Who is Catherine Connolly?

Catherine Connolly is an Irish independent politician from Galway. She began her political career in local government, later serving as a Teachta Dála for Galway West, and in 2025 won the Irish presidential election. She is known for her left-wing, socialist, and pacifist views.

What is Catherine Connolly’s political background?

Connolly started in the Labour Party, served on Galway City Council from 1999 to 2016, and was Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. After leaving Labour, she was elected as an independent TD in 2016 and served as Deputy Speaker of Dáil Éireann from 2020 to 2024 before running for president.

What are Catherine Connolly’s key values and principles?

Connolly emphasizes social justice, human rights, and equality. She supports a strong public role for housing, health, and social services, defends Irish neutrality, opposes militarization, and advocates for civil liberties and international solidarity.

What are her main policy positions as President?

Though largely ceremonial, Connolly focuses on moral leadership and public advocacy. Her priorities include improving public housing, healthcare, and social protections, promoting climate justice, defending Irish neutrality in foreign affairs, and spotlighting human-rights issues internationally.

What is her stance on housing and public services?

Connolly calls for an active government role in delivering public services. She supports policies to increase affordable housing, reduce homelessness, and strengthen health and social systems.

What is Catherine Connolly’s position on foreign policy and neutrality?

She is a strong defender of Irish neutrality, critical of NATO expansion and increased militarization. She emphasizes diplomacy, humanitarian law, and human-rights advocacy, while condemning actions she sees as aggressive by powerful states.

How does she approach climate and environmental issues?

Connolly links climate action to social justice, supporting policies that reduce emissions while protecting workers and communities. She frames environmental policy as inseparable from broader social and economic concerns.

What is her personal and family background?

Connolly grew up in Galway in a large family of 14 children. She is married to Brian and has two adult sons. Professionally, she has worked as a clinical psychologist and trained as a barrister. She is an Irish speaker and emphasizes her local Galway roots in public life.

How was her 2025 presidential victory significant?

Her landslide victory reflected growing support for left-leaning policies and mobilized younger voters. Observers see her win as a signal of changing political priorities in Ireland and a potential shift in public discourse toward social justice and neutrality.

Catherine Connolly: What She Stands For and Her Policies

Catherine Connolly is an Irish independent politician from Galway who rose from local government to the national stage and — in 2025 — won the Irish presidential election in a landslide. Catherine Connolly presents herself as a left-wing, socialist, and pacifist voice who champions social justice, Irish neutrality, and a strong public role in housing and health services.

Political career from Galway to Áras an Uachtaráin

Catherine Martina Ann Connolly was born in Galway in 1957 and started her political life in the Labour Party. She was elected to Galway City Council in 1999 and served as Mayor of Galway in 2004–2005. In 2006 she left Labour and subsequently contested national elections as an independent. After two unsuccessful general election bids she was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West in 2016 and re-elected thereafter. She served as Leas-Ceann Comhairle (Deputy Speaker) of Dáil Éireann from 2020 until 2024. In 2025 she ran for president as an independent with the backing of several left and centre-left parties and won decisively.

Key milestones:

Galway City Councillor (1999–2016); Mayor of Galway (2004–2005).
Elected TD for Galway West (first elected 2016).
Leas-Cheann Comhairle (Deputy Speaker) of the Dáil (2020–2024).
Elected President of Ireland (2025), winning roughly 63% of first-preference votes in a campaign that energized younger and left-leaning voters.

Catherine Connolly Family and personal background

Connolly grew up in Shantalla, Galway, one of 14 children — a fact she frequently cites as formative. She is married to Brian, and they have two adult sons; she has lived in the historic Claddagh area of Galway since 1988. Before full-time politics she worked as a clinical psychologist and later trained as a barrister. She is an Irish speaker (Gaeilgeoir) and often highlights her local roots and community background in public speeches.

What Catherine Connolly stands for — values and rhetoric

Connolly defines herself politically on the left: socialist in outlook, committed to egalitarian public policy, and a pacifist in foreign affairs. Her platform and public statements emphasize:

Social justice and an active state: a robust role for government in providing housing, health, public transport and other services. She has campaigned for stronger social protections and to prioritise resources toward people experiencing hardship.
Irish neutrality and anti-militarism: Connolly is a vocal defender of Irish neutrality, critical of NATO expansion and what she calls the “military-industrial complex.” She has warned against what she sees as increasing militarisation in Europe.
Human rights and international solidarity: an outspoken advocate for Palestinian human rights, critical of Israeli government policy, and a consistent voice calling for humanitarian responses in international crises.
Civil liberties and social reform: she backed same-sex marriage and the legalisation of abortion, and frames many domestic issues in terms of dignity, equality and civil rights.

Journalists describe her as direct and outspoken, highlighting her focus on empowering ordinary people and challenging authority.

Catherine Connolly Policy positions: the practical agenda

While the Irish presidency is largely ceremonial, Connolly campaigned on issues she said she would spotlight or influence through moral leadership, public engagement, and the platform the presidency provides. Her notable policy positions and priorities include:

Housing and public services

Connolly argues for an “active state” role in delivering public services: increased investment and policies aimed at reducing homelessness, improving affordable housing supply, and strengthening the health system. She has the backing of parties and groups who prioritise social housing and public provision.

Climate and environment

Climate justice features in her campaign rhetoric: she supports policies that combine emissions reduction with protections for workers and communities, and frames environmental action as inseparable from social policy.

Foreign policy and neutrality

Connolly is a staunch defender of Irish neutrality and sceptical of deeper military alignment with NATO or EU defence initiatives. She condemns what she sees as warmongering by powerful states and places a strong emphasis on diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian law. At the same time, she has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while criticising NATO’s posture as “warmongering” in some of her remarks — a stance that has drawn both support and criticism.

Human rights and international solidarity

A consistent theme in Connolly’s career is campaigning on human-rights grounds — notably for Palestinian rights — and using her platform to call for humanitarian action and accountability. Her foreign policy positions have been described as “often anti-Western” by some commentators, reflecting her willingness to criticise U.S., U.K. and other western policies.

Political significance and public perception

Many observers interpreted Connolly’s 2025 presidential victory as a symbol of a broader shift in Irish politics with some voters using it to protest against the established centre-right parties, while others embraced it as an affirmation of left-of-centre priorities. Journalists note that her campaign not only mobilised younger voters but also benefitted from a broad coalition of left and centre-left endorsements. As a result, her presidency is expected to be one of moral and rhetorical influence rather than direct policy-making power. Nevertheless, that influence has the potential to shape national debate, particularly on issues such as social justice, neutrality, and Ireland’s role on the international stage.

Conclusion

Catherine Connolly grounds her political identity in local Galway politics, sustained activism, and a distinctly left-wing worldview that unites domestic social policy with international human-rights issues. In her new role as President, though it is largely symbolic, she aims to use the position as a platform to spotlight inequality, while at the same time defending neutrality and promoting the public good.