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yesterday

Connolly Elected Ireland’s President in Landslide as Jewish Leaders Urge Dialogue

A record invalid-ballot count and weak turnout point to dissatisfaction with the candidate field.

Irish president-elect Catherine Connolly addresses the audience at the official declaration at Dublin Castle on October 25, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
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Catherine Connolly is pictured at Dublin Castle as she is declared the winner of the Irish presidential election, on October 25, 2025.

Overview

  • Catherine Connolly secured about 63% of first‑preference votes, defeating Heather Humphreys, with turnout at 45.9% and a record 213,000 spoiled ballots.
  • Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder and the Jewish Representative Council congratulated Connolly but pressed for direct engagement over concerns about her past Israel/Gaza remarks.
  • The Irish presidency carries limited formal powers yet significant symbolic and diplomatic weight, including discretion to refer bills to the Supreme Court.
  • Unionist leaders Jim Allister and Mike Nesbitt criticized the result and raised concerns about treatment of Humphreys' Protestant background and implications for consent in Northern Ireland.
  • Backed by Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats, Connolly cast herself as a voice for peace who will defend neutrality and champion rights and climate action.