Catherine Connolly (C) smiles as she arrives at Dublin Castle, after being declared the winner in the Presidential election to become the next President of Ireland in Dublin on October 25, 2025.
Paul Faith / AFP
Catherine Connolly’s election win marks a historic political shift—while signalling more trouble ahead in her country’s relationship with Israel.
The far-left candidate Catherine Connolly won the Irish presidential election on Sunday, October 26th. She became the country’s 10th president after defeating Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, securing 63% of the vote and delivering her acceptance speech first in Gaelic and then in English.
Connolly has been a vocal critic of the European Union’s military buildup in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, claiming the bloc “has lost its moral compass” and comparing German rearmament to 1930s policies. She has also expressed strong pro-Palestinian views, describing the U.S., UK, France and Israel as untrustworthy because of their alleged stance on Gaza.
The victory was overshadowed by a record number of invalid and spoiled ballots, and criticism over the absence of right-wing candidates—reflecting public frustration with mass migration and crime.
Conservative calls to deface ballot papers by adding words of protest highlighted the anger over limited choices and the lack of real debate on immigration. Several withdrawn or failed celebrity bids had left Connolly and Humphreys as the sole serious contenders.
