Overview
- Late-campaign polls put Catherine Connolly roughly 15–19 points ahead of Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, with first preferences around 40–44% versus about 25%.
- Polling stations ran from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, turnout was slow early but rose in the evening, and officials expect a result on Saturday at Dublin Castle.
- The contest functioned as a head-to-head after strict nomination rules and Jim Gavin’s withdrawal, though his name remains on the ballot under the single transferable vote system.
- Connolly’s team lodged a formal complaint this week over a deepfake video falsely claiming she had quit the race.
- Connolly is backed by a coalition of left-leaning parties and has energized many younger voters, while Humphreys, a former cabinet minister, campaigns as a pro-business, pro‑EU centrist.