Main Points

First televised debate of the presidential campaign takes place on Virgin Media at 10pm.

It features just three candidates – Independent Catherine Connolly, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys and Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin.

Today Humphreys and Gavin were canvassing in Dublin while it is understood that Connolly was focusing on her debate preparation.

Further presidential debates are planned on Prime Time and The Week in Politics.

The election takes place on Friday, October 24th, with counting beginning the following day.

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The debate was not helped by the fact that the candidates chose mainly not to engage with each other, or lock horns, with a few exceptions. There was the contradiction of a confrontational forum involving three candidates trying not to sound confrontational as that will be interpreted as not being presidential. A very delicate balancing act and one that does not lend itself to robust debate.

Gavan Reilly, political editor of VMTV, has been picking up reaction to the debate from the candidates as they emerge from studio.

Heather Humphreys our next. Denies claiming that the Occupied Territories Bill would make no difference in the Middle East, but rather that the more important thing is peace #tonightvmtv pic.twitter.com/TrVs9cVVoG — Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) September 29, 2025

Jim Gavin once again being drawn into discussion on whether he should have been aware of the intolerance to women in the Defence Forces during their time in the force #tonightvmtv pic.twitter.com/tI8po7mWX6 — Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) September 29, 2025

Reporters watch the presidential debate from the Virgin boardroom in Ballymount Dublin. Photo: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times

So on social media, the supporters of all three are claiming victory and picking out faux pas, or comments made by their opponents that do not show them in a good light.

Kieran Cuddihy was direct and competent throughout. A live televised political debate is by its nature a confrontational forum. The inherent contraction in a presidential debate is that all try to come across as non-confrontational because it may give the impression that they are not presidential. That does not lend itself to the most exciting television.

Post debate reaction

Catherine Connolly first of the departures. Standing by her remarks on German rearmament and, questioned, refuses to apologies for drawing parallels with the Nazi era. #tonightvmtv pic.twitter.com/ASpNWYg0tv — Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) September 29, 2025

Closing Remarks

Gavin says he will be a unifying force, Humphreys says, “I love this country” and Connolly says she will represent this country with pride, courage and integrity.

Who has gained the most? Connolly gave the most assured performance (which was expected) but she will not be everybody’s cup of lemon tea. She positioned herself very much to the left and the phrases that will be remembered will be “industrial military complex” and “neoliberal” ideology.

Humphreys was low-key throughout and tried to sound measured and did not raise the decibel level to what we might have expected of her when she was on her feet in the Dáil.

Gavin was the most urgent of the three but as a person who is non political – and has clearly no huge experience of fast-moving debates – he struggled to assert himself at times or to fully make the points he wanted to make.

Unlike the three-way debate between Simon Harris, Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald, there was no ganging up or team-tagging. In the round, the debate never really elevated above the pedestrian.

Connolly was the most persuasive and fluent but the debate reinforced that her attraction as a candidate will be to those with left-wing views and she may struggle to attract less ideological supporters.

As of now, as has been, the election looks like it will come down to how heavily the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael candidates transfer to each other on October 24th.

Is Catherine a Sinn Féin candidate?

Connolly refers to Article 3, hardly a siren call for a united Ireland now. Cuddihy asks her is her view the same as her fellow presidential candidates.

“I would hope there is a united Ireland within my term of President,” she says.

Heather Humphreys says she is “proud Ulster woman and I’m a proud republican in the say as the United Irishmen of 1798 and Henry John McCracken..