Overview
- Official tallies put Connolly at about 63% of first‑preference votes, with Heather Humphreys near 29–31% and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin around 7–8% despite his earlier withdrawal.
- Turnout hovered around 45–46% and roughly 214,000 ballots were ruled invalid, a surge the Electoral Commission flagged as unusually high and warranting deeper review.
- Simon Harris said authorities will examine nomination thresholds after the unprecedented volume of null votes highlighted dissatisfaction with the limited candidate field.
- The independent left‑leaning winner was backed by Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats, and received congratulations from outgoing president Michael D. Higgins and Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
- Connolly pledged an inclusive, peace‑focused presidency grounded in Irish neutrality and has been outspoken against EU militarization and Israel’s actions in Gaza, positions that distinguish her from many mainstream politicians.