Catherine Connolly, Ireland’s New President, Shows What Feminist Leadership Looks Like in 2025

When 68-year-old Catherine Connolly walked onto the stage at Dublin Castle and promised to be “a president who listens, who reflects, and who speaks when it’s necessary,” she gave voice to a shifting Ireland.

Connolly, a former barrister, clinical psychologist, and lifelong activist, won Ireland’s presidential election in a landslide. According to The Guardian, she secured 63 percent of first-preference votes, backed by a coalition of left-leaning parties including Sinn Féin, Labour, and the Social Democrats. Her opponent, center-right politician Heather Humphreys, won 29 percent.

Connolly’s election makes her the country’s 10th president and only the third woman to hold the office. Her victory signals a new era for Ireland, one shaped by honesty, independence, and empathy.

She Grew Up in a Family of 14 and Learned to Listen Early

Born in Galway City, Connolly was the ninth of 14 children raised in one of the city’s first social housing estates. As BBC News reported, her parents, a plasterer and a homemaker, instilled strong values of honesty and integrity.

Her mother died suddenly when Connolly was nine. “I watched my father — the most honest man — work every single week on our behalf to bring us up,” she told the BBC. Her older sisters stepped in to care for their younger siblings, shaping Connolly’s sense of responsibility and empathy.

From a young age, she volunteered in her community through groups like the Legion of Mary and the Order of Malta. “The joke was that I was out saving the world and not doing the housework at home,” she said in a podcast interview with Síle Seoige.

From Psychology to Law and Then to Politics

Connolly first studied psychology at the University of Galway and earned a master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Leeds in 1981. She worked for several years as a clinical psychologist before pivoting to law, studying at King’s Inns and becoming a barrister in 1991.

Her move into politics came later. In 1999, she was elected to Galway City Council as a member of the Labour Party, encouraged by then–President Michael D. Higgins and his wife. Her focus was clear: addressing Ireland’s growing housing crisis.

She served 17 years as a councillor, including one term as Mayor of Galway, before leaving Labour in 2006 over internal disagreements. Connolly ran as an independent in two unsuccessful general elections before finally being elected to the Dáil in 2016.

Catherine Connolly Made History in Ireland’s Parliament

Connolly’s rise through Irish politics wasn’t overnight, but it was groundbreaking. In 2020, she became the first woman ever elected as Leas-Cheann Comhairle, or Deputy Speaker, of the Irish Parliament. According to The Guardian, it was a surprise victory that united opposition parties against the government’s pick.

During her time in the Dáil, Connolly built a reputation for calling out injustice directly. She criticized the government’s handling of Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes investigation, calling the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Minister for Children “the three unwise men” for withholding reports from survivors before public release.

Her Presidency Marks a Shift for Ireland

Connolly’s victory is seen as a political earthquake. As Reuters reported, her landslide win was a “stinging rebuke” to the country’s ruling center-right coalition. Low voter turnout and a record number of spoiled ballots revealed widespread frustration with traditional politics.

Her campaign attracted young voters who saw her as authentic and outspoken. Artists and musicians like Kneecap and the Mary Wallopers endorsed her, and her videos, including one of her casually playing soccer with kids, went viral on social media.

During her victory speech, Connolly promised to be “a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality.” She added, “Together, we can shape a new republic that values everybody.”

Her Stance on Israel and Global Conflicts Reflects a New Kind of Leadership

Connolly has never shied away from controversy. According to Al Jazeera, she is one of Ireland’s strongest pro-Palestine voices, calling Israel a “genocidal state” and urging sanctions against its government. She has also criticized what she calls the European Union’s “militarization” and warned against weakening Ireland’s long-standing neutrality.

At the same time, she has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it “illegal and unacceptable,” while holding NATO accountable for “warmongering.”

“I will be a voice for peace,” she said after winning, “one that builds on our policy of neutrality.”

Ireland’s New President Embodies a Global Shift in Power

Catherine Connolly’s rise comes at a time when women in leadership (from Chile’s Michelle Bachelet to Finland’s Sanna Marin) are reframing what political power looks like. But Connolly’s path stands apart. Her presidency is rooted not in performance, but in principle.

Her background as a psychologist, lawyer, and mother gives her language for empathy and action, a blend rarely seen in global politics today. “Our democracy needs constructive questioning,” she told The Guardian. “Together, we can shape a new republic that values everybody.”

What Catherine Connolly Represents for Ireland

In her first remarks after the results, Connolly called her victory “an absolute honor” and promised to be “an inclusive president for all.” According to PBS News, she reaffirmed her commitment to championing diversity and peace, building on Ireland’s legacy of neutrality.

Her win is a political milestone, yes, but it’s cultural, generational, and deeply human. It’s the story of a woman from a Galway housing estate who grew up surrounded by voices and learned to amplify them all.