IRELAND – Catherine Connolly has been elected president of Ireland following a landslide victory. She becomes the 10th president of the Republic of Ireland after defeating Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, who had already conceded to her rival.
The result, which had been clear from early tallies, was officially declared at Dublin Castle.
Connolly – an independent backed by major left-wing parties – pledged to be “an inclusive president for all” in her acceptance speech. The 68-year-old from Galway has been a TD (member of the Irish parliament) since 2016. She succeeds Michael D. Higgins, who has served the maximum two terms in office.
Connolly secured 914,143 first-preference votes (63%), the highest number in Irish presidential election history. She delivered her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English. “I will be a president who listens and reflects, and who speaks when it’s necessary,” she said.
“I will be a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, a voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change, and a voice that recognizes the tremendous work being done the length and breadth of the country.”
Dublin correspondent Gabija Gataveckaite said Connolly was the anti-establishment candidate who took on Humphreys, the government’s choice. She noted that in recent weeks, Connolly had described her campaign as a “movement” – and she has now won a clear mandate from the people. (BBC)
