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The newly inaugurated president has vowed to transform Ireland into a “republic worthy of its name” by championing inclusion, the Gaelic tongue, and the legacy of decolonisation.

In her inauguration address, the president presented a leftwing alternative diverging from the centre-right orthodoxy.

“Many assumed that it was an impossible step, that our ideas were too radical – contrary to the prevailing narrative,” she remarked, pointing to her landslide victory.

“In shared conversations, however, it became clear that the dominant narrative did not represent people’s hopes and fears. Time and time again, people spoke of how it tended to suppress, to other, to categorise, to exclude and to hinder independent thought.”

On a ceremonial occasion at the historic venue, the 68-year-old former barrister declared that as Ireland’s 10th president, she would ensure “all voices” were heard and would advance climate action, acceptance, and a resurgence of Irish culture.

“The people have spoken and have given their president a powerful mandate to voice shared aspirations for a renewed nation, a republic worthy of its name where each person matters and diversity is cherished, where eco-friendly policies are swiftly enacted, and where a home is a fundamental human right.”

Connolly’s election shocked the political establishment. The independent leftwing legislator brought together progressive factions, mobilised the youth, and defeated the ruling party’s candidate by winning 64% of the vote.

Though the role is primarily symbolic, the outgoing president had stretched the constraints, turning it into a voice for causes—a tradition Connolly is expected to continue.

In a ballroom packed with government figures, ambassadors, and other dignitaries, Connolly expressed regret over “the acceptance of conflict and atrocities.”

Commending Ireland’s neutrality—a potential source of friction with the government—she said: “Our experience of colonisation and resistance of a catastrophic man-made famine gives us a deep empathy of dispossession, hunger, and conflict and a mandate for Ireland to lead.”

Connolly also hailed the Good Friday agreement and referenced constitutional provisions that supports national unity with consent. One political party declined to send a representative but said no snub was intended.

Speaking in Gaelic, Connolly reaffirmed a pledge to prioritise the language in the official home. “Irish will not be spoken in a low voice in the residence, it will have first place as a working language.”

No nation can express its desires if the indigenous tongue spoken by ancestors was extinguished, she commented. “It has been relegated without sufficient respect or recognition. The national spirit were dampened when they were made to stop using their mother tongue. It’s a language that conveys emotion and sentiment with every word.”

A artillery tribute was sounded as the new president received the seal of office.