Paul Hosford: Final tally puts Catherine Connolly in the annals of history

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly is congratulated by Taoiseach Micheál Martin after being named as the new president of Ireland at St Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, to replace Michael D Higgins, who has served the maximum two seven-year terms. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Within six minutes, it was over. A look at a few key ballot boxes just after 9am and Labour's Kevin Humphreys was calling the 2025 Irish presidential election.

The party's former TD is considered a count centre sage, and his early award for the race to Catherine Connolly ahead of his namesake, Heather Humphreys, set the stage for a day of watching the margin of victory.

In the end, Connolly would amass 914,143 votes — the most of any Irish politician ever. While some will focus on the historic number of spoiled votes which racked up in the face of a narrow field and an online campaign,  Connolly's victory comes with no asterisk. 

She is the 10th Uachtarán na hÉireann and, when inaugurated on November 11, will take her place in the annals of history as well as her new home with her "current" husband Brian McEnery at Áras an Úachtaráin.

Throughout a bruising three-month campaign, Connolly's views and history were well aired and the public decided that she would be their representative both at home and abroad. Now, attention will turn to the future and just what kind of president the 68-year-old Galway woman will be.

Amidst the campaign, her opponents had tried to convince voters that Ms Connolly could not be trusted with the keys to the Áras, that she was feckless when speaking on foreign policy, that she would alienate allies and promote regimes whose principles run contrary to our own.

Some even questioned whether a long-time barrister would faithfully execute the office's role as prescribed in the Constitution.

Laura O'Sullivan counting the votes in the presidential election at Nemo Rangers, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

While there are multiple reasons why Connolly won in such a landslide — a better campaign, savvier online presence, a narrower than usual field — the truth was boiled down at a rally of hers in Galway on Thursday evening.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said that, quite simply, more people identified what they believe Ms Connolly's values are with their own. 

In a job where the functions are largely dictated by the Constitution, Irish people have, in modern times, seen the role as an aspiration of what we believe we are.

Speaking to members of the public in the last three weeks, they connected with what they felt were the Galway Independent TD's compassion, decency, and warmth. They believed that she represents something good about who we are and who we want to be.

Those voters who turned out for Connolly on Friday will hope to see those qualities embodied as she begins her term as Uachtarán na hÉireann.

In her first speech upon being officially named president on Saturday evening at Dublin Castle, she promised to be a president for all — including those 213,738 who had chosen to spoil their votes.

“From day one, I emphasised that I was an Independent candidate with an independent mind. For all who voted for me, thank you very much. It will be an absolute privilege to serve you,” she said.

"For those who didn’t vote for me and those who spoiled their votes, let me tell you, I will be an inclusive president to listen to all of you. I will be making no distinction on the basis of votes."

Ms Connolly will take the presidency from Michael D Higgins, whose outspoken nature has expanded the role into something of a moral guardian. Whether Ms Connolly follows his lead will be seen from November 11.

While Ms Connolly prepares for life in the Arás, political attention quickly shifted to the Galway West constituency, where a fierce battle is expected among those vying to take the new president’s current seat.