1981 Irish general election

Election to the 22nd Dáil July 2021 July 2020 1981 Irish general election Ireland parliamentary no 1977 Irish general election 1977 21st Dáil February 1982 Irish general election Feb 1982 166 seats in Dáil ÉireannCC Including Pádraig Faulkner (FF), returned automatically for Louth as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 1963, as amended.1980 40 Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1980 23 December 1980 1 Amendment of section 14 of Electoral Act 196322nd Dáil 1981: Louth https://electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1981&cons=167 ElectionsIreland.org 9 August 2022 84 11 June 1981 22nd Dáil 76.2% 0.1 pp Charles Haughey 1983 (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Charles Haughey 7 December 1979 Fianna Fáil Dublin North-Central 84 seats, 50.6% 78 6 777,616 45.3% 5.3 pp Garret_FitzGerald,_1984_02_(cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Garret FitzGerald 1977 Fine Gael Dublin South-East 43 seats, 30.5% 65 22 626,376 36.5% 6.0 pp Frank Cluskey, 1981 01 (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Frank Cluskey 1977 Labour Party (Ireland) Dublin South-Central(defeated) 17 seats, 11.6% 15 2 169,990 9.9% 1.7 pp MacGiolla cropped.jpg 140 120 160 0 10 Tomás Mac Giolla 1977 Sinn Féin The Workers' Party N/A 0 seats, 1.7% 1 1 29,561 1.7% 0.0 pp Noel Browne, 1948 (cropped).jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Noël Browne 1981 Socialist Labour Party (Ireland) Dublin North-Central New 1 New 7,107 0.4% New 400px Election results and first-preference votes in each constituency 400px Number of seats gained by each party in each constituency Taoiseach Charles Haughey Fianna Fáil Taoiseach after election Garret FitzGerald Fine Gael The 1981 Irish general election to the 22nd Dáil was held on Thursday, 11 June, following the dissolution of the 21st Dáil on 21 May by President Patrick Hillery on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas. The number of seats in the Dáil was increased by 18 from 148 under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980. The 22nd Dáil met at Leinster House on 30 June to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. Garret FitzGerald was appointed Taoiseach, forming the 17th government of Ireland, a minority coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. Campaign The general election of 1981 was the first one of five during the 1980s. The election also saw three new leaders of the three main parties fight their first general election. Charles Haughey had become Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil at the end of 1979, Garret FitzGerald was the new leader of Fine Gael and Frank Cluskey was leading the Labour Party. Haughey and Fianna Fáil seemed extremely popular with the electorate in early 1981. He was expected to call the election at the time of the Fianna Fáil ardfheis on 14 February, but the Stardust fire caused the ardfheis to be postponed, and the Republican hunger strike in the Maze Prison began in March.Penniman Howard Rae Farrell Brian American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research Ireland at the polls, 1981, 1982, and 1987: a study of four general elections https://books.google.com/books?id=PaS-PdCzF_4C&pg=PA7 1987 Duke University Press 978-0-8223-0786-0 7 By the dissolution in May, much of the earlier optimism in the party had filtered out. The Anti H-Block movement fielded abstentionist candidates in solidarity with the hunger strikers, undermining the Republican credentials of Fianna Fáil. Fianna Fáil's manifesto promised more spending programmes and Fine Gael put forward a series of tax-cutting plans. Result 22nd 11 June 1981 Election results and transfer of votes in general election (June, 1981) for twenty-second Dáil and bye-elections to twenty-first Dáil (1977–1981) https://opac.oireachtas.ie/Data/Library3/Official%20Publications/pdf/22ndDail_June1981_ByeElections21st_1977_1981.pdf Houses of the Oireachtas Dublin Stationery Office 9 August 2022 September 1981http://electionsireland.org/results/general/22dail.cfm 22nd Dáil 1981 General Election ElectionsIreland.org 20 June 2009 7 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090507183731/http://electionsireland.org/results/general/22dail.cfm livehttp://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/gdala.htm Dáil elections since 1918 ARK Northern Ireland 20 June 2009 27 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201127122828/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/gdala.htm liveDieter Nohlen Dieter Nohlen Philip Stöver 2010 Elections in Europe: A data handbook 1009–1017 Nomos 978-3-8329-5609-7 center|360px Fianna Fáil Charles Haughey 78CC –6 47.0 777,616 45.3 –5.3 Fine Gael Garret FitzGerald 65 +22 39.2 626,376 36.5 +6.0 Labour Party (Ireland) Frank Cluskey 15 –2 9.0 169,990 9.9 –1.7 Sinn Féin The Workers' Party Tomás Mac Giolla 1 +1 0.6 29,561 1.7 0 Socialist Labour Party (Ireland) Noël Browne 1 New 0.6 7,107 0.4 – Socialist Party of Ireland (1971) Eamonn O'Brien 0 New 0 571 0.0 – Communist Party of Ireland Eugene McCartan 0 0 0.0 358 0.0 – Independent politician (Ireland) N/A 6 +2 3.6 106,632 6.2 +0.7 16,168 166 +18 1,734,379 2,275,450 76.2% |} Independents include Anti H-Block (42,803 votes, 2 seats) and Independent Fianna Fáil (13,546 votes, 1 seat). Voting summary First preference vote #ddd 600px 350px Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil 45.26 Fine Gael Fine Gael 36.36 Labour Labour Party (Ireland) 9.89 Sinn Féin (Workers' Party) Workers' Party (Ireland) 1.72 Others #777777 0.46 Independent Independent politician (Ireland) 6.2 Seats summary Dáil seats #ddd 600px 350px Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil 46.99 Fine Gael Fine Gael 39.16 Labour Labour Party (Ireland) 9.04 Sinn Féin (Workers' Party) Workers' Party (Ireland) 0.60 Socialist Labour Party Socialist Labour Party (Ireland) 0.60 Independent Independent politician (Ireland) 3.61 Government formation Fianna Fáil lost seats as a result of sympathy to the Anti H-Block candidates and the attractive tax proposals of Fine Gael. It was the worst performance for Fianna Fáil in twenty years. Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Frank Cluskey lost his seat, necessitating a leadership change with Michael O'Leary succeeding Cluskey. A Fine Gael–Labour Party coalition government came to power. Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed the 17th Government of Ireland, a minority coalition government, with Garret FitzGerald becoming Taoiseach. Dáil membership changes The following changes took place at this election: 20 outgoing TDs retired 18 additional seats added to the Dáil 127 outgoing TDs stood for re-election (also Pádraig Faulkner, the outgoing Ceann Comhairle who was automatically returned) 109 of those were re-elected 18 failed to be re-elected 56 successor TDs were elected 50 were elected for the first time 6 had previously been TDs There were 7 successor female TDs, replacing 3 outgoing, increasing the total by 4 to 11. Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only. Where a number of related constituency changes took place in an area, such as Cork, the outgoing constituency for retiring TDs and the allocation of new seats are approximations for presentation only. Outgoing TDs re-elected in a new constituency, with no related changes, are not recorded as a change Constituency Departing TD Party Change Comment Successor TD PartyCarlow–KilkennyJim Gibbons Fianna FáilLost seatGoverney: Former TDDesmond Governey Fine GaelCavan–MonaghanJimmy Leonard Fianna FáilLost seatDoherty: Anti H-Block. Was on hunger strike at the time of his electionKieran Doherty Independent politician (Ireland)ClareFrank Taylor Fine GaelRetiredMadeleine Taylor Fine GaelSeat addedLoughnane: moved from Galway WestBill Loughnane Fianna FáilCork EastJerry Cronin Fianna FáilRetired (from Cork North-East)Carey Joyce Fianna FáilRichard Barry Fine GaelRetired (from Cork North-East)First TD to be elected for Official Sinn Féin/The Workers' Party.Joe Sherlock Sinn Féin The Workers' PartyCork North-CentralJack Lynch Fianna FáilRetired (from Cork City)Denis Lyons Fianna FáilSeat addedBernard Allen Fine GaelSeat addedToddy O'Sullivan Labour Party (Ireland)Cork North-WestFrank Crowley Fine GaelCork South-CentralBarry Cogan Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Cork Mid)Hugh Coveney Fine GaelCork South-WestMichael Pat Murphy Labour Party (Ireland)RetiredP. J. Sheehan Fine GaelJoe Walsh Fianna FáilLost seatCrowley: Former TDFlor Crowley Fianna FáilDonegal North-East No membership changesDonegal South-WestSeat addedPat "the Cope" Gallagher Fianna FáilDublin NorthJoe Fox Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Dublin County North)Nora Owen Fine GaelDublin North-CentralSeat addedGeorge Birmingham Fine GaelDublin CentralVivion de Valera Fianna FáilRetired (from Dublin Cabra) (Ahern: moved from Dublin Finglas)Bertie Ahern Fianna FáilTom Leonard Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Dublin Cabra)(Colley: from Dublin Clontarf)George Colley Fianna FáilLuke Belton Fine GaelLost seat (moved from Dublin Finglas)Alice Glenn Fine GaelDublin North-EastLiam Fitzgerald Fianna FáilSeán Loftus Independent politician (Ireland)Dublin North-WestMary Flaherty Fine GaelTimothy Killeen Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Dublin Artane)Michael Barrett Fianna FáilDublin SouthNuala Fennell Fine GaelSíle de Valera Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Dublin County Mid)Séamus Brennan Fianna FáilJohn Horgan Labour Party (Ireland)Lost seat(moved from Dublin County South)Alan Shatter Fine GaelDublin South-WestMary Harney Fianna FáilMervyn Taylor Labour Party (Ireland)Dublin WestBurke: Former TDRichard Burke Fine GaelMark Clinton Fine GaelRetired (from Dublin County West)Brian Fleming Fine GaelLiam Lawlor Fianna FáilLost seat (moved from Dublin County West)(Lemass: from Dublin Ballyfermot)Eileen Lemass Fianna FáilDublin South-CentralSeat added(Briscoe: from Dublin Rathmines West)Ben Briscoe Fianna FáilSeat addedGay Mitchell Fine GaelFrank Cluskey Labour Party (Ireland)Lost seat(O'Connell:from Dublin Ballyfermot)John O'Connell Independent politician (Ireland)Dublin South-EastSeat added(Brady: from Dublin Rathimines West)Gerard Brady Fianna FáilRuairi Quinn Labour Party (Ireland)Lost seat(Ryan: from Dublin Rathimines West)Richie Ryan Fine GaelDún LaoghaireLiam Cosgrave Fine GaelRetiredLiam T. Cosgrave Fine GaelSeat addedSean Barrett Fine GaelGalway EastJohn Donnellan Fine Gael(moved to Galway West)Paul Connaughton Snr Fine GaelMark Killilea Jnr Fianna Fáil(moved to Galway West)Kitt: Former TDMichael P. Kitt Fianna FáilThomas Hussey Fianna FáilLost seatSeat abolishedGalway WestJohn Mannion Jnr Fine GaelRetired(Donnellan: from Galway East)John Donnellan Fine GaelSeat addedMichael D. Higgins Labour Party (Ireland)Bill Loughnane Fianna Fáil(moved to Clare)(Killilea moved from Galway East)Mark Killilea Jnr Fianna FáilKerry NorthKit Ahern Fianna FáilLost seatDenis Foley Fianna FáilDan Spring Labour Party (Ireland)RetiredDick Spring Labour Party (Ireland)Kerry SouthTimothy O'Connor Fianna FáilLost seatMichael Moynihan Labour Party (Ireland)KildareSeat addedBernard Durkan Fine GaelSeat addedAlan Dukes Fine GaelLaois–OffalyPatrick Lalor Fianna FáilRetiredLiam Hyland Fianna FáilLimerick EastMichael Herbert Fianna FáilRetiredPeadar Clohessy Fianna FáilMichael Lipper Labour Party (Ireland)Lost seatJim Kemmy Independent politician (Ireland)Seat addedMichael Noonan Fine GaelLimerick West No membership changesLongford–WestmeathJoseph Sheridan Independent politician (Ireland)RetiredCooney: Former TDPatrick Cooney Fine GaelLouthPaddy Donegan Fine GaelRetiredBernard Markey Fine GaelJoseph Farrell Fianna FáilRetiredAgnew: Anti H-Block. Republican prisoner in Long Kesh, not on hunger strike.Paddy Agnew Independent politician (Ireland)Mayo East No membership changesMayo West No membership changesMeathSeat addedJohn Farrelly Fine GaelRoscommonJoan Burke Fine GaelRetiredJohn Connor Fine GaelSligo–LeitrimJames Gallagher Fianna FáilRetiredJohn Ellis Fianna FáilEugene Gilhawley Fine GaelRetiredJoe McCartin Fine GaelSeat addedTed Nealon Fine GaelTipperary NorthMichael O'Kennedy Fianna FáilRetiredDavid Molony Fine GaelTipperary SouthNoel Davern Fianna FáilRetiredCarrie Acheson Fianna FáilSeat addedSeán McCarthy Fianna FáilWaterford No membership changesWexfordSeán Browne Fianna FáilLost seatHugh Byrne Fianna FáilSeat addedIvan Yates Fine GaelWicklowSeat addedBrennan: Former TDPaudge Brennan Fianna Fáil Seanad election The Dáil election was followed by an election to the 15th Seanad. Notes References Further reading Nealon's guide: 22nd Dáil & Seanad: election '81 8 May 1981 Platform Press 0-9505984-3-7 Nealon Ted Ted Nealon Brennan Séamus Séamus Brennan Category:1981 in Irish politics 1981 Category:22nd Dáil Category:June 1981 in Europe General election, 1981 Category:1981 Irish hunger strike