The Irish Communist Party / Páirtí Cumannach Éireann
The Irish Communist Party / Páirtí Cumannach Éireann warmly welcomes the historic and decisive victory of Catherine Connolly in the Presidential election. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all those who contributed to this success—above all, to the thousands of young people whose energy, commitment, and class consciousness were instrumental in mobilising the campaign that ensured her triumph.
Catherine Connolly’s campaign was rooted in a programme that upheld the principles of social justice, equality, and public ownership, demanding that the resources of Ireland be utilised not for private enrichment but for the collective benefit of the people. Within this framework, she emphasised the necessity of a broad national discussion on the kind of Ireland we seek to build when we speak of unity—a unity grounded in class solidarity and social emancipation, not merely in rhetoric or flag.
On the international front, Catherine Connolly articulated a clear vision of an independent and peaceful Ireland, steadfast in its neutrality and in defence of the Triple Lock, which safeguards it against militarist entanglement. She expressed unwavering solidarity with all peoples resisting imperialist aggression, particularly the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, who continue to suffer under colonial occupation and apartheid.
The 63 percent mandate secured for this programme represents the highest ever achieved by a Presidential candidate in the history of the State. Crucially, this victory was achieved through a United Left campaign, in which all political forces claiming to represent the working class united in common struggle to ensure that a progressive, democratic, and anti-imperialist vision of Ireland’s future prevailed.
The Irish Communist Party / Páirtí Cumannach Éireann is fully conscious of the constitutional limitations of the Presidential office. Nevertheless, we believe that the enthusiasm, energy, and political awakening generated during Catherine Connolly’s campaign can and must be transformed into an organised movement—a locomotive for the strengthening of working-class power across Ireland.
The Left Unity forged during the campaign must now be consolidated and extended into every sphere of political, social, and cultural engagement. Particular emphasis must be placed on the trade union, tenants’, and language movements, ensuring that class consciousness is deepened and that we move decisively to dismantle the dysfunctional capitalist organisation of Irish society.
While recognising the ideological and tactical differences that exist among the various left and progressive forces, our Party insists that the central task remains the same: to organise the working class on a class-oriented, anti-monopoly, anti-imperialist basis, directed against the twin evils of partition and capitalist exploitation. Only through such clarity of purpose can the momentum of the progressive movement that carried Catherine Connolly to victory be sustained and advanced.
The immediate task before the movement is the elaboration of a clear and coherent political programme—a programme that asserts the primacy of the material needs of the working class over the diktats of the so-called “free market,” and that rejects the imperialist drive toward militarisation, austerity, and privatisation.
The potential of a United Left lies not merely in electoral cooperation but in the creation of a broad front of struggle—uniting political parties, trade unions, community organisations, and rank-and-file workers in the formulation of a revolutionary strategy aimed at the abolition of the capitalist mode of production in Ireland and its replacement with a socialist republic founded on public ownership and workers’ control.
The Irish Communist Party / Páirtí Cumannach Éireann will continue to engage in the ideological, political, and organisational debates now taking place within the progressive movement, with the aim of cementing a tangible and principled path forward—one that identifies capitalism–imperialism as the primary contradiction at the root of the crises confronting Irish society.
At the same time, we must confront the reactionary forces that have emerged more openly during this election. The strong and deeply regressive current—nurtured by the most backward elements of society and funded by millionaires with connections to the military industrial complex — have relied on openly racist and fascistic agitation—cannot be ignored. The more than 200,000 spoiled votes, orchestrated by the Far Right, particularly in working-class areas, represent a deliberate attempt to sow confusion, division, and despair among the people.
The Far Right, in its efforts to scapegoat immigrants and minorities for the failings of capitalism, serves only to defend the interests of the ruling class by diverting the anger of the working people away from its true source: the capitalist system itself.
Equally, any attempt to resurrect the reactionary politics of Catholic conservatism, as articulated by figures such as Maria Steen, offers no solutions to the social and economic crises we face. Such ideology would drag Ireland backward—to a time of repression, inequality, and clerical domination that the Irish people have long rejected.
The Far Right cannot be defeated by slogans or moral appeals alone. It must be defeated through organised political work among the people—by patient, disciplined activity in communities, workplaces, and unions—to expose its falsehoods and demonstrate in practice that the only real alternative to capitalist decay is socialism.
Catherine Connolly’s victory offers a renewed opportunity to advance the cause of working-class unity, national independence, and socialist transformation. The Irish Communist Party / Páirtí Cumannach Éireann reaffirms its commitment to this historic struggle and calls on all progressive forces to redouble their efforts in building a New Republic—one that is democratic, sovereign, socialist, and rooted in the collective power of the Irish working class.