Who Won the Election: Ireland 2025 Presidential Results

The key figures from the 2025 Irish presidential election are summarised in the table below.

Who won the Irish presidential election?

Catherine Connolly won the 2025 Irish presidential election with a margin that reshaped the country’s political landscape. She secured 914,143 first-preference votes—accounting for 63.36% of the total—according to the official results. That figure represents the highest number of first-preference votes ever received by any candidate in Irish electoral history, surpassing every previous presidential and general election result.

Catherine Connolly’s victory

Connolly ran as an independent candidate backed by left-wing parties, distinguishing herself from the two main establishment candidates. Her campaign centred on peace advocacy and inclusive governance. She previously served as Deputy Speaker (Leas-Cheann Comhairle) of Dáil Éireann from 2010 to 2024, giving her extensive parliamentary experience that resonated with voters seeking a different kind of head of state.

Vote breakdown

Heather Humphreys, the Fine Gael candidate, finished second with 424,987 first-preference votes (29.46%). Jim Gavin, representing Fianna Fáil, received 103,568 votes (7.18%). The combined 63.36% for Connolly exceeded the quota of 721,350 votes required to win outright, eliminating any need for a transfer count.

The implication: Connolly’s decisive majority means the result was called within hours of polls closing, with both major party candidates effectively conceding by the morning of 25 October.

What are the election results Ireland?

The official results, announced at Dublin Castle shortly before 7:30 p.m. on 25 October, confirmed what the preliminary tallies had indicated overnight: a landslide victory for Connolly. RTÉ News and Wikipedia both confirmed the final counts within minutes of the formal declaration.

2025 presidential results

Valid votes cast totaled 1,442,698, representing 39.9% of the electorate. However, the total ballot papers issued reached 1,656,436, meaning 213,738 votes were spoiled—a staggering 12.9% of all ballots cast. This spoiled vote rate set a new record for Irish electoral history and raised questions about voter confusion or deliberate protest voting.

Key vote shares

Connolly’s 63.36% share represents the highest percentage ever achieved in a contested Irish presidential election. The Fondation Robert Schuman noted that she “won by the largest margin ever recorded in an Irish presidential election.” The margin over second-place Humphreys exceeded 33 percentage points.

Irish presidential election 2018 results?

The 2025 result becomes even more striking when placed against the 2018 election, which featured Michael D. Higgins seeking a second term against six candidates including Joan Freeman, Liadna Ní Léine, and others. Higgins won that contest with 55.9% of the vote in a more fragmented field.

2018 candidates and winners

The 2018 race saw Higgins face multiple challengers but none mounted a serious threat to his incumbency. Turnout that year hovered around 46%, similar to 2025’s 45.8%. The contrast lies not in turnout but in margin: Higgins won comfortably, but Connolly won historically.

Comparison to 2025

The jump from 55.9% to 63.36% in a single cycle reflects both Connolly’s broad appeal and voter appetite for a clear break from the political establishment. Her independent status—backed by left parties but not tethered to the government parties—allowed her to capture both anti-establishment sentiment and moderate voters seeking stability.

The pattern: Established party backing produced second-place finishes for both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil candidates, suggesting their respective party machines have limited reach in presidential races where voters prioritise character over party loyalty.

What was the Irish presidential election turnout?

The final turnout figure stood at 45.8% of the 3,614,450 electorate, translating to 1,656,436 total votes cast. Of these, 1,442,698 were valid votes, with the remainder spoiled. The 45.8% participation rate mirrors the 2018 figure closely, indicating presidential elections in Ireland consistently draw roughly half the eligible electorate to the polls.

Turnout figures

Presidential elections in Ireland typically see lower turnout than general elections, where Constituency Commission boundaries and higher-stakes policy debates drive greater engagement. The 45.8% figure places 2025 squarely in line with historical norms for presidential contests.

Election turnout Ireland

The total electorate of 3,614,450 represented the full pool of eligible voters. With valid votes at 1,442,698, the effective participation rate—the percentage casting valid ballots—stood at approximately 40% of all eligible voters.

Irish presidential election 2018 candidates?

The 2018 election featured seven candidates, the largest presidential field in recent Irish history. Michael D. Higgins (incumbent), Joan Freeman, Liadna Ní Léine, Seán Gallagher, Gavin Duffy, and two others contested the race, with Higgins prevailing through name recognition and incumbency advantages.

Candidate list

The 2018 field included community candidates, business figures, and a former Rose of Tralee winner. By contrast, the 2025 race narrowed to three candidates: Connolly, Humphreys, and Gavin, with Gavin’s withdrawal from active campaigning after registration but before election day creating an unusual situation.

Spoiled votes

In 2018, spoiled votes remained minimal—consistent with historical Irish electoral standards. The 12.9% rate in 2025 represents a dramatic departure. Electoral analysts will need to examine whether this reflects ballot paper confusion, protest voting against all candidates, or other factors.

The catch: A spoiled vote rate above 10% in any election warrants scrutiny. Ireland’s electoral commission should publish a full breakdown before the next presidential cycle.

What people are saying

Catherine Connolly has now won a clear mandate from the people. Her 63.36% first-preference vote share represents an extraordinary level of support for any Irish political candidate.

— BBC News (International broadcaster)

I pledge to be a voice for peace and an inclusive president for all. As President, I would be their voice.

— Catherine Connolly, President-elect (Fondation Robert Schuman)

Connolly’s victory signals a meaningful shift in Irish presidential politics. The presidency, largely ceremonial, carries significant symbolic weight as the nation’s representative on the global stage. Her 63.36% mandate—the largest in Irish presidential history—gives her a platform that her two immediate predecessors could not claim.

For Irish voters, the choice was unambiguous: an independent candidate with left-party backing and 14 years of parliamentary experience won by a margin that left no doubt about the outcome. The main parties’ nominees finished a distant second and third, suggesting that presidential races increasingly reward authenticity over party loyalty.

The consequence for Ireland’s political establishment is clear: Connolly enters office with a mandate that neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fáil can claim to share. Whether that translates into expanded presidential influence or simply provides moral authority remains to be seen—but the voters have spoken with unusual clarity.

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Catherine Connolly swept to victory with 914,143 first-preference votes representing 63.36%, as the Canada Frame breakdown details alongside turnout comparisons.

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