The Irish Presidential race is heating up ahead of voters going to the polls on Friday, October 24th. Promising a ‘game changer’ announcement, Sinn Féin this weekend announced that it will back independent candidate Catherine Connolly in her bid to become the next President of Ireland. As we enter the final month of the campaign, there is now a more definitive and narrowed field of candidates in the race for Áras an Uachtaráin.
Connolly is now in a prime position to win over many minds in the Irish electorate, having received a full left-wing alliance backing her bid. With Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and now Sinn Féin throwing their support and resources behind Connolly, she is a key contender for the Presidency. In the latest Red C opinion poll conducted for the Business Post last week, the former Leas-Cheann Comhairle was the third-placed candidate among voters at 17%. Connolly and her supporters will hope that Sinn Féin’s backing will turn the tide of public opinion further in her favour.
Fianna Fáil has decided to run its first candidate for the Irish Presidency since 1997, placing its political hopes in Jim Gavin. The former Dublin Gaelic football manager and Irish Defence Forces Officer is a political outsider, but has already made his views clear on contentious issues, such as supporting the abolition of the Triple Lock and Ireland's housing crisis. In the same Red C poll, Gavin narrowly beat out Connolly for second place among voters at 18%.
Political veteran Heather Humphreys is Fine Gael’s candidate, having chosen an experienced pair of hands to win over voters. For a party that has never won the Irish Presidency in its entire history, Fine Gael will be looking to its former Minister to break this cycle. After 13 years in the Dáil and holding a range of Ministerial portfolios, Humphreys represents experience and stability for many. Clearly this currently appeals to voters, with Humphreys leading the presidential race at 22% in the Red C poll.
There have been many other names floated as possible contenders throughout the campaign, such as Bob Geldof, Conor McGregor and Michael Flatley, who have all since withdrawn their bids or aspirations. However, other independent candidates currently seeking to secure their names on the Presidential ballot, such as pharma entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan or businessman Peter Casey, could throw a curveball into the race. Sheridan has so far received the nomination of two councils, while 15 councils have voted not to endorse any candidate. The decision to nominate remains pending from 13 councils, with the nomination period ending this week at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 24.
In what is seen as a largely ceremonial role, the President of Ireland still holds the vital responsibility of being the nation’s Head of State and representing the country on the national and international stage.
The impact of the Irish Presidency on Northern Ireland is also becoming a more focused and debated topic. The Northern Assembly passed a motion earlier this year in support of extending the right to vote in the Presidential Election to all citizens resident on the island of Ireland. In the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Forty-first Amendment of the Constitution (Voting Rights in Presidential Elections) Bill 2025 has passed its first stage, seeking to extend Presidential voting rights to citizens in Northern Ireland.
As polling day draws nearer, campaigning will get fully under way and candidates will be setting out their stalls to voters. A month is a lifetime in politics, with no one able to fully predict who the next President will be. One thing for certain is that all eyes will be fixed on the rocky road to Áras an Uachtaráin.