Former Fine Gael minister and Cavan-Monaghan TD Heather Humphreys has detailed the "toxic, targeted sectarian abuse" she and her family experienced during the 2025 Irish presidential election campaign, questioning whether modern Ireland maintains a "hierarchy of Irishness."

Writing in an article published on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Humphreys stated that a minority attempted to "weaponise" her identity and Presbyterian background during her presidential bid. She noted that malicious online smears and unverified videos generated tens of thousands of views, falsely depicting her tradition as "inherently un-Irish or incompatible with modern civic life."

Humphreys, who lost the presidential race to Catherine Connolly, was raised on a rural farm in Drum near the Cavan-Monaghan border and has previously spoken about attending Orange Order parades as a child before stopping when the Troubles broke out. In her public statement, she expressed deep concern over the signal sent to Protestant, unionist, and loyalist communities across the island when a candidate's commitment to the Republic is questioned based on her heritage.

The sectarian abuse directed at Humphreys during the campaign drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. Fine Gael leader and Tánaiste Simon Harris previously described the online attacks as a profound wake-up call regarding the work required to build a genuinely inclusive society.