Overview
- Official results put Connolly at about 63% to Heather Humphreys’ roughly 30%, and Humphreys conceded and congratulated her.
- Around 13% of ballots were ruled invalid and turnout was near 46%, with reports linking the spoilage to protest calls over limited candidate choice.
- The 68-year-old independent, backed by Sinn Féin, Labour, the Greens, Social Democrats and People Before Profit, will take office next month for a seven-year term as Ireland’s third woman president.
- The presidency carries limited formal powers, yet the outcome is viewed as a symbolic setback for the governing centre-right and could presage sharper public disagreements.
- Connolly’s platform includes pro-Palestinian advocacy, strict neutrality, criticism of EU and US policies, opposition to higher defence spending and support for Irish reunification, with a pared-back field after late withdrawals shaping the contest.