“I will be a president who listens, reflects and speaks when necessary,” Connolly said after being formally declared the winner.
“I will be a voice for peace, a voice that builds on our policy of neutrality, a voice that articulates the existential threat posed by climate change.
“Together, we can shape a new republic that values everyone, that values and champions diversity and that is confident in our own identity, our Irish language, our English language and the new people who have come to our country.
“I will be an inclusive president for all of you.”
Connolly, 68, entered politics with the Labor Party in the 1990s in his hometown of Galway, but left the party and then ran as an independent in the 2016 national election, winning a seat in Dáil Éireann, the country’s lower house. She is married and has two adult children.
As head of state, Connolly must act on the advice of the Taoiseach, but has a key role in convening or dissolving parliament and appointing the leader of the government based on seats in parliament.
But its success highlights the challenges facing the government, which was formed in January in a coalition between Fianna Fáil, led by Martin, and Fine Gael, led by Simon Harris. The deal installed Martin as Taoiseach until November 2027, when Harris takes office.
Fianna Fáil performed poorly in the presidential election, with its candidate dropping out early and the Fine Gael candidate winning around 30 per cent of the vote. About 46 percent of voters turned out to cast their ballots.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald backed Connolly’s campaign as a way to counter the government and champion the cause of a united Ireland. Adams, the Irish republican who led Sinn Féin for three decades, also expressed his support.
“Vote for a president who will shape a new and united Ireland,” he said on social media in the final days of the campaign.
While all presidential candidates supported the idea of a unified Ireland, Connolly pledged to use his “moral authority” to put this to a vote of the people, a position that helped cement support from Sinn Féin and others.
“We cannot delay, deny or obstruct that right,” Connolly said. “The Irish and British governments should agree a date for a border vote and start preparing now to ensure it is inclusive, fair and respectful of all traditions.”
Under the 1998 Good Friday agreement, a unified Ireland requires a majority in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. a survey by Irish times In February he concluded that unification would be defeated in the north and approved in the south.
Geldof, the lead singer of Boomtown Rats and the driving force behind the Live Aid concert that raised funds for famine relief in Africa, said on Thursday he thought about running for president but called the Taoiseach when the leader had already chosen a candidate.
“If I had been standing, I would have walked,” he said. “And it would have been really good.”
Geldof acknowledged that he may have had difficulty securing a formal nomination without a major party behind him.
“People are very ambivalent about me, which I totally understand, because I’m ambivalent about myself.”
