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68-year-old Catherine Connolly, one of the fiercest left-wing independent candidates, might be crowned the next president of Ireland. With voting now closed and counting underway, Connolly appears to hold a commanding lead over her opponents. If elected, she stands to become the third female president that Ireland has seen so far. Behind her calm demeanor, Catherine is known for her liberal views — a stance that has resonated strongly with younger voters. From her outspoken echoes over Palestine and support for a united Ireland, she has made some significant milestones in her political career so far. Catherine Connolly will be the next President of Ireland 🇮🇪 A committed socialist: Here she slams neoliberal policies and twisted language as a “threat to democracy” She will be a voice for justice in Ireland 🇮🇪 and internationally Her election should give us all hope. pic.twitter.com/Jbdf2iAjkh — Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) October 25, 2025 Another reason Catherine has drawn global attention is her outspoken criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump and American foreign policy. Showcasing exemplary bravado in her opinions on world affairs, she has never, for once, minced words. Previously, during one of her statements, Catherine ended up remarking directly on how America and its imperial power became one of the key contributors to the world’s instability. During an interview with Radio and Television of Ireland, Catherine Connolly fearlessly stated, “We have a very volatile situation in the world. We have imperial powers. America is one of those imperial powers. As a neutral country, we have a duty to use our neutrality to call out the abuse of power, no matter where that is, whether by Russia or America.” This bold stance, along with her comparison of current military spending to Germany’s rearmament in the 1930s, showcases her unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power. Later on, she again made a direct attack on Donald Trump with her words while speaking with UCD’s Politics and International Relations Society. She highlighted that the German Chancellor had done effective campaigning in order to increase defense expenditure. This was done by perpetually citing incidents of Russian attack on Ukraine, as well as Trump’s second swearing-in ceremony. Interestingly, Catherine had a completely different answer when asked how she would treat Trump if he were to visit Ireland and whether she would challenge him about why the U.S. was backing Israel during its fight with Gaza. Responding diplomatically, Connolly had said, “Genocide was enabled and resourced by American money. If it’s just a meet and greet, then I will meet and greet. If the discussion is Genocide, then that’s a completely different thing.” Circling back to Catherine’s current stats as she is in the running for the Presidential elections, she is only challenged by the opponent Heather Humphreys, who belongs to the centrist Fine Gael party. The latter happens to be an experienced cabinet minister who has held several positions in the Dáil. Some of his previous posts include minister for justice, minister for the arts, and minister for rural development, the third being exactly something which Connolly has actively been advocating for for a long time now. Discussing the voter metrics in Ireland, it’s clear that there’s a significant level of dissatisfaction. In the lead-up to election day, widespread calls emerged to spoil ballots in protest of what many saw as the lack of a strong right-wing candidate. This sentiment was echoed in nearly half of the polls, reflecting the citizens’ frustration over the absence of a candidate who aligns with their beliefs and is worthy of their votes.
