This is alist of by-electionstoDáil Éireann,the house of representatives of theOireachtas,the Irish legislature.By-electionsinIrelandoccur to fill vacant seats which can be caused by the death, resignation, disqualification or expulsion of a sittingTeachta Dála(member of parliament). Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, thewritfor the by-election must be issued within six months of the vacancy.[1]
There have been 138 by-elections since 1923, to fill 140 vacancies. 93 of these were caused by the death of a sitting Teachta Dála (TD). There were no by-elections during the3rd,7th,9th,11th,22nd,25thand26thDála.The longest period without a by-election was almost 10 years between 1984 and 1994. The largest number of by-elections on one day was on 11 March 1925, when seven constituencies filled nine vacancies caused by theNational Party's split fromCumann na nGaedheal.Those seven by-elections included two which filled two vacancies, via thesingle transferable vote.All the other by-elections have used its single-winner analogue, thealternative vote.
Twenty-five TDs who were elected at a by-election were not subsequently re-elected at a general election. The only person twice elected at by-elections wasThomas Hennessy.
First and Second Dáil
editTheFirst Dáilwas established bySinn Féinmembers returned in the1918 electionto theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom.Convention in the Commons was that thewritfor a by-election be moved by a party colleague of the vacating member, which was impossible for theabstentionistSinn Féin. There were three by-elections held for Westminster constituencies vacated by Unionist members during the lifetime of the First Dáil, all of whom took their seats in Westminster.
Winner | Party | Constituency | Date | Outgoing | Party | Reason for vacancy | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hugh T. Barrie | U | North Londonderry | 4 March 1919 | Hugh Anderson | U | Resignation | This was the only by-election contested by Sinn Féin,Patrick McGilliganlosing.[2] | ||
George Hanna | Ind U | East Antrim | 27 May 1919 | Robert McCalmont | U | Appointed commander of theIrish Guards | |||
William Jellett | U | Dublin University | 28 July 1919 | Arthur Samuels | U | Appointed to theHigh Court of Justice in Ireland |
TheSecond Dáilcomprised those returned in the1921 electionsto theHouse of Commons of Southern Irelandand theHouse of Commons of Northern Ireland.There were no by-elections to either body during the lifetime of the Second Dáil.
By-elections since 1923
editBy-elections in which seats changed parties are indicated with a grey background.
Vacancies not filled
editWhenPierce McCandied on 6 March 1919, hisEast Tipperaryseat was left vacant at Westminster. In April 1919 a Dáil committee considering how to fill the vacancy considered allowing nomination by theLabour Party(which had stood aside in the 1918 election to avoidsplittingthenationalistvote)[6]before recommending that the Sinn Féin constituency organisation should nominate.[7]However, in June 1919 the Dáil decided that "it was due to the memory of the late Pierce McCann that his place should not be filled at present".[8]Later vacancies were also left unfilled; whenDiarmuid Lynchresigned his seat in 1920,Arthur Griffithsaid "as the letter of resignation was addressed to the people ofSouth-East Cork,the next step in the matter lay with the South-East Cork Executive of Sinn Fein ".[9]Asked in theCivil Warabout fillingThird Dáilvacancies,W. T. CosgraveasChairman of the Provisional Governmentstated "the condition of the country scarcely warrants the holding of elections".[10]
In the first Dáil, four Sinn Féin TDs represented two constituencies: Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Eoin MacNeill and Liam Mellowes. Ordinarily, this would prompt them to choose one constituency to represent, and to move a writ for a by-election in the other constituency.
TDs who died after the dissolution of the Dáil
editOutgoing TDs who died after the dissolution of the Dáil but before the following election did not create a vacancy, as there was no Dáil in being at the time of their death.
Dáil | Constituency | Outgoing TD | Party | Date of dissolution | Date of death | Date of general election | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6th | Leitrim–Sligo | Patrick Reynolds[58] | Cumann na nGaedheal | 29 January 1932 | 14 February 1932 | 16 February 1932 | |
12th | Kilkenny | Eamonn Coogan[31] | Fine Gael | 12 January 1948 | 22 January 1948 | 4 February 1948 |
See also
editReferences
edit- Walker, Brian M., ed. (1992).Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92.Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.ISBN0-901714-96-8.ISSN0332-0286.
- "Dáil Éireann By Elections 1923-2013".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved28 September2019.
Notes
edit- ^Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, s. 2 (No. 14 of 2011, s. 2). Enacted on 25 July 2011. Act of theOireachtas.Retrieved fromIrish Statute Bookon 29 April 2021.
- ^Laffan, Michael (1999).The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923.Cambridge University Press. p. 309.ISBN9781139426299.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2021.Retrieved13 August2018.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 19 Sep 1923".Archivedfrom the original on 10 October 2019.Retrieved19 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 3 Oct 1923".Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2020.Retrieved19 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 12 Oct 1927".Archivedfrom the original on 28 August 2019.Retrieved19 September2019.
- ^Mitchell, Arthur (1995).Revolutionary Government in Ireland: Dáil Éireann, 1919-22.Gill & MacMillan. p. 24.ISBN9780717114818.
- ^"East Tipperary Vacancy".Dáil Éireann debate.Oireachtas. 17 June 1919.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2018.Retrieved18 August2018.
- ^"Report of Select Committee on East Tipperary Vacancy".Dáil Éireann debate.Oireachtas. 17 June 1919.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2018.Retrieved13 August2018.
- ^"Resignation Of Deputy For South-East Cork".Dáil Éireann debate.Oireachtas. 6 August 1920.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2018.Retrieved13 August2018.
- ^Cosgrave, W. T.(19 September 1922)."[Questions] Vacant seats in the Dáil – Dáil Éireann (3rd Dáil)".Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2020.Retrieved15 October2020.
- ^Sweetman, R. M. (28 January 1921)."Mr. Roger Sweetman's Position".The Irish Times.p. 4.Retrieved10 September2020.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Monday, 18 December 1922: Resignation of a Deputy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 1 November 2021.Retrieved1 November2021.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 25 January 1927: The Late Deputy Ledden".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 20 February 2022.Retrieved20 February2022.
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- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 9 March 1932: Death of Former Members of Dáil".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2019.Retrieved11 October2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 19 October 1932: Death of Deputy F. Carney".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2019.Retrieved28 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 23 November 1932: Death of Deputy Thomas A. Carney".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2019.Retrieved28 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 4 November 1936: Death of Deputy J.M. Burke".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2019.Retrieved28 September2019.
- ^"Attorney-General's Judicial Appointment – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 64 No. 1".Houses of the Oireachtas.4 November 1936.Archivedfrom the original on 10 April 2022.Retrieved10 April2022.
- ^"Deputy's Appointment to Judiciary – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 65 No. 1".Houses of the Oireachtas.3 February 1937.
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- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 21 February 1940: Death of a Deputy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 13 December 2021.Retrieved13 December2021.
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- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 14 April 1942: Death of Deputy T.P. Dowdall".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2019.Retrieved28 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 21 April 1942: Death of Deputy T. Kelly".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2019.Retrieved28 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 14 October 1942: Death of a Deputy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 15 April 2022.Retrieved3 November2021.
- ^ab"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 3 February 1943: Death of Two Deputies".Houses of the Oireachtas.Retrieved11 September2022.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 20 October 1943: Death of a Deputy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Retrieved12 October2022.
- ^abc"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 18 February 1948: Deceased Deputies".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2019.Retrieved5 November2019.
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- ^"Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (15th Dáil) – Vol. 160 No. 9".Houses of the Oireachtas.21 November 1956.Retrieved2 January2023.
- ^"Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (16th Dáil) – Vol. 188 No. 1".Houses of the Oireachtas.20 April 1961.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2019.Retrieved27 August2022.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 20 April 1961: Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2019.Retrieved29 October2019.
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- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 4 February 1969: Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 19 February 2022.Retrieved19 February2022.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 25 October 1972: Death of Member: Expression of Sympathy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 4 November 2019.Retrieved24 November2019.
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- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 20 October 1981: Expressions of Sympathy".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 26 September 2019.Retrieved26 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Wednesday, 21 October 1981: Issue of Writ: Motion".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 17 August 2019.Retrieved26 September2019.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 26 January 1982: Issue of Writ: Cavan-Monaghan By-Election".Houses of the Oireachtas.Archivedfrom the original on 26 September 2019.Retrieved26 September2019.
- ^"Death of Member. - Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (23rd Dáil)".Houses of the Oireachtas.16 June 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2020.Retrieved16 June2022.
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- ^"Election Candidate Shot Dead".The Irish Times.15 February 1932. p. 9.