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. 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
Independents include Anti H-Block (42,803 votes, 2 seats) and Independent Fianna Fáil (13,546 votes, 1 seat).
Voting summary
Seats summary
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 Lost seatGoverney: Former TDDesmond Governey Cavan–MonaghanJimmy Leonard Lost seatDoherty: Anti H-Block. Was on hunger strike at the time of his electionKieran Doherty ClareFrank Taylor RetiredMadeleine Taylor Seat addedLoughnane: moved from Galway WestBill Loughnane Cork EastJerry Cronin Retired (from Cork North-East)Carey Joyce Richard Barry Retired (from Cork North-East)First TD to be elected for Official Sinn Féin/The Workers' Party.Joe Sherlock Cork North-CentralJack Lynch Retired (from Cork City)Denis Lyons Seat addedBernard Allen Seat addedToddy O'Sullivan Cork North-WestFrank Crowley Cork South-CentralBarry Cogan Lost seat (moved from Cork Mid)Hugh Coveney Cork South-WestMichael Pat Murphy RetiredP. J. Sheehan Joe Walsh Lost seatCrowley: Former TDFlor Crowley Donegal North-East No membership changesSeat addedPat "the Cope" Gallagher Dublin NorthJoe Fox Lost seat (moved from Dublin County North)Nora Owen Dublin North-CentralSeat addedGeorge Birmingham Dublin CentralVivion de Valera Retired (from Dublin Cabra) (Ahern: moved from Dublin Finglas)Bertie Ahern Tom Leonard Lost seat (moved from Dublin Cabra)(Colley: from Dublin Clontarf)George Colley Luke Belton Lost seat (moved from Dublin Finglas)Alice Glenn Dublin North-EastLiam Fitzgerald Seán Loftus Dublin North-WestMary Flaherty Timothy Killeen Lost seat (moved from Dublin Artane)Michael Barrett Dublin SouthNuala Fennell Síle de Valera Lost seat (moved from Dublin County Mid)Séamus Brennan John Horgan Lost seat(moved from Dublin County South)Alan Shatter Dublin South-WestMary Harney Mervyn Taylor Dublin WestBurke: Former TDRichard Burke Mark Clinton Retired (from Dublin County West)Brian Fleming Liam Lawlor Lost seat (moved from Dublin County West)(Lemass: from Dublin Ballyfermot)Eileen Lemass Dublin South-CentralSeat added(Briscoe: from Dublin Rathmines West)Ben Briscoe Seat addedGay Mitchell Frank Cluskey Lost seat(O'Connell:from Dublin Ballyfermot)John O'Connell Dublin South-EastSeat added(Brady: from Dublin Rathimines West)Gerard Brady Ruairi Quinn Lost seat(Ryan: from Dublin Rathimines West)Richie Ryan Dún LaoghaireLiam Cosgrave RetiredLiam T. Cosgrave Seat addedSean Barrett Galway EastJohn Donnellan (moved to Galway West)Paul Connaughton Snr Mark Killilea Jnr (moved to Galway West)Kitt: Former TDMichael P. Kitt Thomas Hussey Lost seatSeat abolishedGalway WestJohn Mannion Jnr Retired(Donnellan: from Galway East)John Donnellan Seat addedMichael D. Higgins Bill Loughnane (moved to Clare)(Killilea moved from Galway East)Mark Killilea Jnr Kerry NorthKit Ahern Lost seatDenis Foley Dan Spring RetiredDick Spring Kerry SouthTimothy O'Connor Lost seatMichael Moynihan KildareSeat addedBernard Durkan Seat addedAlan Dukes Laois–OffalyPatrick Lalor RetiredLiam Hyland Limerick EastMichael Herbert RetiredPeadar Clohessy Michael Lipper Lost seatJim Kemmy Seat addedMichael Noonan Limerick West No membership changesLongford–WestmeathJoseph Sheridan RetiredCooney: Former TDPatrick Cooney LouthPaddy Donegan RetiredBernard Markey Joseph Farrell RetiredAgnew: Anti H-Block. Republican prisoner in Long Kesh, not on hunger strike.Paddy Agnew Mayo East No membership changesMayo West No membership changesMeathSeat addedJohn Farrelly RoscommonJoan Burke RetiredJohn Connor Sligo–LeitrimJames Gallagher RetiredJohn Ellis Eugene Gilhawley RetiredJoe McCartin Seat addedTed Nealon Tipperary NorthMichael O'Kennedy RetiredDavid Molony Tipperary SouthNoel Davern RetiredCarrie Acheson Seat addedSeán McCarthy Waterford No membership changesWexfordSeán Browne Lost seatHugh Byrne Seat addedIvan Yates WicklowSeat addedBrennan: Former TDPaudge Brennan
Seanad election The Dáil election was followed by an election to the 15th Seanad.
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Further reading