Gabija GataveckaiteBBC NI Dublin correspondent , RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin
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Catherine Connolly (left) and Heather Humphreys are the two candidates in the election
Counting is under way in the Irish presidential election.
Voters in the Republic of Ireland went to the polls on Friday to elect the 10th Irish president, who will replace current head of state Michael D Higgins.
There are two contenders to become the next president, but voters had a choice of three candidates – Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys and Jim Gavin, whose withdrawal from the race came too late to have his name removed from the ballot paper.
Ballot boxes opened at 09.00 local time on Saturday and the result is due to be announced at Dublin Castle later.
The votes are being counted in each of the 43 constituencies
Early tallies at the RDS count centre in Dublin are showing very strong support for independent candidate Catherine Connolly.
Tallies are also showing a lot of spoiled votes.
One tally from Dublin Bay South, a constituency with a very strong Fine Gael vote, showed overwhelming support for Connolly – 69 first preferences for her and only 20 for Humphreys.
The same tally showed 13 spoiled ballots.
There was only one first preference vote for Gavin.
An early tally from the Dublin North West constituency indicated 82 first preferences for Connolly, with 20 first preferences for Humphreys.
This box had 34 spoiled votes and only four first preference votes for Gavin.
Early unofficial indications have suggested the turnout could potentially struggle to reach the record low of just under 40% recorded in the last presidential election in 2018.
Connolly is an independent politician backed by a number of left-wing parties including Sinn Féin.
She has been a TD (member of parliament) since 2016 and previously worked as a psychologist and barrister. She is from Galway.
Humphreys is the Fine Gael candidate. She was a TD from 2011 to 2024 and served in a number of senior cabinet ministerial positions, including social protection and justice.
She comes from a Protestant background and is from Monaghan.
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Áras an Uachtaráin, which is located in Phoenix Park, Dublin, is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Ireland
Some 3.6 million people were eligible to vote in the election, which comes to an end after months of campaigning by both candidates.
To get nominated, candidates needed either 20 members of the Oireachtas, the Irish houses of parliament, or four city and county councils, to back them.
Connolly was the first to declare her intention to run last July.
She has the support of a number of left-wing parties, including Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats as well as independent politicians.
Humphreys was selected to run for Fine Gael after the party’s initial candidate, former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, withdrew from the race in August for medical reasons.
A third candidate, Jim Gavin, who was selected by the main coalition party, Fianna Fáil, withdrew from the campaign earlier in October after intense controversy over a 16-year-old rental dispute in which he owed €3,300 (£2,870) to a former tenant.
However, as his withdrawal came after the close of nominations, the law states his name must remain on the ballot paper.
Any votes cast for him will be counted as legitimate and transferred to the two other candidates if necessary.
