After securing 63% of first-preference votes, independent left-wing politician Ms. Catherine Connolly has been elected as the 10th President of Ireland with a massive victory. She defeated her rival Heather Humphreys.
- In Ireland, independent left-wing politician Ms. Catherine Connolly has been elected as the 10th President with a massive victory. She defeated her rival Heather Humphreys. After securing 63% of first-preference votes, she pledged to become “President for all.”
- An experienced politician and political artist, Connolly has been a Member of Parliament from the Galway West constituency since 2016 and has also served as Deputy Speaker of the Irish Parliament.
- Official results showed that Connolly received overwhelming support from voters as President of Ireland, a ceremonial role in the country.
- Connolly — an independent candidate supported by major left-wing parties — pledged in her acceptance speech to be “an inclusive President for all.” The 68-year-old Connolly from Galway has been a TD (Member of the Irish Parliament) since 2016.
- Connolly received 914,143 first-preference votes (63%) — a record in the history of Irish presidential elections. She delivered her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English.
About Ireland
- Also known as the Republic of Ireland (Poblacht na hÉireann), it is a country in northwestern Europe. It comprises 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million.
- Its capital and largest city is Dublin, located on the eastern side of the island, with a population of over 1.5 million. The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
- The Irish Free State was established in 1922 as a dominion following the Anglo-Irish Treaty. In 1937, a new constitution was adopted, naming the state “Ireland,” and it effectively became a republic with an elected non-executive president.
- Following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, it was officially declared a republic in 1949. Ireland became a member of the United Nations in 1955. It joined the European Communities (EC), the predecessor of the European Union (EU), in 1973.
Dame Sarah Mullally became the first woman to lead the Church of England
- Dame Sarah Mullally has been appointed the new Archbishop of Canterbury, making history as the first woman to hold this position. A former Chief Nurse of the NHS, she brings years of leadership and compassion to her new role in the Church of England.
- 63-year-old Dame Sarah has had a remarkable career bridging healthcare and faith. Before joining the Church, she spent over 35 years in the NHS, where in 1999 she became England’s youngest-ever Chief Nursing Officer.
- She later felt a spiritual calling and became a priest in 2006 and then, in 2018, became the first female Bishop of London — the third-highest position in the Church of England.
- After confirmation of her election and a formal enthronement ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral, she will officially take office in January 2026. Women were first allowed to become priests in 1994, and the first female bishop was appointed 20 years later in 2014.
