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Catherine Connolly

Catherine Connolly (born 12 July 1957) is an Irish independent politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since 2016. Ideologically on the political left, Connolly was a supporter of the Repeal of the Eighth Amendment in 2018 and has spoken in support of Irish neutrality.

Originally a Labour Party member of Galway City Council, she was first elected to Galway City Council in 1999 and was Mayor of Galway from 2004 to 2005. She left the party in 2007 in a dispute over candidate selection. After unsuccessfully contesting the 2007 and 2011 general elections in Galway West as an independent, Connolly was elected to the Dáil in 2016. She served as Leas-Cheann Comhairle of the 33rd Dáil from July 2020 to November 2024, and was Cathaoirleach of the Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands from 2016 to 2020, and again in 2025.

Connolly is an independent candidate in the 2025 Irish presidential election, backed by the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, the Labour Party, 100% Redress and several independent Oireachtas members. As of 14 August 2025, she is the only confirmed candidate in the aforementioned election. Provided by Wikipedia