With all 43 constituencies declared, the Independent candidate took a 63 per cent share of votes
Catherine Connolly spoke about a new movement in Irish politics that grew out of her campaign. She told the audience she would be “a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, articulates the existential threat posed by climate change”.
“We can shape a new Republic together,” she said.
Jack Horgan Jones writes: Addressing the crowd in Dublin Castle, the president-elect promised to be a president for all people in the country, those who had voted for her and those who had not. She paid tribute to Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.
She thanked all the parties, TDs and Senators who supported her. She said she would be “an inclusive president” and would make no distinction on basis of votes, but would be a president who listens and reflects, who builds on the policy of neutrality, and speaks of the challenge of climate change.
“My message is use your voice in every way we can because our Republic and our democracy needs constructive questioning,” she said, returning to the concept of building of a new Republic, a theme that she repeatedly referred to on the campaign trail.
Humphreys thanked those who voted for her, to Fine Gael and to her campaign team. “I know that Catherine will be a president for all of us – Uachtarán don gach duine.”