Laois-Offaly (Dáil Éireann constituency)

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Laois-Offaly
Dáil Éireann Parliamentary Constituency
Laois-Offaly shown within Ireland
Created: 1921
TDs: 5
Counties: County Laois, County Offaly
EP constituency: East

Laois-Offaly (pronounced /ˈliːʃ/ Leash-Offaly), formerly Leix-Offaly and Laoighis-Offaly) is a constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency has an electorate of 95,373 and at present is served by 5 Teachtaí Dála (TDs). The method of election is the Single Transferable Vote.

It spans the entire area of County Laois (known before independence as Queen's County) and County Offaly (previously known as King's County). It includes the towns of Tullamore, Birr, Portarlington and Portlaoise.

One of the most high profile TDs in the constituency is Brian Cowen, the current Taoiseach. Another well known deputy from the area was Tom Parlon, a former president of the Irish Farmers Association and Minister of State.

Contents

[edit] Summary of seats won 1977–2007

1977 1981 1982F 1982N 1987 1989 1992 1997 2002 2007
Fianna Fáil 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Fine Gael 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2
Labour 1
Progressive Democrats 1

[edit] 2007 Election result

2007 General Election: Laois-Offaly
Party Candidate 1st Pref  % Seat Count
Fianna Fáil Brian Cowen 19,102 26.7 1 1
Fine Gael Olwyn Enright 8,297 11.6 2 8
Fine Gael Charles Flanagan 9,067 12.7 3 9
Fianna Fáil Seán Fleming 8,064 11.3 4 9
Fianna Fáil John Moloney 7,242 10.1 5 11
Fianna Fáil John Foley 5,899 8.3
Progressive Democrats Tom Parlon 4,233 5.9
Sinn Féin Brian Stanley 3,656 5.1
Fine Gael Molly Buckley 2,196 3.1
Labour Party Jim O'Brien 1,278 1.8
Independent John Bracken 934 1.3
Green Party Máire McKay 812 1.1
Labour Party David Whelan 425 0.6
Christian Solidarity Colm Callanan 156 0.2
Independent Joseph McCormack 85 0.1
Independent Noel O'Gara 45 0.1

[edit] 2002 Election result

2002 General Election: Laois-Offaly
Party Candidate 1st Pref  % Seat Count
Fianna Fáil Brian Cowen 12,529 19.80 1 1
Progressive Democrats Tom Parlon 9,088 14.36 2 5
Fine Gael Olwyn Enright 8,053 12.72 3 6
Fianna Fáil John Moloney 8,093 12.79 4 6
Fianna Fáil Seán Fleming 7,091 11.20 5 6
Fine Gael Charles Flanagan 6,500 10.27
Fianna Fáil Ger Killally 4,719 7.46
Sinn Féin Brian Stanley 2,600 4.11
Independent Molly Buckley 1,695 2.68
Labour Party John Dwyer 1,675 2.65
Green Party Christopher Fettes 520 0.82
Independent Joe McCormack 351 0.55
Independent John Kelly 236 0.37
Christian Solidarity Michael Redmond 142 0.22

[edit] History

Laois-Offaly is the oldest two-county constituency in Ireland, having been created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, and used for the subsequent 1921 general election to the Second Dáil. It has been used at every subsequent general election.

The name of the constituency has been changed twice, to reflect different spellings of the name of County Laois:

  • At its creation in 1921, it was known as Leix-Offaly
  • In 1961, it was renamed Laoighis-Offaly
  • For the 2007 general election, it was renamed Laois-Offaly, which its current formal name.

[edit] Chronology

1918–1921 
For the First Dáil (1919–1921), the Sinn Féin MPs elected in 1918 for the two single-member UK Parliament constituencies of King's County (UK Parliament constituency) and Queen's County (UK Parliament constituency) boycotted the British House of Commons and joined the revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In the Dáil the Queen's County constituency was known as Leix (as mentioned in the list of Deputies present read out in English on the second day of the session, and implied by the use of Co. Laoise in the Irish list used on the first day). King's County also seems to have been known by a different name. The Irish form used was Co. Uí Fáilghe, which seems close to the modern Irish language name for Offaly.
1921-–923 
The two counties were combined in a single four-member constituency for the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The Sinn Féin candidates elected unopposed preferred to sit in the Second Dáil (1921–1922). In the Dáil the Irish form of the constituency name was Co. Laoighise agus Co. O bhFáilghe. Leix and Offaly seem to be the versions used in English. The four-seat constituency was also used for the Third Dáil (1922–1923). In the Irish Free State the official name in English of the constituency was undoutedly Leix-Offaly (see the list of constituencies mentioned in the motion passed by the Second Dáil on 20 May 1922 and the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923)).
1923–1961 
The constituency was granted a fifth seat.
1961–2007 
In the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961 (No. 19/1961) the constituency was renamed Laoighis-Offaly, but was otherwise unchanged.
2007– 
Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 (No. 16/205) the official name of the constituency is Laois-Offaly, but is otherwise unchanged.

[edit] Former TDs

[edit] See also


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Parliamentary constituencies in the Republic of Ireland
Government of Ireland