Catherine Connolly

Catherine Connolly (born 12 July 1957) is an Irish independent politician who has been the 10th and current President of Ireland since 2025. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency from 2016 until 2025.

Connolly was Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. Connolly was elected to the Dáil in 2016. She was Leas-Cheann Comhairle of the 33rd Dáil from July 2020 to November 2024. She was chair of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2016 to 2020.

2025 presidential campaign

Connolly ran as an independent candidate for President of Ireland in the 2025 election. She won the election in October 2025, beating Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin in a landslide victory, with the highest number of first-preference votes in Irish history.

Political views
Connolly's ideology has been called left-wing. Connolly calls herself as a socialist and pacifist. 

Connolly is a supporter of Ireland being neutrality on most global issues. Her foreign policy views were called by Politico as "often anti-Western". She is a critic of NATO and the European Union for their military use. 

Connolly has not supported Russian invasion of Ukraine and has also called NATO's actions toward Russia as "warmongering". She is also a supporter of Palestine and is a critic of Israel.

Connolly supports Irish reunification, the legalisation of same-sex marriage and the legalisation of abortion.

Personal life
Connolly has lived in the Claddagh in Galway City since 1988. She married woodwork teacher Brian McEnery in 1992 and they have two sons.

References

Other websites


 Andrews, Kernan. "Connolly raises doubts over independence of crypto report", Galway Advertiser, 6 November 2008.

Category:1957 births
Category:Living people
Category:Presidents of Ireland
Category:Current national leaders
Category:Members of Dáil Éireann
Category:Independent politicians
Category:Mayors
Category:Irish lawyers