Catherine Connolly's Historic Ascendance as Ireland's 10th President

Catherine Connolly has been elected as the president of Ireland after a landslide victory.

She has become the 10th president of the Republic of Ireland after defeating Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys, who had already conceded to her rival.

The result, long clear from early tallies, was officially declared at Dublin Castle.

Connolly – an independent who was backed by the major left-wing parties – pledged to be an inclusive president for all in her acceptance speech.

The 68-year-old, from Galway, has been a TD (member of the Irish parliament) since 2016.

Connolly secured 914,143 first preference votes (63%), the largest amount in Irish presidential election history. She made her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English.

She stated, I will be a president who listens and reflects and who speaks when it's necessary, highlighting her commitment to peace, climate action, and democratic values.

The election saw an unprecedented number of spoiled votes, reflecting some disenchantment with the system, while turnout was around 46%.

Humphreys, who acknowledged her defeat gracefully, reaffirmed her respect for Connolly, saying, Catherine will be my president and I want to wish her well.\

The inauguration is set for November 11, marking the start of Connolly's term, during which she aims to promote unity and address crucial issues facing Ireland.