Laois–Offaly (formerly Leix–Offaly and Laoighis–Offaly) is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five Teachtaí Dála (TDs). The method of election is the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (PR-STV).
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.
Currently the most high-profile TD for the constituency is the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen.
[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 and Queen's County 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.
- 1921–1923
- 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 undoubtedly 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] Boundaries
[edit] Summary of seats won
| Party | 1937 | 1938 | 1943 | 1944 | 1948 | 1951 | 1954 | 1957 | 1961 | 1965 | 1969 | 1973 | 1977 | 1981 | 1982F | 1982N | 1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 |
| Fianna Fáil | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Fine Gael | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Labour | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Independent | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Progressive Democrats | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | |
Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.
[edit] Elections
[edit] 2007 general election
| 2007 General Election: Laois–Offaly[5][6] |
| 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 | | |
| Electorate: 103,673 Valid: 71,491 Spoilt: 662 Quota: 11,916 Turnout: 69.6% |
[edit] 2002 general election
| 2002 General Election: Laois–Offaly[4] |
| 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 | | |
| Electorate: 95,373 Valid: 63,217 Spoilt: 671 Quota: 10,537 Turnout: 66.99% |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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