by what they perceived as political dishonesty and a disconnect between government priorities and citizen concerns. Her emphasis on integrity and her track record as an independent voice in parliament who had challenged both government and opposition parties gave her campaign a distinctive anti-establishment flavor.
Questions about Ireland's role in international affairs, particularly regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emerged as a significant theme during the campaign. Ireland has traditionally adopted strong positions in support of Palestinian rights and has been critical of Israeli military actions, reflecting both the country's anti-colonial heritage and identification with smaller nations facing more powerful adversaries. Candidates discussed how they would use the presidency's platform to advocate for peace and human rights internationally, though the limited formal powers of the office mean such advocacy would primarily be symbolic rather than directly policy-shaping.
The campaign also featured discussions about Northern Ireland and relations between communities on the island. Heather Humphreys emphasized her Presbyterian background and border county origins as qualifications for promoting reconciliation and bridge-building between nationalist and unionist traditions. This reflected ongoing debates about the future of Northern Ireland, particularly in the context of Brexit and demographic changes that have made Irish reunification seem more plausible than at any time since partition. The presidency, as a non-partisan office representing all Irish citizens, is seen as potentially playing an important role in any future constitutional changes affecting the island.
Rural development and the vitality of communities outside major urban centers also featured prominently, particularly in Humphreys' campaign messaging. Ireland has experienced rapid urbanization and economic transformation in recent decades, with Dublin and other cities growing substantially while rural areas face population decline and economic challenges. The promise to be a president who understood and advocated for rural Ireland appealed to voters in smaller towns and agricultural areas who sometimes feel neglected by Dublin-centric political discourse.
The Campaign Trail and Media Coverage
The 2025 campaign unfolded through traditional town-hall meetings, candidate debates, and extensive media coverage across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. Televised debates on the national broadcaster RTÉ gave voters opportunities to compare the candidates directly, with these encounters often proving crucial in shaping voter perceptions. Jim Gavin's difficulties in the television debates, where he faced challenging questions about his financial affairs and struggled to articulate detailed policy positions, contributed significantly to his ultimate decision to withdraw from the race.
The campaign took an unusual turn when a deepfake video appeared online purporting to show Catherine Connolly announcing her withdrawal from the election. Connolly immediately denounced this as entirely false and malicious, highlighting the growing challenge of misinformation and artificial intelligence-generated content in democratic politics. The incident sparked broader discussions about electoral integrity and the need for voters to verify information through reliable sources, particularly in an era where sophisticated fake videos can be created and distributed rapidly through social media.
Opinion polling played a significant role throughout the campaign, with regular surveys showing Connolly maintaining and even extending her lead as election day approached. The Business Post and Irish Times both published polls showing Connolly commanding substantial leads over her rivals, creating a narrative of an election that appeared increasingly one-sided. Despite her strong position in polls, Connolly maintained that she was not taking the election for granted and emphasized the importance of every vote, noting that only the actual ballot would determine the outcome.
The Candidates and Campaign Dynamics
The race came down to a contest between independent candidate Catherine Connolly, backed by a bloc of left-wing opposition parties, and Heather Humphreys, representing Fine Gael, the center-right governing party that has dominated Irish politics for much of the past decade. Both women were seeking to replace Michael D. Higgins, who has completed two full terms since first being elected in 2011.
The 2025 election initially featured three candidates on the ballot paper: Catherine Connolly running as an Independent, Heather Humphreys representing Fine Gael, and Jim Gavin nominated by Fianna Fáil. However, the race took an unprecedented turn when Gavin announced his withdrawal from the campaign on October 5, 2025, following controversy over unpaid rental debts and a difficult performance in a televised debate. Despite his withdrawal, Irish electoral law stipulates that candidates can only officially remove their names before the ruling on nominations, which had already concluded on September 24. Consequently, Gavin's name remained on the ballot paper, making this effectively a two-candidate race despite the appearance of three names on polling day.
Catherine Connolly emerged as the frontrunner throughout the campaign, leading opinion polls by substantial margins. A former schoolteacher and independent member of parliament representing Galway West, Connolly built her campaign around themes of honesty, integrity, and a different vision for Ireland. Her background and political independence resonated with voters who appeared dissatisfied with traditional party politics. Opinion polling in the final days before the election showed Connolly commanding approximately forty-four percent support, giving her a commanding nineteen-point lead over her nearest rival. Her campaign emphasized bridging divides, promoting peace internationally, and addressing social issues that matter to ordinary Irish citizens.
Sixty-eight-year-old Connolly, a Galway-based mother of two, built her campaign around messages of "peace," "unity," and "neutrality." A fluent Irish speaker and former barrister and psychologist, she was endorsed by Sinn Fein, Labour, the Social Democrats and other left-leaning groups. She had also been outspoken about Ireland's military neutrality and critical of US military use of Shannon Airport.
Heather Humphreys, the Fine Gael candidate, brought extensive political experience to the race, having served in various ministerial positions before stepping down from the Dáil at the 2024 general election. As a Presbyterian from County Monaghan along the border with Northern Ireland, Humphreys positioned herself as a candidate who could build bridges between nationalist and unionist communities and promote reconciliation across the island of Ireland. Her campaign focused heavily on rural development, supporting Irish businesses on the international stage, and advocating for vulnerable populations through enhanced social welfare provisions. Despite these credentials, polling suggested she trailed significantly behind Connolly, with approximately twenty-five percent support heading into election day.
Humphreys, 64, presented herself as a "centre-ground, pro-European, pro-business" candidate. A Presbyterian from a farming family near the Northern Ireland border, she emphasized her experience both as a government minister and in community finance. She said her background gives her a unique insight into the traditions of both north and south.
A third name remained on the ballot, Jim Gavin representing Ireland's other right-leaning centrist party, though he dropped out weeks ago after a controversy over a rent controversy. The Irish Independent reported that a former tenant accused him of failing to return a rent overpayment of more than €3,000 ($3,500) caused by a banking error. In a statement, Gavin said recent days had given him "cause to reflect," but he did not directly address the allegation.
The withdrawal of Jim Gavin represented a significant embarrassment for Fianna Fáil, historically Ireland's most dominant political party. Gavin, a celebrated figure in Gaelic football who had never previously expressed strong political views, described himself as a centrist and constitutional republican. His candidacy was seen as an attempt to leverage his near-legendary status in Irish sports to appeal across traditional party lines. However, questions about unpaid rent and his relatively sparse policy positions undermined his campaign. His withdrawal marked a continuation of Fianna Fáil's recent struggles in presidential politics, as the party had also declined to contest the 2011 and 2018 elections, a remarkable reversal for an organization that had supported nearly every successful presidential candidate from 1938 to 2011.
Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor announced in September that he was withdrawing his bid for the presidency. McGregor, a prominent voice in the country's anti-immigration movement, visited the White House in March as a guest of US President Donald Trump for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. He was convicted in November 2024 in a civil rape case and is also being sued in the US federal civil court by a woman who accuses him of sexually assaulting her in Miami.Other high-profile figures who had shown interest in the post, including musician Bob Geldof and "Riverdance" performer Michael Flatley, also exited the race. It was the first time since 1973 that Irish voters have faced a near two-way presidential contest.
Vote counting would begin the following morning, with results expected later in the day at Dublin Castle.
Voting Process and Electoral Administration
The mechanics of voting in the presidential election combine modern administrative efficiency with traditional paper ballots and manual counting procedures. Irish elections use paper ballots marked by voters in private polling booths, with each ballot then placed in a sealed box under the supervision of election officials. This system, while more labor-intensive than electronic voting, provides a clear audit trail and public confidence in results, as the physical ballots can be recounted if necessary. The instant-runoff voting system requires voters to mark their preferences numerically, ranking candidates in order rather than selecting just one.
Counting begins after polls close and typically continues through the night and into the following day for a presidential election. The count occurs at a central location in Dublin Castle, with local returning officers throughout the country first sorting and verifying ballots before transporting them to the central count center. The process involves first establishing the total number of valid votes and calculating the quota, which equals half the valid votes plus one. If no candidate initially exceeds this quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their ballots are redistributed according to the next available preference marked by voters.
This counting process continues until one candidate surpasses the quota and is declared elected. The system ensures that the winner has support from a majority of voters, either as their first choice or through transferred preferences from eliminated candidates. While this makes the counting process longer than a simple plurality system, it is considered more democratic and representative. Results were expected to be known by Saturday evening, giving the nation its answer about who would become the tenth president.
Implications and Future Directions
The outcome of the 2025 election will have implications beyond simply filling the presidential office for the next seven years. A victory for Catherine Connolly would represent the first time since Mary Robinson in 1990 that an independent candidate without major party backing won the presidency, potentially signaling continued voter dissatisfaction with traditional party politics. It would also make Connolly the first president to have served as an independent member of parliament, bringing a different perspective and experience to the office compared to previous presidents who were either career politicians in major parties or prominent public figures from outside politics.
The election also raised questions about the future of the nomination system and whether reform might be necessary to ensure broader access to the ballot. The concentration of nomination power among the three largest parties in the Oireachtas, combined with the difficulty independent candidates face in securing council nominations, has sparked debate about whether the constitutional requirements should be amended to lower barriers to entry while still maintaining standards that prevent frivolous candidacies.
For Irish democracy more broadly, the presidential election provided an opportunity for national reflection on values, priorities, and the kind of country Ireland aspires to be in the twenty-first century. The campaign discussions about integrity in public life, Ireland's international role, reconciliation on the island, and support for vulnerable communities all touched on fundamental questions about national identity and purpose. While the president lacks direct policy-making power, the symbolic importance of the office means that these campaign conversations can influence broader political discourse and public expectations.
As Irish citizens cast their votes on October 24, 2025, they were choosing not just an individual to serve as head of state but also making a statement about what they value in their political leaders and what kind of representation they want on the world stage. The expectation of a decisive victory for Catherine Connolly suggested that Irish voters were seeking a break from traditional politics and a president who embodied independence, integrity, and a willingness to challenge the political establishment. Whatever the final result, the election represented an important moment in Irish democratic life and would shape the presidency for years to come.