# Presidential election in Ireland - 24 October **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 15, 2025, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986 "2025-10-15T08:43:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/1 "2025-10-15T08:43:44Z")
Not the most earth-shattering event of the moment, but …. it’s an election with its own twists and turns, not least the late withdrawal of the candidate from one of the governing parties (and the only male). > **[Irish Presidential Election: Who are the runners and riders?](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0ry37d5zdo)** > > President Michael D Higgins will step down from the role when his term ends later this year. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/2 "2025-10-15T13:35:08Z")
At least one of the candidates has [impressive football skills](https://www.thesun.ie/sport/15933687/presidential-candidate-catherine-connolly-football-skills/) (and I’m not talking about the former footballer who dropped out). ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/3 "2025-10-15T13:54:26Z")
Anybody who can control a ball like that in those clothes and shoes deserves at the very least a post in the cabinet!. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/4 "2025-10-15T15:18:38Z")
Indeed. But no abroad/absentee voting in Ireland so I’m SOL in the UK. Between 2015 and 2017, I voted in Bray, Ireland (if no Sinn Fein then Fine Gael), voted in the UK for Labour with Corbyn -v- Cameron (yes, I know they’re just the likely PMs), against Brexit, for Corbyn again -v- May, then absentee for Hilary. Not a good record till I helped Green win against an incumbent Tory in Dorset. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/5 "2025-10-21T11:49:09Z")
It doesn’t look as though the election is setting the country on fire: > **[‘It hasn’t inspired’: turnout concerns grow close to Ireland’s presidential...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/20/turnout-concerns-ireland-presidential-election-spoilt-ballots?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other)** > > High rate of spoilt ballots also probable as poll shows 49% of voters do not feel represented by either candidate ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/6 "2025-10-21T12:21:55Z")
Both candidates sound very different from each other. When I read about them, they do present clear differences. It does say something about the voters if they’re not so enthused. But my country is like that too. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/7 "2025-10-22T00:48:31Z")
In Ireland, we’re accustomed to elections in which a variety of candidates, representing a variety of positions, are presented, and voters then rank them by preference. An election with only two candidates seems bizarrely reductive. The last time such a think occurred was in 1973, which means that most voters have never experienced one. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/8 "2025-10-25T20:09:41Z")
And the keepy-uppy champion wins it: > **[Catherine Connolly’s landslide shakes Ireland’s establishment – but not its...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/25/catherine-connollys-landslide-shakes-irelands-establishment-but-not-its-politics?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other)** > > Connolly’s stunning victory humbles old parties and energises the left, yet it’s no revolution: the presidency remains symbolic ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-election-in-ireland-24-october/1023986/9 "2025-10-26T01:42:28Z")
Wiiii!