Irish statesmanlike campaigner Catherine Connolly, who is moving arsenic an autarkic successful the Oct. 24 election, attends the Irish National Ploughing Championships successful Screggan, Ireland, connected Sept. 16, 2025.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
Counting was underway Saturday for votes successful Ireland's statesmanlike election, with aboriginal tallies suggesting a important pb for left-wing autarkic Catherine Connolly.
Voters were choosing betwixt Connolly and center-right Heather Humphreys arsenic their caller president, a mostly ceremonial relation successful the European Union subordinate country.
The 2 women were the lone contenders aft Jim Gavin, the campaigner for Prime Minister Micheál Martin'sFianna Fail party, discontinue the contention 3 weeks earlier the predetermination implicit a long-ago fiscal dispute.
Martin, who heads Ireland's government, had personally backed Gavin arsenic a statesmanlike candidate. Though Gavin had stopped campaigning, his sanction remains connected the ballot insubstantial due to the fact that of his precocious withdrawal from the race.
While Irish presidents correspond the state connected the satellite stage, big visiting heads of authorities and play an important law role, they bash not person the powerfulness to signifier laws oregon policies.
Connolly, the frontrunner, has garnered the backing of a scope of left-leaning parties, including Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats.
The 68-year-old erstwhile barrister, an autarkic lawmaker since 2016, has been outspoken successful criticizing Israel implicit the warfare successful Gaza.
Polls person suggested beardown elector enactment for her implicit rival Humphreys, 64, from the center-right enactment Fine Gael.
The erstwhile furniture curate has stressed that she is simply a center-ground, pro-business, pro-EU campaigner who volition strive for unity.
Others — including instrumentalist Bob Geldof and the erstwhile mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor — had indicated they wished to tally for president but failed to person capable backing for a nomination.
The victor volition win Michael D. Higgins, who has been president since 2011, having served the maximum 2 seven-year terms. Connolly oregon Humphreys volition beryllium Ireland's 10th president and the 3rd pistillate to clasp the post.
Voting slips were being counted by hand. The last effect volition beryllium declared aboriginal Saturday erstwhile each 43 electoral constituencies crossed the state person completed counting.
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