Offaly (Dáil constituency)

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Offaly
Dáil constituency
Future constituency
Seats3
Local government areaCounty Offaly
Created fromLaois–Offaly
Offaly
Former Dáil constituency
Former constituency
Created2016
Abolished2020
Seats3
Local government areas
Created from
Replaced by

Offaly was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, from 2016 to 2020, and (per the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023), to again be used for future elections. The constituency will again elect 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs). The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

History and boundaries[edit]

The Constituency Commission proposed in its 2012 report that at the next general election a new constituency called Offaly be created.[1] The report proposed changes to the constituencies of Ireland so as to reduce the total number of TDs from 166 to 158.[2]

It was established by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013.[3] The constituency incorporated all of County Offaly from the previous Laois–Offaly constituency, and additionally twenty-four electoral divisions from Tipperary North.

The 2013 Act defined the constituency as:[3]

"The county of Offaly;

and in the county of North Tipperary the electoral divisions of:

Aglishcloghane, Ballingarry, Ballylusky, Borrisokane, Carrig, Cloghjordan, Cloghprior, Clohaskin, Finnoe, Graigue, Kilbarron, Lorrha East, Lorrha West, Mertonhall, Rathcabban, Redwood, Riverstown, Terryglass, Uskane, in the former Rural District of Borrisokane;
Ardcrony, Ballygibbon, Ballymackey, Knigh, Monsea, in the former Rural District of Nenagh".

It was abolished at the 2020 general election, along with the Laois constituency. They were replaced by a re-created Laois–Offaly constituency, with the transfer of the electoral division of Portarlington North to Kildare South.[4]

In 2023, the Electoral Commission recommended the establishment of a three seat constituency of Offaly, comprising the entire county of Offaly.[5]

For the next general election, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:[6]

"The county of Offaly."

TDs[edit]

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Offaly 2016–2020
Key to parties
Dáil Election Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)
32nd 2016[7] Carol Nolan
(SF) 		Barry Cowen
(FF) 		Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
(FG)
33rd 2020 Constituency abolished. See Laois–Offaly and Tipperary.

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.

2016 general election[edit]

2016 general election: Offaly[8][9][7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fianna Fáil Barry Cowen 28.1 12,366            
Fine Gael Marcella Corcoran Kennedy 15.5 6,838 6,919 7,270 7,798 9,484 11,313  
Independent Joe Hannigan 11.8 5,188 5,226 5,536 5,816      
Sinn Féin Carol Nolan 10.9 4,804 4,882 5,459 6,295 7,195 8,785 8,890
Renua John Leahy 10.4 4,596 4,759 5,319 5,833 6,588    
Independent John Foley 9.5 4,200 4,241 4,536        
Fianna Fáil Eddie Fitzpatrick 7.7 3,394 4,297 4,578 6,147 7,141 8,521 8,720
Irish Democratic Ken Smollen 2.2 971 999          
Independent Teresa Ryan Feehan 1.4 603 616          
Independent Kate Bopp 1.2 549 554          
Green Christopher Fettes 1.2 525 532          
Electorate: 65,636   Valid: 44,034   Spoilt: 411   Quota: 11,009   Turnout: 67.7%  

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Waterford – Tipperary – Laois – Offaly – Kildare area" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Introduction and summary of recommendation" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, Schedule (No. 7 of 2013, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 7 April 2013.
  4. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, Schedule (No. 39 of 2017, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 12 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Offaly to stand alone as three-seat constituency". Offaly Independent. 30 August 2023.
  6. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023, Schedule (No. 40 of 2023, Schedule). Enacted on 19 December 2023. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 February 2024.
  7. ^ a b "General election 2016: Offaly". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Offaly Results 2016". Irelandelection.com. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Offaly Results 2016". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
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