After months of speculation, party posturing, and a few failed bids, the race to Áras an Uachtaráin is on. It’s a modest field: just three names will appear on the ballot, making this the first presidential election with so few contenders since 1990 — when Mary Robinson made history. The stakes are high nationally, but perhaps nowhere more so than in Galway, where the outcome could trigger a seismic political shift.
Catherine Connolly, a formidable independent from Galway West, is the only candidate among the three currently holding elected office. Her victory would not only bring the presidency back westward but also force a bye-election in Galway West — the first of its kind in over 50 years.
This wouldn’t be just any election. It would mark the first time in decades that voters wouldn’t see a Higgins, an O Cuiv, a Grealish, a Naughton, a Farrell, a Connolly, or a Molloy on the ballot. The dynasties and certainties that have defined Galway politics for generations could give way to a new political force.
For Connolly, a victory would be a moment of historic symmetry: a Galway woman following in the footsteps of another ground-breaking president, Mary Robinson, in a race similarly marked by just three candidates.
Yet, despite its significance, the lineup hasn’t exactly set hearts racing. That said, presidential campaigns are rarely won on the strength of initial announcements. It’s the moments — the debates, the missteps, the one-liners — that define the race. How candidates handle those moments may well decide their fate.
At the same time, questions are growing louder about how we select our candidates. The failed bid by Maria Steen and Gareth Sheridan has reignited debate around accessibility. Independent Ireland is now calling for a referendum to reform the nomination process, arguing that the current system centralises too much power in the hands of party elites. They propose broadening the range of officials who can nominate candidates — including MEPs — to allow more diverse voices onto the ballot.
Whether these reforms gain traction remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: this presidential election may yet prove to be a defining moment, not just for the presidency — but for Galway, and for how Irish democracy renews itself in the years ahead.
