Irish presidential election
Updated: 12/11/2025, 2:20:58 PM Wikipedia source
The Irish presidential election determines who serves as the President of Ireland, the head of state of Ireland. The latest election was the 2025 Irish presidential election, which took place on 24 October 2025. Where only one candidate is nominated, that candidate is declared elected without a ballot; this has occurred on seven occasions.
Tables
· Results
Votes
Votes
Election
Votes
Candidate
%
1938
1938
Election
1938
Candidate
Douglas Hyde
Age
78
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Douglas Hyde
1945
1945
Election
1945
Candidate
Patrick McCartan
Age
67
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan
1st Pref.
212,834
1st Pref.
19.6%
Winner
Seán T. O'Kelly
Seán Mac Eoin
Seán Mac Eoin
Election
Seán Mac Eoin
Candidate
51
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael and Independent TDs
Nominated by
335,539
1st Pref.
30.9%
Seán T. O'Kelly
Seán T. O'Kelly
Election
Seán T. O'Kelly
Candidate
62
Age
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
Nominated by
537,965
1st Pref.
49.5%
1952
1952
Election
1952
Candidate
Seán T. O'Kelly
Age
69
Nominated by
Self-nomination
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Seán T. O'Kelly
1959
1959
Election
1959
Candidate
Éamon de Valera
Age
76
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
1st Pref.
538,003
1st Pref.
56.3%
Winner
Éamon de Valera
Seán Mac Eoin
Seán Mac Eoin
Election
Seán Mac Eoin
Candidate
65
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
Nominated by
417,536
1st Pref.
43.7%
1966
1966
Election
1966
Candidate
Éamon de Valera
Age
83
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
1st Pref.
558,861
1st Pref.
50.5%
Winner
Éamon de Valera
Tom O'Higgins
Tom O'Higgins
Election
Tom O'Higgins
Candidate
49
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
Nominated by
548,144
1st Pref.
49.5%
1973
1973
Election
1973
Candidate
Erskine H. Childers
Age
60
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
1st Pref.
635,867
1st Pref.
51.9%
Winner
Erskine H. Childers
Tom O'Higgins
Tom O'Higgins
Election
Tom O'Higgins
Candidate
56
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
Nominated by
587,771
1st Pref.
48.0%
1974
1974
Election
1974
Candidate
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
Age
63
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour Party
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
1976
1976
Election
1976
Candidate
Patrick Hillery
Age
53
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Patrick Hillery
1983
1983
Election
1983
Candidate
Patrick Hillery
Age
60
Nominated by
Self-nomination
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Patrick Hillery
1990
1990
Election
1990
Candidate
Austin Currie
Age
51
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
1st Pref.
267,902
1st Pref.
17.0%
Winner
Mary Robinson
Brian Lenihan
Brian Lenihan
Election
Brian Lenihan
Candidate
59
Age
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
Nominated by
694,484
1st Pref.
44.1%
Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Election
Mary Robinson
Candidate
46
Age
Oireachtas: Labour Party and Workers' Party
Nominated by
612,265
1st Pref.
38.9%
1997
1997
Election
1997
Candidate
Mary Banotti
Age
58
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
1st Pref.
372,002
1st Pref.
29.3%
Winner
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Election
Mary McAleese
Candidate
46
Age
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats
Nominated by
574,424
1st Pref.
45.2%
Derek Nally
Derek Nally
Election
Derek Nally
Candidate
60
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
59,529
1st Pref.
4.7%
Adi Roche
Adi Roche
Election
Adi Roche
Candidate
42
Age
Oireachtas: Labour Party, Democratic Left and Green Party
Nominated by
88,423
1st Pref.
6.9%
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Election
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Candidate
46
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
175,458
1st Pref.
13.8%
2004
2004
Election
2004
Candidate
Mary McAleese
Age
53
Nominated by
Self-nomination
1st Pref.
n/a
1st Pref.
n/a
Winner
Mary McAleese
2011
2011
Election
2011
Candidate
Mary Davis
Age
57
Nominated by
County and City Councils
1st Pref.
48,657
1st Pref.
2.7%
Winner
Michael D. Higgins
Seán Gallagher
Seán Gallagher
Election
Seán Gallagher
Candidate
49
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
504,964
1st Pref.
28.5%
Michael D. Higgins
Michael D. Higgins
Election
Michael D. Higgins
Candidate
70
Age
Oireachtas: Labour Party
Nominated by
701,101
1st Pref.
39.6%
Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
Election
Martin McGuinness
Candidate
61
Age
Oireachtas: Sinn Féin and Independent TDs
Nominated by
243,030
1st Pref.
13.7%
Gay Mitchell
Gay Mitchell
Election
Gay Mitchell
Candidate
59
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
Nominated by
113,321
1st Pref.
6.4%
David Norris
David Norris
Election
David Norris
Candidate
67
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
109,469
1st Pref.
6.2%
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Election
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Candidate
60
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
51,220
1st Pref.
2.9%
2018
2018
Election
2018
Candidate
Peter Casey
Age
60
Nominated by
County and City Councils
1st Pref.
342,727
1st Pref.
23.3%
Winner
Michael D. Higgins
Seán Gallagher
Seán Gallagher
Election
Seán Gallagher
Candidate
56
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
94,514
1st Pref.
6.4%
Gavin Duffy
Gavin Duffy
Election
Gavin Duffy
Candidate
58
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
32,198
1st Pref.
2.2%
Joan Freeman
Joan Freeman
Election
Joan Freeman
Candidate
60
Age
County and City Councils
Nominated by
87,908
1st Pref.
6.0%
Michael D. Higgins
Michael D. Higgins
Election
Michael D. Higgins
Candidate
77
Age
Self-nomination
Nominated by
822,566
1st Pref.
55.8%
Liadh Ní Riada
Liadh Ní Riada
Election
Liadh Ní Riada
Candidate
51
Age
Oireachtas: Sinn Féin
Nominated by
93,987
1st Pref.
6.4%
2025
2025
Election
2025
Candidate
Catherine Connolly
Age
68
Nominated by
Oireachtas: Sinn Féin, Labour Party, Social Democrats,People Before Profit, Solidarity, Green Party,100% Redress and Independent TDs
1st Pref.
914,143
1st Pref.
63.4%
Winner
Catherine Connolly
Jim Gavin
Jim Gavin
Election
Jim Gavin
Candidate
54
Age
Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil
Nominated by
103,568
1st Pref.
7.2%
Heather Humphreys
Heather Humphreys
Election
Heather Humphreys
Candidate
65
Age
Oireachtas: Fine Gael
Nominated by
424,987
1st Pref.
29.5%
| Election | Candidate | Age | Nominated by | 1st Pref. | Winner | |
| Votes | % | |||||
| 1938 | Douglas Hyde | 78 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael | n/a | n/a | Douglas Hyde |
| 1945 | Patrick McCartan | 67 | Oireachtas: Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan | 212,834 | 19.6% | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Seán Mac Eoin | 51 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael and Independent TDs | 335,539 | 30.9% | ||
| Seán T. O'Kelly | 62 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 537,965 | 49.5% | ||
| 1952 | Seán T. O'Kelly | 69 | Self-nomination | n/a | n/a | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| 1959 | Éamon de Valera | 76 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 538,003 | 56.3% | Éamon de Valera |
| Seán Mac Eoin | 65 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 417,536 | 43.7% | ||
| 1966 | Éamon de Valera | 83 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 558,861 | 50.5% | Éamon de Valera |
| Tom O'Higgins | 49 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 548,144 | 49.5% | ||
| 1973 | Erskine H. Childers | 60 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 635,867 | 51.9% | Erskine H. Childers |
| Tom O'Higgins | 56 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 587,771 | 48.0% | ||
| 1974 | Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh | 63 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour Party | n/a | n/a | Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh |
| 1976 | Patrick Hillery | 53 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | n/a | n/a | Patrick Hillery |
| 1983 | Patrick Hillery | 60 | Self-nomination | n/a | n/a | Patrick Hillery |
| 1990 | Austin Currie | 51 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 267,902 | 17.0% | Mary Robinson |
| Brian Lenihan | 59 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 694,484 | 44.1% | ||
| Mary Robinson | 46 | Oireachtas: Labour Party and Workers' Party | 612,265 | 38.9% | ||
| 1997 | Mary Banotti | 58 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 372,002 | 29.3% | Mary McAleese |
| Mary McAleese | 46 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats | 574,424 | 45.2% | ||
| Derek Nally | 60 | County and City Councils | 59,529 | 4.7% | ||
| Adi Roche | 42 | Oireachtas: Labour Party, Democratic Left and Green Party | 88,423 | 6.9% | ||
| Dana Rosemary Scallon | 46 | County and City Councils | 175,458 | 13.8% | ||
| 2004 | Mary McAleese | 53 | Self-nomination | n/a | n/a | Mary McAleese |
| 2011 | Mary Davis | 57 | County and City Councils | 48,657 | 2.7% | Michael D. Higgins |
| Seán Gallagher | 49 | County and City Councils | 504,964 | 28.5% | ||
| Michael D. Higgins | 70 | Oireachtas: Labour Party | 701,101 | 39.6% | ||
| Martin McGuinness | 61 | Oireachtas: Sinn Féin and Independent TDs | 243,030 | 13.7% | ||
| Gay Mitchell | 59 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 113,321 | 6.4% | ||
| David Norris | 67 | County and City Councils | 109,469 | 6.2% | ||
| Dana Rosemary Scallon | 60 | County and City Councils | 51,220 | 2.9% | ||
| 2018 | Peter Casey | 60 | County and City Councils | 342,727 | 23.3% | Michael D. Higgins |
| Seán Gallagher | 56 | County and City Councils | 94,514 | 6.4% | ||
| Gavin Duffy | 58 | County and City Councils | 32,198 | 2.2% | ||
| Joan Freeman | 60 | County and City Councils | 87,908 | 6.0% | ||
| Michael D. Higgins | 77 | Self-nomination | 822,566 | 55.8% | ||
| Liadh Ní Riada | 51 | Oireachtas: Sinn Féin | 93,987 | 6.4% | ||
| 2025 | Catherine Connolly | 68 | Oireachtas: Sinn Féin, Labour Party, Social Democrats,People Before Profit, Solidarity, Green Party,100% Redress and Independent TDs | 914,143 | 63.4% | Catherine Connolly |
| Jim Gavin | 54 | Oireachtas: Fianna Fáil | 103,568 | 7.2% | ||
| Heather Humphreys | 65 | Oireachtas: Fine Gael | 424,987 | 29.5% | ||
· Election dates and forms of nomination
Oir.
Oir.
Year
Oir.
Ministerial Order
CC
Close of Nominations
Self
1938
1938
Year
1938
Ministerial Order
14 April
Close of Nominations
4 May
Nominations
1
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
31 May
Inauguration
25 June
1945
1945
Year
1945
Close of Nominations
16 May
Nominations
3
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
14 June
Inauguration
25 June
1952
1952
Year
1952
Ministerial Order
25 April
Close of Nominations
16 May
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Nominations
1
Election date
10 June
Inauguration
25 June
1959
1959
Year
1959
Ministerial Order
27 April
Close of Nominations
19 May
Nominations
2
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
17 June
Inauguration
25 June
1966
1966
Year
1966
Ministerial Order
27 April
Close of Nominations
10 May
Nominations
2
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
1 June
Inauguration
25 June
1973
1973
Year
1973
Ministerial Order
25 April
Close of Nominations
8 May
Nominations
2
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
30 May
Inauguration
25 June
1974
1974
Year
1974
Nominations
1
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
17 November
Inauguration
19 December
1976
1976
Year
1976
Nominations
1
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
2 October
Inauguration
3 December
1983
1983
Year
1983
Ministerial Order
7 October
Close of Nominations
21 October
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Nominations
1
Election date
23 November
Inauguration
3 December
1990
1990
Year
1990
Close of Nominations
16 October
Nominations
3
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
7 November
Inauguration
3 December
1997
1997
Year
1997
Ministerial Order
15 September
Close of Nominations
30 September
Nominations
3
Nominations
2
Nominations
0
Election date
30 October
Inauguration
11 November
2004
2004
Year
2004
Ministerial Order
13 September
Close of Nominations
1 October
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Nominations
1
Election date
22 October
Inauguration
11 November
2011
2011
Year
2011
Ministerial Order
30 August
Close of Nominations
28 September
Nominations
3
Nominations
4
Nominations
0
Election date
27 October
Inauguration
11 November
2018
2018
Year
2018
Ministerial Order
28 August
Close of Nominations
26 September
Nominations
1
Nominations
4
Nominations
1
Election date
26 October
Inauguration
11 November
2025
2025
Year
2025
Ministerial Order
3 September
Close of Nominations
24 September
Nominations
3
Nominations
0
Nominations
0
Election date
24 October
Inauguration
11 November
| Year | Ministerial Order | Close of Nominations | Nominations | Election date | Inauguration | ||
| Oir. | CC | Self | |||||
| 1938 | 14 April | 4 May | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 May | 25 June |
| 1945 | 16 May | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 June | 25 June | |
| 1952 | 25 April | 16 May | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 June | 25 June |
| 1959 | 27 April | 19 May | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 June | 25 June |
| 1966 | 27 April | 10 May | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 June | 25 June |
| 1973 | 25 April | 8 May | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 May | 25 June |
| 1974 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 November | 19 December | ||
| 1976 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 October | 3 December | ||
| 1983 | 7 October | 21 October | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 November | 3 December |
| 1990 | 16 October | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 November | 3 December | |
| 1997 | 15 September | 30 September | 3 | 2 | 0 | 30 October | 11 November |
| 2004 | 13 September | 1 October | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 October | 11 November |
| 2011 | 30 August | 28 September | 3 | 4 | 0 | 27 October | 11 November |
| 2018 | 28 August | 26 September | 1 | 4 | 1 | 26 October | 11 November |
| 2025 | 3 September | 24 September | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 October | 11 November |
References
- Irish Statute Bookhttps://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html
- Irish Presidential Electionhttps://web.archive.org/web/20180921153354/https://www.presidentialelection.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1993-Presidential-Elections-Act-1993-Consolidated-January-2016.pdf
- "Electing a President – Preferential Voting"http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/es/ese/ese01/ese01c
- Reporthttps://web.archive.org/web/20110721123405/http://www.constitution.ie/reports/crg.pdf#page=22
- The 1995 report of the Constitution Review Group notes "There is an apparent discrepancy between the English and Irish v
- "Presidential Election in Ireland"http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/elections_and_referenda/national_elections/presidential_election.html
- "How the President is elected"https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/how_president_elected-english.pdf