Results of Election 2025: Irish Presidential Winner

Catherine Connolly swept to victory with nearly two-thirds of all first-preference votes, winning a presidential contest that quickly turned into a referendum on the government parties. Her margin—914,143 votes to her nearest rival’s 424,987—ranks as the largest ever recorded in a contested Irish presidential election.

Winner: Catherine Connolly ·
1st Preference Votes: 914,143 (63.36%) ·
Runner-up: Heather Humphreys ·
Runner-up Votes: 424,987 (29.46%) ·
Election Date: 24 October 2025

The following table consolidates the key official figures from the returning officer declarations.

Irish presidential election 2025 results

The official vote tallies from the 24 October 2025 election produced a clear winner. Catherine Connolly secured 914,143 first-preference votes, representing 63.36% of the valid ballot—well above the 721,350 quota needed for election (Official Presidential Election). She was elected on the first count without needing a second round, a rarity in Irish presidential contests.

Heather Humphreys, the Fine Gael candidate and current Minister for Rural Affairs, received 424,987 votes (29.46%). Jim Gavin, despite announcing his withdrawal from the race on 5 October 2025, still appeared on the ballot and collected 103,568 votes (7.18%) (Fondation Robert Schuman). Gavin fell below the 12.5% threshold required for campaign expense reimbursement.

Vote tallies by candidate

Three numbers tell the story of this election. Of the 1,656,436 ballots cast, 1,442,698 were valid, while 213,738 were spoiled—a staggering 12.9% of the turnout (RTE). That spoiled-vote rate dwarfs the 1.2% recorded in the 2018 election and exceeds the previous record of 4.4% set in 1945 (The Journal). The geographic pattern of these spoiled ballots offers clues: Dublin North West led at 20.5%, followed by Dublin Mid West at 20.2% and Dublin South-Central at 19.0% (RTE).

First preference shares

Connolly’s strongest constituency was her home base of Galway West, where she won 77.06% of the vote. Dublin South Central followed closely at 79%—her single highest figure anywhere (RTE). In contrast, Heather Humphreys carried only Cavan-Monaghan, her home constituency, with 58.5% to Connolly’s 38.33% (Irish Times). Regional turnout showed Connacht/Ulster leading at 47.9%, with Dublin at 45.3%, Leinster at 45.9%, and Munster at 45.1% (RTE).

Connolly’s 63.36% share is not just high—it is unprecedented. The Fondation Robert Schuman, which tracks European political developments, confirmed this represents the largest margin ever achieved in a contested Irish presidential election (Fondation Robert Schuman).

Who won the Irish presidential election 2025

Catherine Connolly, a former Solidarity–People Before Profit TD and longtime independent politician from Galway, won the 2025 Irish presidential election outright on the first count. The Irish Times declared her elected as Ireland’s 10th president with 63% of the vote on the evening of 25 October 2025 (Irish Times). She becomes only the third woman to hold the office, following Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese.

Election declaration

Returning officers across all 43 constituencies certified their local results before the national count centre in Dublin compiled the final figures. The official declaration came the day after polling, with the presidentialelection.ie website confirming Connolly’s 63.36% (914,143 votes) as the validated total (Official Presidential Election).

Official announcement

Connolly addressed supporters with a pledge to serve all of Ireland. “An inclusive president for all” was the phrase she used in her first public statement as president-elect (YouTube news coverage). Political scientist Eoin O’Malley of University of Dublin offered context: he described the result as effectively becoming a referendum on the government parties (Fondation Robert Schuman).

2025 Irish presidential election candidates

Three names appeared on the ballot for the 2025 election, though one of them dropped out before voting day. Each candidate represented a different political path: independent, government party, and main opposition party respectively.

Catherine Connolly profile

Connolly served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West from 2020 to 2025, previously sitting as a member of the Galway City Council. Her political career spans advocacy for housing rights, healthcare reform, and environmental issues. She ran as an independent candidate, attracting support from voters frustrated with the three-party coalition. Her 63.36% first-preference vote share made her the most successful presidential candidate in Irish history (Fondation Robert Schuman).

Heather Humphreys profile

Humphreys, a Fine Gael TD for Cavan-Monaghan since 2011, held ministerial posts including Minister for Rural Affairs and Minister for Justice. As the government party’s nominee, she carried her home constituency of Cavan-Monaghan but failed to gain traction elsewhere. Her 424,987 votes and 29.46% share placed a clear second, reflecting Fine Gael’s limited direct electoral support independent of coalition partners (RTE).

Jim Gavin profile

Gavin, a Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin Central, entered the race representing the largest party in the current coalition government. However, he announced his withdrawal on 5 October 2025—nineteen days before polling day. Irish electoral law meant his name could not be removed from the ballot in time, and 103,568 voters still marked their preference for him (7.18%). He was ineligible for campaign expense reimbursement since he fell below the 12.5% vote threshold (Fondation Robert Schuman).

Irish presidential election 2018 results

Comparing the 2025 results to 2018 reveals both continuity and striking change. In 2018, incumbent Michael D. Higgins won with 55.8% against six candidates—a comfortable majority but far below Connolly’s 63.36%. Turnout in 2018 was approximately 43.9%, rising to 45.8% in 2025 (Fondation Robert Schuman).

Comparison to 2025

The most dramatic difference lies in spoiled ballots. Where 2018 saw just 1.2% of votes invalidated, 2025 produced 12.9%—more than ten times higher. This single statistic suggests either widespread protest voting or genuine confusion about how to cast a valid ballot, particularly in constituencies like Dublin North West where one in five ballots was spoiled (RTE).

Key differences

Unlike 2018’s seven-candidate field, 2025 featured just three names on the ballot. The 2018 election was contested primarily on policy debates, while 2025 quickly became a judgment on the coalition government. Professor Eoin O’Malley noted that the result functioned as a referendum on the parties in power rather than a traditional candidate-centred contest (Fondation Robert Schuman).

The gap between Connolly’s margin and the previous record holder underscores how exceptional this result is. No challenger in a contested Irish presidential race has ever won by nearly 34 percentage points.

Irish presidential election 2025 odds

Before the election, betting markets and political analysts tracked candidate fortunes closely. Connolly entered the race as an independent with no party machinery, yet polling suggested she would finish ahead of the government nominee from the start. The withdrawal of Jim Gavin five weeks before polling day simplified the race to essentially a two-person contest, though his name remained on the ballot.

Betting insights

Pre-election odds are not directly cited in official sources, but the trajectory was clear: Connolly led in publicly available opinion research throughout the campaign, with the government coalition’s unpopularity driving voters toward an independent alternative. The wide margin—nearly 34 percentage points between first and second—confirms the odds makers’ implicit prediction proved accurate.

Post-result analysis

The election result raises immediate questions for Ireland’s political parties. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, both currently in government, will face the next general election with a clear demonstration that their joint candidate underperformed dramatically. Connolly’s cross-party appeal suggests an appetite for independent leadership that established parties will find difficult to replicate.