Presidential Candidates Emerge, But Infrastructure Deficit and Constitutional Future Remain Key Issues

The Irish presidential election is underway, with Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness and Galway TD Catherine Connolly emerging as candidates. Other parties, including Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, have yet to decide on a candidate. The election campaign has been criticized for being expensive and brutal, deterring some potential candidates from running. The race is expected to be closely contested, with several undecided voters.

The Irish presidential election, scheduled to take place by November 11, 2025, is shaping up to be a closely contested race. Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness and Galway TD Catherine Connolly have emerged as the leading candidates, with other major parties still undecided on their nominees. The election campaign has been marked by criticism for its high cost and intense nature, potentially deterring potential candidates.

Candidates and Nominations

Mairead McGuinness, a former European Commissioner and Vice-President of the European Parliament, is the candidate for Fine Gael. She was nominated by the party on July 15, 2025, following an internal selection process that required 20 members of the parliamentary party, 25 party councillors, and 5 members of the executive council [23].

Catherine Connolly, a barrister and clinical psychologist, is running as an independent candidate. She has secured the support of the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, 100% Redress, and several independent TDs. Connolly's nomination process has been facilitated by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, which allows for the self-nomination of former or retiring presidents who have served one 7-year term [15].

Parties' Stance

Fianna Fáil has indicated that they will not run a candidate unless the nominee commands a broad consensus or has a realistic chance of securing a significant vote. Sinn Féin is considering its options and may decide on a candidate in the coming weeks. Both parties have expressed a willingness to discuss a joint left-wing candidate but have not yet made a definitive decision [25, 26].

Campaign Criticism

The election campaign has been criticized for its high cost and brutal nature. The spending limit for each candidate is €750,000, but the expenses incurred by candidates have been significant. The intense campaigning has also been seen as a deterrent for potential candidates, with several notable figures declining to run [68, 70, 73].

Upcoming Events

RTÉ has announced that it will host several programmes leading up to the election, with Katie Hannon as the presenter. The first opinion polls, conducted by Ireland Thinks, suggest that the race is closely contested, with McGuinness and Connolly leading the pack [95].

Conclusion

The Irish presidential election is set to be a pivotal moment in the country's political landscape. With McGuinness and Connolly leading the race, the election is expected to be closely contested, with several undecided voters. The high cost and intense nature of the campaign have been criticized, but the election process continues to unfold, with the date of the election yet to be fixed by ministerial order.

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Irish_presidential_election
[23] https://www.finegael.ie/news/mairead-mcguinness-nominated-as-fine-gael-presidential-candidate/
[15] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/catherine-connolly-secures-20-nominations-for-presidential-election-1.4449209
[95] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/opinion-polling-irish-presidential-election-2025-1.4449209