Next Irish President Betting: Connolly Leads Humphreys Ahead Of October 24 Vote

Betting on the next Irish president has boiled down to a two-horse race between independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.

Connolly, TD for Galway West, appears in the stronger position to win the presidency and succeed Michael D. Higgins as the head of state.

That’s after betting sites reshuffled their odds in Connolly’s favour following the withdrawal of Jim Gavin late in the race.

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Ireland heads to the polls on October 24 faced with a choice of just two candidates – the smallest presidential ballot since Mary McAleese ran unopposed 21 years ago.

Connolly was once a huge outsider to get the job, as left-wing parties coalesced around other candidates.

But the chips have fallen in her favour to such an extent that she’s now considered the frontrunner ahead of Humphreys to be Ireland’s next president.

Neither Connolly nor Humphreys were in contention to be Ireland’s next president when bookmakers opened their markets two years ago.

Indeed, MMA fighter Conor McGregor was at one stage considered a more viable president than either of the remaining two candidates.

As were political heavyweights Mairead McGuinness, Bertie Ahern and Micheal Martin.

Yet, remarkably, Connolly and Humphreys are the two names that actually got on the ballot.

Next Irish President Betting

Betting on the next Irish president has been rumbling on for a couple of years, and both Connolly and Humphreys are relatively new entries at the top of the pile.

The bookies once had more than 20 candidates available to bet on, but that’s now boiled down to two.

In effect, this is now a left vs right market. Connolly has support from left-leaning parties and organisations, while Humphreys is the conservative Fine Gael candidate.

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The odds suggest Connolly, at 1/3, has the greater support, which is backed up by opinion polling indicating a nine-point lead over Humphreys.

However, Humphreys is an intriguing price at 9/4 in a two-horse race.

Jim Gavin polled on 15 points before his withdrawal, meaning 45% of the electorate either don’t know who they’ll vote for or have now lost their first choice.

Here, we look at the final two candidates in a little more detail.

Catherine Connolly

Connolly also came from relative obscurity to run for the Irish presidency. There were plenty of names for Sinn Fein, Labour and a raft of other left-leaning parties to get behind, but no one stood out.

Connolly eventually ran as an independent and secured the backing of Sinn Fein and Labour. From there, she has steadily widened her support base.

It was only when Mary Lou McDonald officially ruled herself out in September that Connolly received a significant jump in support.

She also appears to have benefited from Gavin’s decision to step away, with his supporters seemingly warmer to the prospect of a Connolly presidency than to Humphreys.

The stars have aligned for Connolly to such a degree that she’s the 1/3 frontrunner among betting apps to win a two-horse race.

Irish Presidential Election Odds

Heather Humphreys

Former Fine Gael deputy leader Humphreys secured the nomination, but only after a rollercoaster journey.

Leo Varadkar and Enda Kenny both considered running, but the party eventually coalesced around former European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness.

She seemed the perfect match and led the Irish presidential betting odds for more than six months.

McGuinness withdrew from the race this August, leaving Fine Gael scrambling to find a replacement.

Humphreys stepped in to secure the nomination and kept the poll ratings steady - but she may not have done enough to get over the line.

When Is The Irish Presidential Election?

Ireland votes for a new president on Friday, 24 October 2025. There are only two candidates – Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys.

However, Jim Gavin’s name will remain on the ballot, as he suspended his campaign after the deadline.

Michael D. Higgins is the departing independent president, having served as head of state since 2011.

Campaigning is well under way, and a number of debates have been scheduled, including a one-on-one debate on RTE One on October 21.

Who do you think will be voted in as President of Ireland? Let us know in the comments below.