1932 Irish general election

1932 Irish general election

16 February 1932
153 seats in Dáil Éireann 77 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	76.5% 7.5pp
First party Second party   Leader Éamon de Valera W. T. Cosgrave Party Fianna Fáil Cumann na nGaedheal Leader since 26 March 1926 April 1923 Leader's seat Clare Cork Borough Last election 57 seats, 35.2% 61 seats, 38.6% Seats before 57 65 Seats won 72 57 Seat change 15 8 Popular vote 566,498 449,506 Percentage 44.5% 35.2% Swing 9.3% 3.4%   Third party Fourth party   Farmers' Leader Thomas O'Connell Party Labour Farmers' Party Leader since 1927 Leader's seat Mayo South (defeated) Last election 13 seats, 9.1% 6 seats, 6.4% Seats before 12 6 Seats won 7 3 Seat change 5 3 Popular vote 98,286 22,899 Percentage 7.7% 1.8% Swing 1.4% 4.6%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the three biggest parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents.
President of the Executive Council before election W. T. Cosgrave Cumann na nGaedheal Elected President of the Executive Council Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil

The 1932 Irish general election was held on Tuesday, 16 February, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 29 January. It was the first election held in the Irish Free State since the Statute of Westminster a year earlier removed the United Kingdom parliament's authority to legislate for the Dominions, including the Irish Free State.

The general election took place in 30 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Irish Free State for 153 seats in Dáil Éireann. The 7th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 9 March 1932 and the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of the Irish Free State were appointed by Governor-General James McNeill on the nomination of the Dáil.

The 1932 general election resulted in the first change of government in the Irish Free State. Cumann na nGaedheal, which had been the governing party since 1922, was defeated by Fianna Fáil, which became the largest party in the chamber and formed a government with the support of the Labour Party. Fianna Fáil would be the largest party in Dáil Éireann at every general election thereafter until 2011.

Campaign

The election campaign between the two ideologically opposed parties was reasonably peaceful. However, during the campaign the government prosecuted de Valera's newly established newspaper, The Irish Press. The editor was also brought before a military tribunal. This was seen by many as a major blunder and a serious infringement on the belief of freedom of speech. The "red scare" tactics also seemed to backfire on the government.

Two days before the election, Patrick Reynolds, a Cumann na nGaedheal TD was assassinated in Ballinamore. A garda detective was murdered in the same incident. The poll in Leitrim–Sligo was postponed and Reynolds' widow Mary was elected.

Cumann na nGaedheal

Posters used by Cumann na nGaedheal during the election

Cumann na nGaedheal fought the general election on its record of providing ten years of stable government. The party claimed to have brought stability following the chaos of the Irish Civil War and to have provided honest government. However, by 1932 this provision of solid government was wearing thin, particularly since the party had no solution to the collapse in trade which followed the depression of the early 1930s. Instead of offering new policies, the party believed that its record in government would be enough to retain power. Cumann na nGaedheal also played the "red scare" tactic, describing Fianna Fáil as communists and likening Éamon de Valera to Joseph Stalin.

Fianna Fáil

In comparison to Cumann na nGaedheal, Fianna Fáil had an elaborate election programme, designed to appeal to a wide section of the electorate. It played down its republicanism to avoid alarm, but provided very popular social and economic policies. The party promised to free IRA prisoners, abolish the Oath of allegiance and reduce the powers of the Governor-General and the Senate. It also promised the introduction of protectionist policies, industrial development, self-sufficiency and improvements in housing and social security benefits.

Result

Election to the 7th Dáil – 16 February 1932
Party		Leader	Seats	±	% of seats	First pref. votes	% FPv	±%
	Fianna Fáil	Éamon de Valera	72	+15	47.1	566,498	44.5	+9.3
	Cumann na nGaedheal	W. T. Cosgrave	57	−4	37.3	449,506	35.3	−3.4
	Labour	Thomas J. O'Connell	7	−6	4.6	98,286	7.7	−1.4
	Farmers' Party		3	−3	1.9	22,899	1.8	−4.6
	Irish Worker League	James Larkin	0	0	0	3,860	0.3	–0.8
	Revolutionary Workers' Groups		0	New	0	1,087	0.1	–
	Independent politicians in Ireland	N/A	14	+2	9.1	131,890	10.4	+2.5
Spoilt votes						20,804	—	—
Total			153	0	100	1,294,830	100	—
Electorate/Turnout						1,695,175	76.5%	—

Voting summary

First preference vote Fianna Fáil   44.47% Cumann na nGaedheal   35.28% Labour   7.71% Farmers'   1.80% Others   0.40% Independent   10.35%

Seats summary

Dáil seats Fianna Fáil   47.06% Cumann na nGaedheal   37.25% Labour   7.71% Farmers'   1.96% Others   0.40% Independent   9.15%

Government formation

Fianna Fáil was five seats short of an overall majority, but it still looked like the only party capable of forming a government. Discussions got underway immediately after the election and an agreement was reached in which the Labour Party would support Fianna Fáil. The party now had the necessary votes to form a minority government. After the results were announced, newly elected Fianna Fáil TD Seán Moylan proclaimed that the election was a victory of "the owners of the donkey and cart over the pony and trap class".

On 9 March 1932 the first change of government in the Irish Free State took place. Many in the country and abroad wondered if the true test of democracy would be passed, whether it would be possible for the men who won a civil war only ten years before to hand over power to their opponents. Similar to when the party first entered the Dáil in 1927, a number of Fianna Fáil TDs had guns in their pockets. However, the feared coup d'état did not take place. W. T. Cosgrave was determined to adhere to the principles of democracy that he had practised while in government. Likewise, the army, Garda Síochána and the civil service all accepted the change of government, despite the fact that they would now be taking orders from men who had been their enemies less than ten years previously. After a brief and uneventful meeting in the Dáil chamber, Éamon de Valera was appointed President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State by the Governor-General, James McNeill, who had come to Leinster House to make the appointment rather than require de Valera travel to the Viceregal Lodge, formerly a symbol of British rule. He formed the 6th Executive Council of the Irish Free State. Fianna Fáil, a party led by many of the men most closely identified with opposing the existence of the state ten years earlier, were now the party of government. The 1932 general election was the beginning of a sixteen-year period in government for Fianna Fáil.

Membership changes

First time TDs

• Brian Brady
• Gerald Bartley
• William Broderick
• William Browne
• Patrick Burke
• Thomas Dowdall
• Francis Gormley
• James Kelly
• Raphael Keyes
• John Kiersey
• Conor Maguire
• Sydney Minch
• Edward Moane
• Patrick Murphy
• Fred McDonogh
• Eugene O'Brien
• Patrick O'Hara
• James Reidy
• Robert Ryan

Outgoing TDs

• William Aird (Deceased)
• Edmond Carey (Lost seat)
• Michael Connolly (Lost seat)
• Peter de Loughry (Retired)
• William Kent (Lost seat)
• Michael Óg McFadden (Lost seat)
• Arthur Matthews (Lost seat)
• Thomas Mullins (Retired)
• Martin McDonogh (Lost seat)
• Thomas J. O'Connell (Lost seat)
• Patrick O'Dowd (Lost seat)