2025 Catherine Connolly presidential campaign
 | |
| Campaigned for | President of Ireland in the 2025 Irish presidential election |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Catherine Connolly, TD for Galway West (2016–present) |
| Affiliation | Independent[a] |
| Status |
|
| Website | catherineconnollyforpresident |
On 11 July 2025, Catherine Connolly, independent TD for Galway West and former Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, announced she intended on running for President of Ireland in the 2025 Irish presidential election.[1]
She launched her campaign days later on 16 July, outside Leinster House, where she confirmed she received the minimum of twenty Oireachtas nominations required to contest the election.[2]
Campaign
Announcement
Connolly confirmed on 11 July on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, that she had decided to run for President of Ireland and believed she had the necessary support.[1] Shortly after, the Social Democrats agreed to back her campaign, giving her 12 Oireachtas nominations.[3][b] Further support quickly followed, including from People Before Profit, 100% Redress and a number of independent Oireachtas members.[4]
Campaign launch
On 16 July, Connolly officially launched her campaign outside Leinster House and confirmed she had received the minimum of twenty Oireachtas nominations required to run for the office.[2] Connolly emphasised giving a voice to ordinary people and tackling issues such as a United Ireland, climate change, homelessness, and the normalisation of violence.[5] She signalled interest in scrutinising the €330,000 presidential salary, stating she'd “look at it” and consider using it “for the common good” if elected.[6]
Endorsement of Gemma O'Doherty in 2018
At her campaign launch, Connolly addressed the matter of her endorsement of Gemma O'Doherty's attempted candidacy in the 2018 Irish presidential election. Connolly was one of eleven Oireachtas members who committed to endorsing O'Doherty's candidacy, along with conservative senators Rónán Mullen and Mattie McGrath.[7] Connolly's support of O'Doherty to run against the incumbent left-wing president Michael D. Higgins was a point of concern given O'Doherty's statements on Legal status of transgender people, immigration, abortion, and vaccines.
Connolly stated in July 2025 that she "doesn't regret her decision to sign O’Doherty's papers at the time", stating that she "did not know her personally but saw her as a journalist who had done some very good work in the past".
Securing Labour backing
On 31 July, Connolly secured the backing and the support of the Labour Party, bringing a further 13 Oireachtas members into her camp.[8]
Syria trip controversy
After Connolly launched her campaign, a 2018 visit conducted by Connolly, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly to Syria resurfaced and members of the Irish-Syria Solidarity Movement asked the Labour Party not to support Connolly's campaign due to this.[9] She stated at her campaign launch that she was visiting a refugee camp in Damascus and travelled to Aleppo to meet the Chamber of Commerce and UNICEF. She also stated she did not support Syria's Assad regime, stating “On no occasion had I anything to do with the government, nor did I ever utter one word of support for Assad”.[5]
In a FactFind piece after the launch, Shane Redmond for TheJournal.ie noted that "the Irish tour group was shown around Aleppo by the pro-Assad commentator Fares Al-Shehabi, who was described as the head of the city's chamber of commerce... Al-Shehabi, who appears in photos with Connolly, had been put under sanctions by the EU for supporting the Assad regime".[10]
Notes
- ^ Endorsed by Labour Party, Social Democrats, People Before Profit, 100% Redress and several independent Oireachtas members.
- ^ Including Eoin Hayes, who was suspended from the party at the time.
References
- ^ a b McQuinn, Cormac (11 July 2025). "Catherine Connolly announces plans to launch presidential election bid next week". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ a b Manning, Harry (16 July 2025). "Connolly launches Áras bid, hopes to 'empower people to find their voice'". RTE News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ Hurley, Sandra (11 July 2025). "Soc Dems to nominate Catherine Connolly for run for Áras". RTE News. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ "Catherine Connolly gathers support for Áras run". The Irish Times. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Catherine Connolly launches presidential bid saying she wants to 'empower people to find their own voices'". The Irish Times. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ "Catherine Connolly formally launches presidential bid". breakingnews.ie. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ^ https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30871633.html
- ^ McQuinn, Cormac (31 July 2025). "'Catherine will make an excellent president': Labour Party backs Connolly's bid for Áras". Irish Times. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
- ^ Horgan-Jones, Jack (17 July 2025). "Irish-Syrian activists ask Labour not to support Connolly's presidential bid". Irish Times. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ https://www.thejournal.ie/factfind-catherine-connollys-visit-to-syria-with-clare-daly-and-mick-wallace-6764427-Jul2025