Donegal set to go to the polls on Friday for 2025 Presidential Election

Donegal will go to the polls on Friday in the 2025 presidential election.

The 10th President of Ireland will be announced this weekend in Dublin Castle.

Polling stations will open from 7am to 10pm across Donegal, but turnout is not expected to be high.

Figures from the Electoral Commission say there are 127,789 electors in Donegal.

Counting of votes in Donegal will begin at 9am on Saturday at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny. The County Registrar, James Canny - who is one of 17 local returning officers - will announce the local results for the constituency shortly after the Presidential Returning Officer, Barry Ryan, announces the result at national level at Dublin Castle.

In 2018, just 40,256 people out of a total electorate of 119,318 turned out to vote in Donegal with the turnout just under 34%. Back in 2011, the turnout was 49% and in 1997 there was a 40% turnout.

Nationwide, the latest total number of presidential electors is 3,612,957. 

Just two candidates are official in the running - Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Independent TD Catherine Connolly - but there will be three names on the ballot.

Former Dublin football manager and public servant Jim Gavin announced his withdrawal from the race following revelations that he had failed to reimburse a former tenant about €3,300 in overpaid rent dating back more than a decade. 

In his statement, Gavin said he had “made a mistake that was not in keeping with my character and the standards I set myself” and cited concern for the wellbeing of his family and the impact of the campaign on them as key reasons for his decision. 

Because the nomination deadline had passed, Gavin’s name will remain on the ballot despite his exit.

Polls nationally in the last couple of weeks have placed Connolly well ahead of Humphreys.

This week, a poll on the Donegal Live website had a resounding 59% of respondents saying that they would vote for Catherine Connolly with 19% indicating they were intending to vote for Heather Humphreys. 

A further 15% said they plan to spoil their vote with 7% outlining that they do not plan to cast a ballot.

The two remaining candidates made pitches to undecided voters in the final TV debate of the campaign when they faced off in RTE’s Prime Time on Tuesday evening.

In respect of her presidential bid, Ms Humphreys said she would strive to “unite people” if elected to serve as Ireland’s head of state.

“I bring a lot of experience to the job,” she said.

“I want it to be an inclusive country. I wanted to be a respectful country, and I want it to be a country where they are safe. As, I said, I bring a lot of experience. I’m a centre-ground person. I’m a middle-of-the-road person, like most Irish people.”

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Ms Connolly insisted she represented a “different type of Ireland” as she characterised Ms Humphreys as a “more of the same” candidate aligned with the outlook of recent governments.

“I look forward to serving as president of this country,” said the Galway TD.

“It will be an absolute privilege to do that. And I say to the people who are listening and watching that I will do so with humility and with pride, and I will serve the people of Ireland to the best of my ability.”