Image source, PA Media

In a post on social media, Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris congratulates Catherine Connolly "on becoming our next president of Ireland".

"She will be president for all this country and for all of us.

"I wish her every success. Her success will be Ireland’s success."

Harris thanked Heather Humphreys for "all her effort" and said he is "proud of her".

Hayley Halpin
BBC News NI

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has congratulated Connolly on her "resounding election victory", something she called a "seismic moment in our history".

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“In electing Catherine as 10th Uachtarán na hÉireann, the people of Ireland have put a president in the park who will always act with courage and integrity and give a voice to the vulnerable; a president who will promote peace over conflict, fairness over injustice," Cairns says, in a statement.

"Like her predecessor, I know she will do our country proud both at home and on the world stage."

Connolly has “lit a spark and started a movement – we are determined to keep that flame burning", she adds.

Adam Mandeville
Live page reporter in Dublin

Image source, Reuters

In the weeks leading up to this election, many of the opinion polls suggested Catherine Connolly would win comfortably.

Earlier, her opponent, Heather Humphreys, conceded the election and congratulated Catherine on her victory.

However, what many people, from politicians, to advisers, to canvassers and supporters, have told me today is that the big story of this election is the number of spoiled votes.

This election has seen an unprecedented number of purposefully spoiled votes, with a significant number of people opting not to vote for any of the three candidates on the ballot.

In Munster, for instance, early indications suggest that about 15% of votes have been spoiled.

Gabija Gataveckaite
BBC News NI Dublin correspondent

Tallies from around the country indicate a landslide victory for Catherine Connolly.

Votes all over the country have now been sorted and are being counted.

Campaigners expect Connolly to be elected on the first count.

The Connolly campaign said they tallied about 706,000 votes so far. These show 64% support for Connolly; 29% support for Humphreys and Gavin at 7%.

Some tallies from around the country, as reported by RTÉ, show:

• In Cork North Central constituency, with 98% of the boxes tallied: Connolly is on 57%; Humphreys is on 22%; Gavin is on 6% and 15% of the votes were spoiled
• In Kerry, with 98% boxes tallied, Connolly is on 63%; Humphreys 29.5%; Gavin, 7.5% and about 13% of the votes cast in Kerry were spoiled
• In Waterford, with 70% of the boxes tallied and with spoiled votes excluded, Catherine Connolly is on 68%; Heather Humphreys 25% and Jim Gavin on 6.5%

Image source, Reuters

Some comfort may be for Humphreys in her own patch of Cavan-Monaghan, where she is set to top the poll.

With all 259 boxes, plus one postal vote box, now tallied, the picture at the Teagasc Agricultural College in Ballyhaise, County Cavan looks as follows:

• Humphreys is on 59% support; Connolly on 38%; Gavin on 3% and 11% spoiled votes.

Image source, RTÉ

Fine Gael's Heather Humphreys congratulates Catherine Connolly on "becoming the next president of Ireland".

"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," Humphreys says.

"I have absolutely not one regret."

She arrived at the Cavan-Monaghan count centre just after 13:30 local time.

Speaking upon arrival, she acknowledged the strong support she has received, according to tallies, in her home constituency.

She also spoke about the downsides of the campaign, including the "awful sectarian abuse" her family had received.

"As a country, I thought we'd moved on. If we're ever to have a united Ireland we have to respect all traditions."

Speaking about the high level of spoiled votes, Humphreys says it was "unfortunate".

"At the end of the day there were only two candidates, we expected to have more."

She says this is something "for the government" to look at in the future.

"What's next for me? I intend to go back and enjoy time with family. I've a seven-week-old grandson I haven't seen much of."

Heather Humphreys has arrived at the Cavan-Monaghan count centre.

Speaking as she arrived, Humphreys acknowledged the strong support she has received, according to tallies, in her home constituency.

Tallies in Cavan-Monaghan suggest Humphreys is certain to win her home constituency, according to RTÉ.

With 259 boxes and one postal vote box now tallied, the picture at the Teagasc Agricultural College in Ballyhaise, County Cavan is:

• Heather Humphreys: 59%
• Catherine Connolly: 38%
• Jim Gavin: 3%
• Spoiled Votes: 11%

"A political earthquake" is how the leader of Aontú is describing today's election results.

Peadar Tóibín says that many people in the Republic of Ireland are angry and that sentiment is demonstrated by the number of spoiled votes.

"The political system is breaking down. We need the government to recognise that there's a major problem now in Irish democracy."

Tóibín adds that it is an "indictment" of the Irish government that "so many people are disenfranchised with the political system".

Kevin Sharkey
BBC News NI

Voters in the Republic of Ireland are electing their 10th president.

The new president will replace the current head of state Michael D Higgins.

The election of Michael D Higgins came after more than three decades of service in national politics across the Dáil (the lower house of the Irish parliament) and Senate (the upper house of the Irish parliament).

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He spent much of his adult life engaged in social and human rights activism in Ireland and abroad.

His appointment as the country's first minister for arts, culture and the gaeltacht was credited with breathing new life into the arts sector and his department also established the Irish language TV channel Teilifís na Gaeilge, now TG4.

The gaeltacht is a region in Ireland where the Irish language is, or was until recently, the primary spoken language of the majority of the community.

In recent years, President Higgins has frequently commented publicly about a range of national issues, including the Republic of Ireland's housing crisis and the war in Gaza, prompting debate about the scope within the Irish constitution for the president to comment on such matters.

During many official visits at Áras an Uachtaráin (official residence of the president) over his two seven-year terms of office, he was accompanied by his pet Bernese Mountain dogs.

President Higgins is due to leave office at midnight on 10 November and his successor is expected to be inaugurated soon afterwards.

The leader of the Labour Party in the Republic of Ireland calls it a "really good day for the left".

Ivana Bacik adds that she thinks today's result is an example of how left-wing parties can work together in the next general election.

"This shows that an alternative vision is possible. I think all of us who have been involved in this campaign want to see this as not the end of something but the beginning of a momentum toward an end to the politics of the past."

Bacik also says she is concerned by the number of spoiled votes.

"What's alarming about the spoils is the level of vitriol directed at those of all political persuasions," she says.

Tallies are indicating a strong performance throughout Ireland for Catherine Connolly, most notably in County Donegal.

Speaking to RTÉ, Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty said he has "never seen an election where a candidate is polling just over 80% of the vote".

He says Catherine Connolly "captured the minds and hearts" of people in County Donegal and he was hopeful that she will be elected president.

Independent candidate Catherine Connolly looks set to become Ireland's 10th president, after early tallies indicate she has received an overwhelming level of support.

Fine Gael's General Secretary John Carroll has told RTÉ Radio the result was now "clear cut" and he congratulated Connolly on her victory.

Aontú's leader Peadar Tóibín says it is a "massive victory" for Connolly.

Hayley Halpin
BBC News NI

If you are just joining our coverage, here's a quick recap:

• Voters in the Republic of Ireland are electing the 10th Irish president, who will replace current head of state Michael D Higgins
• Counting began at 9:00 local time in Ireland this morning as ballot boxes were opened at 32 count centres, taking in the votes of 43 constituencies
• The main candidates on the ballot are Independent TD Catherine Connolly, who has been backed by Sinn Féin and other left wing parties, and Heather Humphreys, the Fine Gael candidate.
• Jim Gavin, who was chosen to represent Fianna Fáil, withdrew from the contest earlier this month over a rental dispute
• Tallies are currently showing a strong lead for Connolly, but the final result won't be announced until later at Dublin Castle
• Connolly told RTÉ that she was “absolutely delighted” with the early tallies
• There has been an unprecedented level of spoiled votes coming from ballot boxes across the country with many using their ballot papers to voice frustrations over issues including immigration

Adam Mandeville
Live page reporter in Dublin

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Heather Humphreys is the candidate for Fine Gael, who along with Fianna Fáil make up the coalition government in Dublin.

An experienced cabinet minister, she stood down from the Dáil in 2024 after 13 years.

She held posts as minister for arts, heritage and the gaeltacht (areas of Ireland where the Irish language is widely spoken).

Before serving as a councillor, she managed a Credit Union in County Cavan.

Humphreys was raised as a Presbyterian and her father was a member of the Orange Order - a Protestant organisation which opposes a united Ireland.

However, she describes herself as an Irish republican and cited her background as an advantage to appealing to unionists in any future referendum on Irish unity.

Adam Mandeville
Live page reporter in Dublin

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Catherine Connolly is an independent who is backed by the major left-wing parties – Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and the Greens.

She has represented Galway West in the lower house of the Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann, since 2016.

Connolly became the first ever woman elected to chair debates in the Dáil when she secured the post of Leas-Cheann Comhairle (deputy speaker) in 2020.

She has also worked as a barrister and clinical psychologist, and served as deputy speaker of the Dáil for four years.

She said she would "love to see a united Ireland" in her lifetime and, if elected president, she would make Northern Ireland the site of her first official visit.

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A tenant-landlord dispute rocked the Irish presidential election campaign earlier this month.

Jim Gavin, who was chosen to represent Fianna Fáil, the Republic of Ireland's biggest party in the country's coalition government, withdrew from the contest a day after a newspaper reported details of the rental dispute from 2009.

But his name remained on the ballot paper. This meant that if some people chose to vote for Mr Gavin, their votes will be counted.

Kevin Sharkey reports.

Adam Mandeville
Live page reporter at the RDS in Dublin

The commotion and frantic tallying of the early morning has died down here in the RDS, with a sense of limbo setting in.

It is clear that with most of the votes tallied, though not yet counted, Catherine Connolly has a comfortable lead in many of the Dublin constituencies.

Now, there are two questions.

Firstly, will this same trend be replicated in enough of the other 25 counties to secure victory for the Galway native?

Well, judging by the mood of supporters from both sides here at the centre, the answer will likely be a resounding yes.

The second question is how long will it be before we get a declaration?

Only time will tell.

Claire Brennan
BBC News NI at the RDS in Dublin

There has been an unprecedented level of spoiled votes coming from ballot boxes across the country.

Many voters have used the election to voice opinions over issues including immigration and the lack of choice within the field of candidates, like this voter in Dublin.

The high level of spoiled votes could slow down the final declaration as they have to be independently verified by the returning officer.

Catherine Connolly has "resonated" with voters, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.

"I think at the end she had something like 15,000 volunteers who were canvassing around the country for her," she says.

"She just had something for everybody."

She believes Heather Humphreys led a negative campaign.

"Heather Humphreys spent more time talking about Catherine than she did about her own vision," she adds.

Gabija Gataveckaite
BBC News NI Dublin correspondent

Catherine Connolly’s expected victory shows while voters may trust ruling parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to run the country, they want an alternative for their head of state.

Fine Gael will be left licking their wounds after what looks like a disappointing result.

Even in Fine Gael constituency heartlands, the Connolly vote was resounding.

Today’s result in the Irish presidential election shows a trend among voters in recent elections and referendums.

Ruling government parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael won majorities in last year’s general, local and European elections.

But the two parties were roundly rejected by the electorate in last year’s family and care referendum campaigns and again today in the Irish presidential election.

This suggests while voters vote with their pockets in general or local elections, when it comes to presidential elections and referendums, they vote with their values and what feel best represents them.

The biggest loser from today’s election is undoubtedly Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) and Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin.

Tallies showed Jim Gavin, who withdrew earlier this month, is polling poorly. A result of at least 12.5% would be of some comfort for Fianna Fail, who would then be in line to get some expenses from the failed campaign back.

Early tallies at the RDS in Dublin have shown a clear picture - Connolly is leading in many of the constituencies being counted here, while Humphreys is struggling so far.

There is also a sizeable number of spoiled votes on many of the tally charts I have seen.

One deflated Humphreys supporter told me the result "is what it is".