President Catherine Connolly will bring a ‘brighter future for all’

President of Ireland Catherine Connolly will be a “voice of peace and compassion”.

Ms Connolly was inaugurated as the 10th Uachtarán na hÉireann at Dublin Castle today, having secured victory over Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys in the presidential election. 

“The inauguration of Catherine Connolly as Uachtarán na hÉireann is a historic moment in our nation’s story,” Sinn Féin’s Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Finance, Pearse Doherty, said. “Catherine will represent Ireland with pride, courage and integrity and be a voice of peace and compassion.

“Our national journey is one we must travel together - guided by hope and equality, and defined by unity. We have a chance to build a fairer and more prosperous Ireland - one that reflects the ideas and aspirations of all its people.

“I want to wish Catherine and her family the very best for today, and the years ahead. We will keep moving forward together to a brighter future for all.”

Ms Connolly visited Donegal and met with families affected by the Creeslough tragedy and homeowners affected by the defective blocks crisis during her campaign.  

“I intend to be a voice for the people of Ireland in as much of inclusive a way as possible,” she said in Glenties in September. “That is the way that I have always treated my role as a TD. 

“People have shown me their houses with the defective blocks, which was profoundly upsetting. I thought I was up to speed with it from my time in the Dáil, from my colleagues, former TD Thomas Pringle and current TD Charles Ward - but I wasn’t. Nobody could be up to speed without having actually seen it. 

“Having seen it and listened to it, it would seem to me we don’t just have defective concrete blocks, but also a defective understanding and we have a defective scheme.”

Ms Connolly announced her candidacy in July as the Dáil went into recess. The left-leaning TD was backed by the 100% Redress Party, Labour, People Before Profit, Social Democrats and other independent TDs.

Ms Connolly had a landslide victory, taking 63% of the votes cast, the highest of any presidential election. Connolly claimed 75% of the vote in the Donegal constituency.

Sinn Féin Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn said: “It is an honour to be present in Dublin Castle for the inauguration of President Catherine Connolly. I know that she will serve all of the Irish people at home and abroad with great distinction.”

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Ms Connolly served in local politics, having been elected four times as a city councillor and also having served as the Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. In 2016, Ms Connolly was elected to Dáil Eireann, serving as a TD in the Galway West Constituency.  Having been elected again in 2020, Ms Connolly then served as the first female Leas-Cheann Chomhairle of Dáil Éireann.

She worked as a cleaner, a nurse’s aide, a teacher, a barrister and a clinical psychologist, before becoming a TD. As described in her bid, in political life, Ms Connolly is passionate about peace, Irish Neutrality, the Irish language, preventing climate change and listening to those who are silenced. 
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme