Laois-Offaly (Dáil Éireann constituency)

Dáil Éireann constituency infobox
Name = Laois-Offaly
Entity = Ireland


Year = 1921
TDs = 5
Counties = County Laois, County Offaly
EP = East

Laois-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.

ummary of seats won 1977–2007

2007 Election result

Irish Election box begin
title=2007 General Election: Laois-OffalyIrish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Brian Cowen
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 19,102
percentage = 26.7
seat = 1
count = 1Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Olwyn Enright
party = Fine Gael
votes = 8,297
percentage = 11.6
seat = 2
count = 8Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Charles Flanagan
party = Fine Gael
votes = 9,067
percentage = 12.7
seat = 3
count = 9Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Seán Fleming
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 8,064
percentage = 11.3
seat = 4
count = 9Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Fianna Fáil
candidate = John Moloney
votes = 7,242
percentage = 10.1
seat = 5
count = 11Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Fianna Fáil
candidate = John Foley
votes = 5,899
percentage = 8.3
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Progressive Democrats
candidate = Tom Parlon
votes = 4,233
percentage = 5.9
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Brian Stanley
votes = 3,656
percentage = 5.1
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Fine Gael
candidate = Molly Buckley
votes = 2,196
percentage = 3.1
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (Ireland)
candidate = Jim O'Brien
votes = 1,278
percentage = 1.8
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = John Bracken
votes = 934
percentage = 1.3
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Green Party (Ireland)
candidate = Máire McKay
votes = 812
percentage = 1.1
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (Ireland)
candidate = David Whelan
votes = 425
percentage = 0.6
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Christian Solidarity Party
candidate = Colm Callanan
votes = 156
percentage = 0.2
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Joseph McCormack
votes = 85
percentage = 0.1
seat =
count = Irish Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Noel O'Gara
votes = 45
percentage = 0.1
seat =
count =

2002 Election result

Irish Election box begin
title=2002 General Election: Laois-OffalyIrish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Brian Cowen
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 12,529
percentage = 19.80
seat = 1
count = 1Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Tom Parlon
party = Progressive Democrats
votes = 9,088
percentage = 14.36
seat = 2
count = 5Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Olwyn Enright
party = Fine Gael
votes = 8,053
percentage = 12.72
seat = 3
count = 6Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = John Moloney
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 8,093
percentage = 12.79
seat = 4
count = 6Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Seán Fleming
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 7,091
percentage = 11.20
seat = 5
count = 6Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Charles Flanagan
party = Fine Gael
votes = 6,500
percentage = 10.27
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Ger Killally
party = Fianna Fáil
votes = 4,719
percentage = 7.46
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Brian Stanley
party = Sinn Féin
votes = 2,600
percentage = 4.11
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate
candidate = Molly Buckley
party = Independent
votes = 1,695
percentage = 2.68
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = John Dwyer
party = Labour Party (Ireland)
votes = 1,675
percentage = 2.65
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Christopher Fettes
party = Green Party (Ireland)
votes = 520
percentage = 0.82
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate
candidate = Joe McCormack
party = Independent
votes = 351
percentage = 0.55
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate
candidate = John Kelly
party = Independent
votes = 236
percentage = 0.37
seat =
count =Irish Election box candidate with party link
candidate = Michael Redmond
party = Christian Solidarity Party
votes = 142
percentage = 0.22
seat =
count =

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.

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.

Former TDs

* Bernard Cowen
* Oliver J. Flanagan

ee also

* Politics of the Republic of Ireland
* List of political parties in Ireland
* List of Irish by-elections
* Elections in Ireland