# 2025 Irish presidential election

The 2025 Irish presidential election must take place by Tuesday, 11 November 2025. The incumbent president, Michael D. Higgins, is term limited, having served the maximum two terms permitted under the Constitution of Ireland. He was elected in 2011 with the support of the Labour Party, and in 2018 on his own nomination as an independent.

## Procedure

To stand for election as president of Ireland, candidates must:
* be a citizen of Ireland
* be at least 35 years of age
* be nominated by:
** at least twenty of the 234 serving members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, or
** at least four of the 31 county or city councils, or
** themselves, in the case of a former or retiring president who has served one 7-year term.
If a member of the Oireachtas or a County or City council nominate more than one candidate, only the first nomination paper received from them will be deemed valid. Presidential elections are conducted in line with Article 12 of the Constitution and under the Presidential Elections Act 1993. The president is elected through instant-runoff voting (described in the constitution as proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote). All Irish citizens entered on the current electoral register are eligible to vote. Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, there is a spending limit by each candidate of €750,000. Candidates who are elected or who reach 12.5% of the vote on their elimination are entitled to a reimbursement of expenses up to €200,000.

## Candidates
### Declared
#### Independent

* Peter Casey, entrepreneur and unsuccessful candidate at the 2018 election

### Speculative
#### Fine Gael

* Frances Fitzgerald, former Tánaiste
* Seán Kelly, MEP for South
* Mairead McGuinness, former European Commissioner

#### Fianna Fáil

* Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach
* Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, MEP for Ireland South

#### Sinn Féin

* Jarlath Burns, president of the Gaelic Athletic Association
* John Finucane, Member of Parliament for Belfast North in Northern Ireland

#### Social Democrats

* Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats

#### Independent or Multi-party

* Frances Black, senator, activist and singer
* Catherine Connolly, TD for Galway West
* Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, MEP for Midlands-North West
* Claire Hanna, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland
* Alice-Mary Higgins, senator, daughter of incumbent president Michael D. Higgins
* Linda Martin, singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest
* Michael McDowell, senator, barrister and former Tánaiste
* Conor McGregor, professional mixed martial artist and boxer
* Colm O'Gorman, activist and former senator
* Fintan O'Toole, journalist and author
* Tommy Tiernan, comedian and chat show host

### Declined
#### Fine Gael

* Enda Kenny, former Taoiseach

#### Fianna Fáil

* Michéal Martin, Taoiseach

#### Sinn Féin

* Gerry Adams, former President of Sinn Féin
* Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin
* Michelle O'Neill, First Minister of Northern Ireland

#### Green Party

* Eamon Ryan, former leader of the Green Party

#### Social Democrats

* Róisín Shortall, former TD for Dublin North-West

#### Labour Party

* Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, MEP for Dublin

## Opinion polling

| Last date of polling | Polling firm / Commissioner | Bertie Ahern | Frances Fitzgerald | Róisín Shortall | Gerry Adams | Mairead McGuinness | Michael McDowell | Seán Kelly | Catherine Connolly | Fintan O'Toole | Frances Black | Alice-Mary Higgins | None of the above |
| 2 February 2025 | Ireland Thinks | 13% | 6% | — | — | 24% | 19% | 5% | — | — | — | — | 33% |
| 2 February 2025 | Ireland Thinks | — | — | 15% | — | — | — | — | 14% | 11% | 10% | 2% | 48% |
| 9 December 2024 | Amárach Research | 21% | 29% | 32% | 18% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
* 1 2 Poll conducted before any candidacy was announced.