List of Dáil by-elections
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This is a list of all by-elections (Irish: fothoghcháin) to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament (Oireachtas) since 1923. By-elections in Ireland occur to fill vacant seats which can be caused by the death, resignation or expulsion of a sitting Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament).
There have been 130 by-elections since 1923, to fill 132 vacancies. 92 of these were caused by the death of a sitting Teachta Dála (TD). There have been six by-elections during the lifetime of the 31st Dáil. There were no by-elections during the 1st,[n 1] 2nd,[n 1] 3rd, 7th, 9th, 11th, 22nd, 25th and 26th Dála. 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 the National Party's split from Cumann na nGaedheal. Those seven by-elections included two which filled two vacancies, via the single transferable vote. All the other by-elections have used its single-winner analogue, the alternative vote.
There have been 22 TDs who were first elected at a by-election and never subsequently re-elected at a general election. The only person twice elected at by-elections was Thomas Hennessy.
List
- Note: The entries for by-elections in which seats changed hands are shown in italics
{{{house}}} | Constituency | Vacancy | By-election | ||||||
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Outgoing | Party | Cause | Date | Winner | Party
| ||||
Dublin South | Michael Hayes | CnaG | Hayes was elected in two constituencies and opted to represent the NUI[1] | 27 October 1923 | Hugh Kennedy[n 2] | CnaG | |||
NUI | Eoin MacNeill | CnaG | MacNeill was elected in two constituencies and opted to represent Clare.[2] | 3 November 1923 | Patrick McGilligan | CnaG | |||
Dublin South | Philip Cosgrave | CnaG | Death of Philip Cosgrave | 12 March 1924 | James O'Mara[n 2] | CnaG | |||
Dublin County | Michael Derham | CnaG | Death of Michael Derham | 19 March 1924 | Batt O'Connor | CnaG | |||
Limerick | Richard Hayes | CnaG | Resignation of Richard Hayes | 28 May 1924 | Richard O'Connell | CnaG | |||
Cork East | Thomas O'Mahony | CnaG | Death of Thomas O'Mahony | 18 November 1924 | Michael Noonan[n 2] | CnaG | |||
Dublin South | Hugh Kennedy | CnaG | Appointment of Hugh Kennedy as Chief Justice | 18 November 1924 | Seán Lemass | Rep | |||
Mayo North | Henry Coyle | CnaG | Disqualification of Henry Coyle | 18 November 1924 | John Madden | Rep | |||
Cork Borough | Alfred O'Rahilly | CnaG | Resignation of Alfred O'Rahilly | 19 November 1924 | Michael Egan | CnaG | |||
Donegal | Peter J. Ward | CnaG | Resignation of Peter J. Ward | 20 November 1924 | Denis McCullough[n 2] | CnaG | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | Seán Gibbons | CnaG | Resignation of Seán Gibbons | 11 March 1925 | Thomas Bolger[n 2] | CnaG | |||
Cavan | Seán Milroy | CnaG | Resignation of Seán Milroy | 11 March 1925 | John Joe O'Reilly | CnaG | |||
Dublin North[n 3] | Francis Cahill | CnaG | Resignation of Francis Cahill on 30 October 1924 | 11 March 1925 | Patrick Leonard | CnaG | |||
Dublin North[n 3] | Seán McGarry | CnaG | Resignation of Seán McGarry on 30 October 1924 | 11 March 1925 | Oscar Traynor | Rep | |||
Dublin South | Daniel McCarthy | CnaG | Resignation of Daniel McCarthy | 11 March 1925 | Thomas Hennessy | CnaG | |||
Leitrim–Sligo[n 3] | Thomas Carter | CnaG | Resignation of Thomas Carter on 30 October 1924 | 11 March 1925 | Samuel Holt | Rep | |||
Leitrim–Sligo[n 3] | Alexander McCabe | CnaG | Resignation of Alexander McCabe | 11 March 1925 | Martin Roddy | CnaG | |||
Mayo North | Joseph McGrath | CnaG | Resignation of Joseph McGrath on 29 October 1924 | 11 March 1925 | Michael Tierney | CnaG | |||
Roscommon | Henry Finlay | CnaG | Resignation of Henry Finlay | 11 March 1925 | Martin Conlon | CnaG | |||
Dublin County | Darrell Figgis | Ind | Death of Darrell Figgis | 18 February 1926 | William Norton | Lab | |||
Leix–Offaly | Seán McGuinness | Rep | Disqualification of Seán McGuinness | 18 February 1926 | James Dwyer | CnaG
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Dublin County | Kevin O'Higgins | CnaG | Assassination of Kevin O'Higgins | 24 August 1927 | Gearóid O'Sullivan | CnaG | |||
Dublin South | Constance Markievicz | FF | Death of Constance Markievicz | 24 August 1927 | Thomas Hennessy | CnaG
| |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | W. T. Cosgrave | CnaG | Cosgrave was elected in two constituencies and opted to represent Cork Borough[3] | 3 November 1927 | Denis Gorey | CnaG | |||
Dublin North | James Larkin | IWL | Disqualification of James Larkin due to bankruptcy | 3 April 1928 | Vincent Rice | CnaG | |||
Dublin North | Alfie Byrne | Ind | Election of Alfie Byrne to Seanad Éireann | 14 March 1929 | Thomas F. O'Higgins | CnaG | |||
Leitrim–Sligo | Samuel Holt | FF | Death of Samuel Holt | 7 June 1929 | Seán Mac Eoin | CnaG | |||
Longford–Westmeath | James Killane | FF | Death of James Killane | 13 June 1930 | James Geoghegan | FF | |||
Dublin County | Bryan Cooper | CnaG | Death of Bryan Cooper | 9 December 1930 | Thomas Finlay | CnaG | |||
Kildare | Hugh Colohan | Lab | Death of Hugh Colohan | 29 June 1931 | Thomas Harris | FF
| |||
University of Dublin | James Craig | Ind | Death of James Craig | 13 October 1933 | Robert Rowlette[n 2] | Ind | |||
Dublin County | Batt O'Connor | FG | Death of Batt O'Connor | 17 June 1935 | Cecil Lavery | FG | |||
Galway | Martin McDonogh | FG | Death of Martin McDonogh | 19 June 1935 | Eamon Corbett | FF | |||
Galway | Patrick Hogan | FG | Death of Patrick Hogan | 13 August 1936 | Martin Neilan[n 2] | FF | |||
Wexford | Osmond Esmonde | FG | Death of Osmond Esmonde | 17 August 1936 | Denis Allen | FF
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Dublin South | James Beckett | FG | Death of James Beckett | 6 June 1939 | John McCann | FF | |||
Galway West | Seán Tubridy | FF | Death of Seán Tubridy | 30 May 1940 | John J. Keane[n 2] | FF
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Kerry South | Fionán Lynch | FG | Appointment of Fionán Lynch as a Judge | 10 November 1944 | Donal O'Donoghue[n 2] | FF | |||
Clare | Patrick Burke | FG | Death of Patrick Burke | 4 December 1945 | Patrick Shanahan[n 2] | FF | |||
Dublin North–West | Seán T. O'Kelly | FF | Election of Seán T. O'Kelly as President | 4 December 1945 | Vivion de Valera | FF | |||
Kerry South | Frederick Crowley | FF | Death of Frederick Crowley | 4 December 1945 | Honor Crowley | FF | |||
Mayo South | Micheál Clery | FF | Appointment of Micheál Clery as County Registrar of Dublin | 4 December 1945 | Bernard Commons | CnaT | |||
Wexford | Richard Corish | Lab | Death of Richard Corish | 4 December 1945 | Brendan Corish | Lab | |||
Cork Borough | William Dwyer | Ind | Resignation of William Dwyer | 14 June 1946 | Patrick McGrath | FF | |||
Dublin County | Patrick Fogarty | FF | Death of Patrick Fogarty | 29 October 1947 | Seán MacBride | CnaP | |||
Tipperary | William O'Donnell | CnaT | Death of William O'Donnell | 29 October 1947 | Patrick Kinane | CnaP | |||
Waterford | Michael Morrissey | FF | Death of Michael Morrissey | 29 October 1947 | John Ormonde | FF
| |||
Donegal East | Neal Blaney | FF | Death of Neal Blaney | 7 December 1948 | Neil Blaney | FF | |||
Cork West | Timothy J. Murphy | Lab | Death of Timothy J. Murphy | 15 June 1949 | William J. Murphy[n 2] | Lab | |||
Donegal West | Brian Brady | FF | Death of Brian Brady | 16 November 1949 | Patrick O'Donnell | FG
| |||
Limerick East | Daniel Bourke | FF | Death of Daniel Bourke | 26 June 1952 | John Carew | FG | |||
Mayo North | P. J. Ruttledge | FF | Death of P. J. Ruttledge | 26 June 1952 | Phelim Calleary | FF | |||
Waterford | Bridget Redmond | FG | Death of Bridget Redmond | 26 June 1952 | William Kenneally | FF | |||
Dublin North–West | Alfred P. Byrne | Ind | Death of Alfred P. Byrne | 12 November 1952 | Thomas Byrne | Ind | |||
Cork East | Seán Keane | Lab | Death of Seán Keane | 18 June 1953 | Richard Barry | FG | |||
Wicklow | Thomas Brennan | FF | Death of Thomas Brennan | 18 June 1953 | Mark Deering | FG | |||
Galway South | Frank Fahy | FF | Death of Frank Fahy | 21 August 1953 | Robert Lahiffe | FF | |||
Cork Borough | Thomas F. O'Higgins | FG | Death of Thomas F. O'Higgins | 3 March 1954 | Stephen Barrett | FG | |||
Louth | James Coburn | FG | Death of James Coburn | 3 March 1954 | George Coburn | FG
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Limerick West | David Madden | FG | Death of David Madden | 13 December 1955 | Michael Colbert | FF | |||
Kerry North | Johnny Connor | CnaP | Death of Johnny Connor | 29 February 1956 | Kathleen O'Connor[n 2] | CnaP | |||
Dublin North–East | Alfie Byrne | Ind | Death of Alfie Byrne | 30 April 1956 | Patrick Byrne | Ind | |||
Leix–Offaly | William Davin | Lab | Death of William Davin | 30 April 1956 | Kieran Egan | FF | |||
Cork Borough | Patrick McGrath | FF | Death of Patrick McGrath | 2 August 1956 | John Galvin | FF | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | Thomas Walsh | FF | Death of Thomas Walsh | 14 November 1956 | Martin Medlar | FF | |||
Dublin South–West | Peadar Doyle | FG | Death of Peadar Doyle | 14 November 1956 | Noel Lemass, Jnr | FF
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Dublin North–Central | Colm Gallagher | FF | Death of Colm Gallagher | 14 November 1957 | Frank Sherwin | Ind | |||
Galway South | Patrick Beegan | FF | Death of Patrick Beegan | 30 May 1958 | Anthony Millar | FF | |||
Dublin South–Central | Jack Murphy | Ind | Resignation of Jack Murphy | 25 June 1958 | Patrick Cummins | FF | |||
Clare | Éamon de Valera | FF | Election of Éamon de Valera as President | 22 July 1959 | Seán Ó Ceallaigh | FF | |||
Dublin South–West | Bernard Butler | FF | Death of Bernard Butler | 22 July 1959 | Richie Ryan | FG | |||
Meath | James Griffin | FF | Death of James Griffin | 22 July 1959 | Henry Johnston[n 2] | FF | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | Joseph Hughes | FG | Death of Joseph Hughes | 23 June 1960 | Patrick Teehan[n 2] | FF | |||
Sligo–Leitrim | Stephen Flynn | FF | Death of Stephen Flynn | 1 March 1961 | Joseph McLoughlin | FG
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Dublin North–East | Jack Belton | FG | Death of Jack Belton | 30 May 1963 | Paddy Belton | FG | |||
Cork Borough | John Galvin | FF | Death of John Galvin | 19 February 1964 | Sheila Galvin[n 2] | FF | |||
Kildare | William Norton | Lab | Death of William Norton | 19 February 1964 | Terence Boylan | FF | |||
Roscommon | James Burke | FG | Death of James Burke | 8 July 1964 | Joan Burke | FG | |||
Galway East | Michael Donnellan | CnaT | Death of Michael Donnellan | 3 December 1964 | John Donnellan | FG | |||
Cork Mid | Dan Desmond | Lab | Death of Dan Desmond | 10 March 1965 | Eileen Desmond | Lab
| |||
Kerry South | Honor Crowley | FF | Death of Honor Crowley | 7 December 1966 | John O'Leary | FF | |||
Waterford | Thaddeus Lynch | FG | Death of Thaddeus Lynch | 7 December 1966 | Fad Browne | FF | |||
Cork Borough | Seán Casey | Lab | Death of Seán Casey | 9 November 1967 | Seán French | FF | |||
Limerick West | James Collins | FF | Death of James Collins | 9 November 1967 | Gerry Collins | FF | |||
Clare | William Murphy | FG | Death of William Murphy | 14 March 1968 | Sylvester Barrett | FF | |||
Wicklow | James Everett | Lab | Death of James Everett | 14 March 1968 | Godfrey Timmins | FG | |||
Limerick East | Donogh O'Malley | FF | Death of Donogh O'Malley | 22 May 1968 | Desmond O'Malley | FF
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Dublin South–West | Seán Dunne | Lab | Death of Seán Dunne | 4 March 1970 | Seán Sherwin[n 2] | FF | |||
Kildare | Gerard Sweetman | FG | Death of Gerard Sweetman | 14 April 1970 | Patrick Malone | FG | |||
Longford–Westmeath | Patrick Lenihan | FF | Death of Patrick Lenihan | 14 April 1970 | Patrick Cooney | FG | |||
Donegal–Leitrim | Patrick O'Donnell | FG | Death of Patrick O'Donnell | 2 December 1970 | Patrick Delap[n 2] | FF | |||
Dublin County South | Kevin Boland | FF | Resignation of Kevin Boland | 2 December 1970 | Larry McMahon | FG | |||
Cork Mid | Paddy Forde | FF | Death of Paddy Forde | 2 August 1972 | Gene Fitzgerald | FF
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Monaghan | Erskine H. Childers | FF | Election of Erskine H. Childers as President | 27 November 1973 | Brendan Toal[n 2] | FG | |||
Cork North–East | Liam Ahern | FF | Death of Liam Ahern | 13 November 1974 | Seán Brosnan | FF | |||
Galway North–East | Michael F. Kitt | FF | Death of Michael F. Kitt | 4 March 1975 | Michael P. Kitt | FF | |||
Galway West | Johnny Geoghegan | FF | Death of Johnny Geoghegan | 4 March 1975 | Máire Geoghegan-Quinn | FF | |||
Mayo West | Henry Kenny | FG | Death of Henry Kenny | 12 November 1975 | Enda Kenny | FG | |||
Donegal North–East | Liam Cunningham | FF | Death of Liam Cunningham | 10 June 1976 | Paddy Keaveney[n 2] | IFF | |||
Dublin South–West | Noel Lemass, Jnr | FF | Death of Noel Lemass, Jnr | 10 June 1976 | Brendan Halligan[n 2] | Lab
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Cork City | Patrick Kerrigan | Lab | Death of Patrick Kerrigan | 7 November 1979 | Liam Burke | FG | |||
Cork North–East | Seán Brosnan | FF | Death of Seán Brosnan | 7 November 1979 | Myra Barry | FG | |||
Donegal | Joseph Brennan | FF | Death of Joseph Brennan | 6 November 1980 | Clement Coughlan | FF
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Dublin West | Richard Burke | FG | Resignation of Burke on appointment as EU Commissioner | 25 May 1982 | Liam Skelly | FG | |||
Galway East | Johnny Callanan | FF | Death of Johnny Callanan | 20 July 1982 | Noel Treacy | FF
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Donegal South–West | Clement Coughlan | FF | Death of Clement Coughlan | 13 May 1983 | Cathal Coughlan[n 2] | FF | |||
Dublin Central | George Colley | FF | Death of George Colley | 23 November 1983 | Tom Leonard | FF | |||
Laois–Offaly | Bernard Cowen | FF | Death of Bernard Cowen | 14 June 1984 | Brian Cowen | FF
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Dublin South–Central | John O'Connell | FF | Resignation of John O'Connell | 9 June 1994 | Eric Byrne | DL | |||
Mayo West | Pádraig Flynn | FF | Resignation of Pádraig Flynn on appointment as EU Commissioner | 9 June 1994 | Michael Ring | FG | |||
Cork North–Central | Gerry O'Sullivan | Lab | Death of Gerry O'Sullivan | 10 November 1994 | Kathleen Lynch | DL | |||
Cork South–Central | Pat Cox | PDs | Resignation of Pat Cox after election as MEP | 10 November 1994 | Hugh Coveney | FG | |||
Wicklow | Johnny Fox | Ind | Death of Johnny Fox | 29 June 1995 | Mildred Fox | Ind | |||
Donegal North–East | Neil Blaney | IFF | Death of Neil Blaney | 2 April 1996 | Cecilia Keaveney | FF | |||
Dublin West | Brian Lenihan, Snr | FF | Death of Brian Lenihan, Snr | 2 April 1996 | Brian Lenihan, Jnr | FF
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Limerick East | Jim Kemmy | Lab | Death of Jim Kemmy | 11 March 1998 | Jan O'Sullivan | Lab | |||
Dublin North | Ray Burke | FF | Resignation of Ray Burke | 11 March 1998 | Seán Ryan | Lab | |||
Cork South–Central | Hugh Coveney | FG | Death of Hugh Coveney | 23 October 1998 | Simon Coveney | FG | |||
Dublin South–Central | Pat Upton | Lab | Death of Pat Upton | 27 October 1999 | Mary Upton | Lab | |||
Tipperary South | Michael Ferris | Lab | Death of Michael Ferris | 22 June 2000 | Séamus Healy | Ind | |||
Tipperary South | Theresa Ahearn | FG | Death of Theresa Ahearn | 30 June 2001 | Tom Hayes | FG
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Kildare North | Charlie McCreevy | FF | Resignation of Charlie McCreevy on appointment as EU Commissioner | 11 March 2005 | Catherine Murphy | Ind | |||
Meath | John Bruton | FG | Resignation of John Bruton on appointment as EU Ambassador to the United States | 11 March 2005 | Shane McEntee | FG
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Dublin South | Séamus Brennan | FF | Death of Séamus Brennan | 5 June 2009 | George Lee[n 2] | FG | |||
Dublin Central | Tony Gregory | Ind | Death of Tony Gregory | 5 June 2009 | Maureen O'Sullivan | Ind | |||
Donegal South–West | Pat the Cope Gallagher | FF | Election of Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament | 25 November 2010 | Pearse Doherty | SF | |||
Dublin West | Brian Lenihan, Jnr | FF | Death of Brian Lenihan, Jnr | 27 October 2011 | Patrick Nulty | Lab | |||
Meath East | Shane McEntee | FG | Death of Shane McEntee | 27 March 2013 | Helen McEntee | FG | |||
Dublin West | Patrick Nulty | Ind | Resignation of Patrick Nulty | 23 May 2014 | Ruth Coppinger | SP | |||
Longford–Westmeath | Nicky McFadden | FG | Death of Nicky McFadden | 23 May 2014 | Gabrielle McFadden | FG | |||
Dublin South–West | Brian Hayes | FG | Election of Brian Hayes to the European Parliament | 10 October 2014 | Paul Murphy | AAA | |||
Roscommon–South Leitrim | Luke 'Ming' Flanagan | Ind | Election of Luke 'Ming' Flanagan to the European Parliament | 10 October 2014 | Michael Fitzmaurice | Ind | |||
Carlow–Kilkenny | Phil Hogan | FG | Resignation of Phil Hogan on appointment as EU Commissioner | 22 May 2015 | Bobby Aylward | FF
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Footnotes
- ^ a b The First Dáil and Second Dáil were revolutionary parliaments of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic, and as such by-elections were considered both unnecessary and impractical.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v TDs who were never subsequently re-elected.
- ^ a b c d A single by-election to fill two vacancies in the same constituency.
References
- Walker, Brian M, ed. (1992). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0-901714-96-8. ISSN 0332-0286.
- "Dáil by-elections 1918–2005". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
Notes