Catherine Connolly has been elected President of Ireland

Catherine Connolly was elected President of Ireland after a landslide victory.

She became 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 the early counts, was officially announced at Dublin Castle.

Connolly – an independent who was backed by the main left parties – promised 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 and previously worked as a psychologist and lawyer.

She will be the country’s 10th president, taking over from Michael Higgins, who served the maximum two terms in office

Connolly secured 914,143 first preference votes (63%), the largest total in Irish presidential election history.

She made her acceptance speech first in Irish and then in English.

“I will be a president who listens and reflects and who speaks when necessary,” she said.

“I will be a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, a voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change, and a voice that recognizes the tremendous work being done across the country.”

Humphreys, who spoke after Connolly, thanked everyone who voted for her, her campaign team and Fine Gael for the nomination.

“I know Catherine will be president for all of us. Catherine will be my president and I want to wish her well, this is her night,” she said.

The President of Ireland is the head of state of the country. They represent the country abroad, take center stage at major national events and are responsible for upholding the constitution – a set of rules for governance and politics.

While the president’s powers are limited, the official’s influence can be profound.