2005 Kildare North by-election
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 25,524 (39.2%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.png) Kildare North shown within Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann Kildare North constituency in Ireland on Friday, 11 March 2005. It followed the resignation of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) Charlie McCreevy on 31 October 2004 to take up his new position as Ireland's European Commissioner.
On 15 February 2005 the campaign began in earnest when it was announced that polling would take place on 11 March. Eight candidates contested the vacant seat, with victory going to the Independent candidate, Catherine Murphy.[1] Her 23.6% share of the first-preference vote was the lowest recorded at any by-election since Patrick Kinane won the Tipperary by-election in October 1947 with a 21.4% share.[2]
As a result of her election, Kildare North was the only constituency in the Republic of Ireland that did not have a TD from one of the government parties of Fianna Fáil or the Progressive Democrats. Murphy also went into the record books as County Kildare's first ever female member of Dáil Éireann.
On the same day, a by-election took place in Meath, both were the final occasions which the Progressive Democrats contested by-elections.
Result
| Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| Fianna Fáil | Áine Brady | 24.5 | 6,201 | 6,255 | 7,265 | 8,133 | 9,818 | |
| Independent | Catherine Murphy | 23.6 | 5,985 | 6,189 | 7,176 | 8,809 | 12,256 | |
| Fine Gael | Darren Scully | 18.3 | 4,630 | 4,660 | 5,382 | 7,421 | ||
| Labour | Paddy MacNamara | 17.8 | 4,507 | 4,545 | 5,199 | |||
| Progressive Democrats | Kate Walsh | 7.9 | 2,006 | 2,023 | ||||
| Green | J. J. Power | 6.1 | 1,547 | 1,621 | ||||
| Independent | Gerry Browne | 0.9 | 226 | |||||
| Independent | Seanán Ó Coistín | 0.8 | 211 | |||||
| Electorate: 65,080 Valid: 25,313 Spoilt: 211 (0.8%) Quota: 12,657 Turnout: 25,524 (39.2%) | ||||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b "Kildare North By Election: 11 March 2005". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- ^ "Tipperary By Election: 29 October 1947". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 25 November 2008.