How Waterford voted in the Presidential Election

Catherine Connolly, an Independent TD for Galway-West, was elected as Ireland’s 10th President on Saturday, October 25.

In Waterford, she received 66.91% of the vote. 39,486 votes were cast across the Déise on Friday, October 24, with a turnout of 43.67%. This was slightly below the national average of 45.83%. 

According to The Irish Times, An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the electoral commission) said the turnout was "higher than the expectations of many analysts”.

In Waterford, Catherine Connolly received 23,191 votes; Jim Gavin received 2,109 and Heather Humphreys received 9,358.

The number of spoiled votes was 4,828, which was 12.2% of the vote. 

In the 2018 election, just 1% of votes were spoiled. 

Catherine Connolly had been announced as the 10th President of Ireland before the official numbers for Waterford were released. 

Ms Humphreys conceded early in her home constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. She said, “Catherine will be a president for all of us, and she will be my president, and I really would like to wish her all the very, very best.”

There were 24 staff in the count centre counting Catherine Connolly's votes, eight counting for Heather Humphreys, and three for Jim Gavin.

According to the tally, which is not official, this is how each electoral area in Waterford voted:

• Dungarvan - Connolly 55%, Gavin 7%, Humphreys 22%, Spoilt 12%.
• Lismore - Connolly 56%, Gavin 4%, Humphreys 27%, Spoilt 13%.
• Portlaw/Kilmacthomas - Connolly 52%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 26%, Spoilt 16%.
• Tramore/Waterford City West - Connolly 63%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 19%, Spoilt 12%.
• Waterford City East - Connolly 56%, Gavin 6%, Humphreys 27%, Spoilt 10%. 
• Waterford City South - Connolly 69%, Gavin 3%, Humphreys 12%, Spoilt 15%. 

Ms Connolly (68) is the third woman to be elected president after Mary Robinson in 1990 and Mary McAleese in 1997.

A clinical psychologist and barrister, the Galway politician entered politics in the late 1990s and was elected to Galway City Council for the Labour Party in 1999.

She was Mayor of Galway City in 2004.

Speaking at Dublin Castle on the night she was elected, Ms Connolly said, “I will be an inclusive president for all of you and I regard it as an absolute honour the vote I have been given and I will represent you nationally and internationally to the best of my ability and as professionally and humanely as possible.” 

Just two weeks before the voting took place, Ms Connolly visited Waterford, meeting community groups in the BRiLL centre in Ballybeg and members of the public out shopping in Waterford city centre.