Catherine Connolly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Catherine Connolly
Connolly in 2025
President of Ireland
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 November 2025
Taoiseach	Micheál Martin
Preceded by	Michael D. Higgins
Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann
In office 23 July 2020 – 8 November 2024
Ceann Comhairle	Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Preceded by	Pat "the Cope" Gallagher
Succeeded by	John McGuinness
Chair of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands
In office 4 April 2016 – 15 September 2020
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Niamh Smyth
Teachta Dála
In office February 2016 – October 2025
Constituency	Galway West
Mayor of Galway
In office June 2004 – June 2005
Preceded by	Terry O'Flaherty
Succeeded by	Brian Walsh
Galway City Councillor
In office June 1999 – March 2016
Constituency	Galway City West
Personal details
Born	Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (1957-07-12) 12 July 1957 (age 68) Galway, Ireland
Political party	Independent (2006–present)
Other political affiliations	Labour (until 2006)
Spouse	Brian McEnery ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2
Residence	Áras an Uachtaráin
Alma mater	University of Leeds University of Galway King's Inns

Catherine Martina Ann Connolly (born 12 July 1957) is an Irish politician. She became the President of Ireland on 11 November 2025. Before this, she was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West area from 2016 until her election as president in 2025.

Born in Galway, Connolly started her political journey with the Labour Party. She was elected to Galway City Council in 1999. She served as Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. She later became an independent politician in 2006. After running in general elections in 2007 and 2011, Connolly was elected to the Dáil in 2016.

She made history as Ireland's first female Leas-Cheann Comhairle (Deputy Speaker of the Dáil). She held this role from July 2020 to November 2024. Connolly ran as an independent candidate in the 2025 presidential election. She had support from several political parties and independent members of the Oireachtas. She won the election with a large number of votes. She is the third woman to become president of Ireland.

Connolly believes in ideas that focus on fairness and helping everyone in society. She describes herself as a socialist and a pacifist. She supports Irish neutrality, meaning Ireland should not take sides in wars. She has different views on some international alliances. She has also criticized the European Union's increased military spending. Connolly condemned the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She also criticized some actions by NATO towards Russia. She is a strong supporter of the Palestinian people and has often spoken about the conflict in the region. Connolly wants to see Irish reunification. She is an Irish speaker. She worked as a clinical psychologist and a barrister before her political career.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Galway

Catherine Martina Ann Connolly was born on 12 July 1957. She grew up in Shantalla, Galway City. She was the ninth of 14 children. Her father was a carpenter and built traditional Galway hooker sailing boats. Her mother passed away when Catherine was nine years old due to health problems.

The family lived in one of Galway's first social housing areas. In the 1970s, Connolly helped lead a campaign. This campaign worked to build tennis courts in Shantalla.

Learning to Help Others

Connolly has said that she developed her ideas about helping others through early volunteering. She took part in activities with the Legion of Mary. This included cleaning houses and visiting hospitals. She continued volunteering later with the Order of Malta.

University Studies and Early Career

Connolly earned a degree in psychology from the University of Galway. This was in the late 1970s. She then got a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Leeds in 1981. She worked as a clinical psychologist for several years.

Later, Connolly studied law at the University of Galway. She earned her law degree in 1989. She then studied at King's Inns and became a barrister in 1991.

Political Journey

Working as a Barrister

Connolly worked as a barrister from 1991 until 2016. She worked on many different types of cases. These mainly included family law and personal injury law.

Starting in Local Politics

Connolly joined the Labour Party after the 1997 general election. She was elected to Galway City Council in 1999. She represented the west city area. In 2004, she ran in a different area to allow her sister, Colette, to run. Both sisters were elected.

In the same year, Connolly became Mayor of Galway. She worked with other parties and independent councillors. As Mayor, she helped award the Freedom of Galway City to Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi in 2005.

Moving to National Politics (2004–2025)

Connolly speaking in the Dáil in 2024

Connolly supported Michael D. Higgins in his 2004 presidential campaign. She later voted to nominate Dana Rosemary Scallon for that election. Connolly wanted to run with Higgins in the 2007 general election. However, the Labour Party decided to run only one candidate. Connolly criticized the delay in Higgins's decision. She felt the party missed a good chance.

She left the Labour Party and ran as an independent candidate in 2007. She did not win that election. She ran again in 2011 and lost by only 17 votes. She asked for a recount, but the result stayed the same.

Connolly was elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2016 general election. This was a time when the Labour Party lost many seats. Her sister, Colette Connolly, took her place on the Galway City Council. Connolly voted for Richard Boyd Barrett for Taoiseach when the Dáil first met. In her first speech in the Dáil, she spoke about Ireland's homelessness crisis. She also served on the Public Accounts Committee. She chaired the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands.

In 2018, Connolly visited Syria with other politicians. She said she paid for the trip herself. She stated she did not support Bashar al-Assad. However, some noted she did not criticize him at that time. She was re-elected in the 2020 general election.

First Female Leas-Cheann Comhairle (2020–2024)

Connolly hosting the "Working breakfast of Women Presidents of Parliament" in Dublin, September 2023

On 23 July 2020, Connolly was elected Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann. This was a surprise victory. She became the first woman to hold this important position.

In January 2021, Connolly criticized the Government. She felt they did not handle the Mother and Baby Homes report well. She said survivors did not get the report before the public. She highlighted this by showing the report in the Dáil.

In June 2023, Connolly attended a "neutrality forum." The discussion was about the Russo-Ukrainian War. In May 2024, she supported Clare Daly in her European Parliament election campaign.

2025 Presidential Election Campaign

2025 Catherine Connolly presidential campaign

Campaigned for	President of Ireland in the 2025 Irish presidential election
Candidate	Catherine Connolly, TD for Galway West (2016–present)
Affiliation	Independent
Status	Announcement: 11 July 2025 First campaign launch: 16 July 2025 Second campaign launch: 22 September 2025 Election won: 25 October 2025
Slogan	Connolly for President

On 11 July 2025, Connolly announced her decision to run for president of Ireland. She believed she had enough support. She officially launched her campaign on 16 July. She had received the required nominations from Oireachtas members.

Connolly focused on giving a voice to ordinary people. She wanted to address issues like a United Ireland, climate change, and homelessness. She also showed interest in reviewing the €330,000 presidential salary. She said she would consider using it "for the common good."

On 24 October 2025, Connolly won the election. She received 63.4% of the votes. This was the highest percentage for any president since 1938. She also received the most first preference votes ever for a candidate in Ireland.

Campaign Support

Connolly's campaign had support from several groups. These included the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and 100% Redress. Many independent Oireachtas members also backed her. The Labour Party supported her from 31 July. However, one Labour TD, Alan Kelly, did not support her due to policy concerns. Solidarity, the Green Party, and Sinn Féin also announced their backing.

Leaders from these parties spoke at her campaign launch on 22 September. They endorsed her candidacy.

Traveling Across Ireland

Connolly committed to visiting every county in the Republic of Ireland during her campaign. She visited many counties, including Wicklow, Louth, Sligo, and Donegal. She also attended agricultural shows like the Tullamore Show. She visited Belfast on 28 August 2025. She said people in Northern Ireland should be able to vote in the presidential election. She called Northern Ireland a "part separated from" the Republic of Ireland.

Questions About Past Nominations

During her campaign, Connolly was asked about nominating Gemma O'Doherty in the 2018 presidential election. Connolly was one of eleven Oireachtas members who signed O'Doherty's papers. Connolly said she did not regret her decision at the time. She saw O'Doherty as a journalist who had done good work. In September 2025, Connolly stated she would not have nominated O'Doherty if it had been a few years later.

Syria Visit Discussion

Connolly's 2018 visit to Syria also came up during her campaign. Some groups asked the Labour Party not to support her. They felt the trip made the Assad government seem acceptable. Connolly said it was a "fact-finding mission." She wanted to see how EU sanctions affected Syrian civilians. She visited a refugee camp and met with UNICEF. Connolly stated she did not support the Assad government. She said she criticized its actions and human rights abuses.

A report noted that the group met Fares Al-Shehabi, who supported the Assad government. Connolly said meeting him was a "mistake." She stated she had "no respect for that man" after hearing him speak.

President of Ireland (2025–Present)

Following her election, Catherine Connolly became president of Ireland on 11 November 2025. She is the third woman to hold this important office. She won with about 63.4% of the votes. In her inauguration speech, she promised to focus on "peace, neutrality and climate change." She also spoke about the importance of the Irish language. She said it would be the working language in Áras an Uachtaráin.

Political Views

Connolly is known as an independent politician with strong left-wing views. In May 2025, The Phoenix magazine called her a "long-time socialist." She was also seen as an "Irish republican" during her time in Labour. However, Connolly clarified in September 2025 that she never supported armed groups during The Troubles. She believes that "violence was never justified" during that time. Connolly identifies as a pacifist.

Clare Daly and Mick Wallace are political allies of Connolly. Connolly supported Daly in her 2024 European election campaign. In a 2025 interview, Connolly said she had "the greatest of respect" for Wallace and Daly.

Domestic Affairs

Connolly at the exhibition "Irish Female MEPs Past and Present" to mark International Women's Day 2024

Connolly supported the 2013 referendum on Irish court reform. She said its success "renewed her faith in democracy." She also supported Ireland's 2015 referendum on same-sex marriage.

In 2025, Connolly spoke about Ireland's Defence Forces. She said they protect the country and promote peace. She believes Ireland needs its Defence Forces. However, she argued that "armies fight wars" and are "at odds with a nation's neutrality."

Foreign Affairs

In 2025, Politico described Connolly's foreign policy views. They noted her support for Irish neutrality. They also mentioned her different views on some international alliances. She is critical of NATO and Israel.

European Union and Military Spending

Connolly (left) with President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to Ireland, December 2022

Connolly has concerns about Irish neutrality being challenged. She believes Ireland's peace is threatened by military spending in Europe. In 2025, she said that countries like "The US, England and France" are involved in an arms industry. She believes this causes conflict worldwide. In September, she linked Germany's increased military spending to the "military-industrial complex." She saw "some parallels with the ’30s," referring to a time of German rearmament. Some experts disagreed, saying the situations were very different. Germany's ambassador and Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticized her comments.

Connolly has criticized the European Union for having a "neoliberal agenda." She opposed the Treaty of Nice in 2002. She also opposed the Treaty of Lisbon in both referendums. After the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, Connolly said the Irish government tried to scare voters. She felt the EU had a "democratic deficit" and did not tolerate disagreement.

Connolly believes the EU has become more focused on military matters. She said it has "lost sight of its foundations: a project developed to promote and preserve peace." She criticized Ursula von der Leyen for different positions on Israel and Russia. On Europe Day 2025, Connolly said she was "ashamed to be European." She felt the current EU leadership supported Israel too much. Later, she clarified that she does not consider herself against the EU. She called herself a "committed European."

Personal Life

Connolly has lived in the Claddagh area of Galway since 1988. She married Brian McEnery, a woodwork teacher, in 1992. They have two adult sons. She worked as a clinical psychologist and a barrister. She is an Irish speaker. She also speaks German, having studied psychology in Germany. She was raised Catholic but describes herself as not religious.

Connolly enjoys sports. She has completed many marathons and triathlons. She was five months pregnant when she finished the Streets of Galway race in 1995.

Sligo politician Declan Bree is Connolly's brother-in-law. Connolly also has two pet cats.

Electoral Results

See also

In Spanish: Catherine Connolly para niños