After her landslide election victory, Catherine Connolly will be inaugurated today as the new Uachtarán na hÉireann, but who is she?
Connolly’s Early Life
From growing up in social housing in County Galway (Gaillimh), to becoming the Mayor of the county (and now the President of Ireland), Connolly has been a key figure on the left-wing radical political scene for decades. Describing growing up in a working class family with thirteen siblings as an experience which “moulded” her, Catherine has not had an easy life.
After facing the loss of her mother at the age of nine, and being raised by her widower father, Connolly has made it very clear throughout her election campaign that she is not a stranger to the people’s struggle, and this is one of the qualities which has made her so popular.
Her Path to Politics
Having obtained a Clinical Psychology and Law degree, 68-year-old Connolly has served the country as both a barrister and a clinical psychologist. Not only does this make her an individual who has worked within the public spheres, but also one who knows the importance and intricacies of the Irish legal and medical systems (ones which are currently facing their own sets of challenges).
In 1999, Connolly was elected as a Labour Party representative for Galway City Council, eventually going on to become the mayor of Galway City, where she highlighted the challenges of the Irish housing crisis, describing it as the “defining social crisis of our time”. This continues to be at the forefront of her policies and a major talking point throughout her campaign.
Image: President-elect Catherine Connolly – Houses of the Oireachtas
In 2016, Connolly became an Independent Teachta Dála for Galway West, continuing to enact her policies without the constraints of working under a party, becoming more radical and outspoken in her views as a result.
2020 saw Catherine Connolly elected as the first woman to serve as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann (Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives).
Policies and Views
As well as focusing largely on the Irish housing crisis, Connolly has been vocal in her condemnation of the “genocide” in the Gaza strip, representing the Irish public’s solidarity of the Palestinian people: a stance which is centuries old.
Despite her vocalised condemnation of “the Palestinian Genocide”, Connolly has been very clear regarding her “vow of peace” foreign policy, openly opposing the ever-worsening issue of European militarisation which she believes can be blamed for much of the nationalist military activity of the last few decades.
Other parts of her policy which focus on Irish social issues include her advocacy for disadvantaged groups, most notably the victims of the Magdalene Laundries scandal (and woman and baby homes as a whole). An outspoken feminist, Connolly has promised a large portion of her presidential salary will be returned to the Irish people through various projects and schemes. Connolly has also made promises regarding climate change action, and intends to use her platform to allow these ideas to be passed to other nations.
Her cultural policies are mainly centric of United Ireland and Irish language recognition. As of 5 November, the Dáil Éireann has for the first time backed Sinn Féin’s policies for Irish Unity, marking a historic step towards this goal early on. Connolly is a fluent Irish speaker, an important quality for an Irish President, and intends to make Irish the official working language of Áras an Uachtarán.
Connolly’s Landslide Win
Despite running as an Independent candidate for the ceremonial position, Connolly has been backed by the Labour Party, Social Democrats, and most notably Sinn Féin throughout her political career and presidential campaign.
Image: Defeated Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys – Fergal Phillips / Fine Gael
Competing with Heather Humphries solely (after Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin dropped out), Connolly secured her spot as the 10th Uachtarán na hÉireann with a record-breaking 63% of all votes, and will assume office on 11 November 2025 after Michael D. Higgins hands the baton over after 14 years as Uachtarán na hÉireann for over 14 years).
Connolly’s presidency has a very promising outlook for Ireland, and many cannot wait for her to get out on the world scene as a powerful advocate for the Irish people.
Featured Image via House of Oireachtas
