Dublin County (Dáil constituency)

Dáil constituency (1921–1969)

Dublin County was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1921 to 1969. The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR STV).

The constituency was created in 1921 by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as a 6 seat constituency for the Southern Ireland House of Commons and a two seat constituency for the United Kingdom House of Commons at Westminster, combining the former Westminster constituencies of Dublin Pembroke, Dublin Rathmines, North Dublin and South Dublin. At the 1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the four seats were won uncontested by Sinn Féin, who treated it as part of the election to the Second Dáil. It was never used as a Westminster constituency; under s. 1(4) of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922, no writ was to be issued "for a constituency in Ireland other than a constituency in Northern Ireland". Therefore, no vote was held in County Dublin at the 1922 United Kingdom general election on 15 November 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom on 6 December 1922. It was restructured by the Electoral Act 1923, the first electoral act of the new state, becoming an 8 seat constituency, first used at the 1923 general election to the 4th Dáil. It was revised at subsequent revisions, taking into account changes in the boundary and city, before its abolition at the 1969 general election. It was replaced by Dublin County North and Dublin County South. Throughout its history the constituency consisted primarily of the area of County Dublin, excluding the area of Dublin city. However, at various points it also included some territory from within the boundaries of Dublin City. + Changes to the Dublin County constituency 1921–1969YearsTDsBoundariesNotes1921–19236County DublinCombining the former divisions of Pembroke, Rathmines, North Dublin and South Dublin1923–19378County Dublin1937–19485County Dublin, and the following townlands or portions of townlands in the County Borough of Dublin: Annefield, Crumlin, Kimmage (parish of Crumlin), Kimmage (parish of Rathfarnham), Larkfield, Newtown Little, Priesthouse, Rathfarnham, Saint Lawrence, Simmonscourt, Stannaway, Terenure and TonguefieldIn 1930, the urban districts of Pembroke and Rathmines and Rathgar were transferred from the county to the city and in 1931, former rural areas were also transferred to the city. The urban districts formed the Dublin Townships constituency.1937–19483The Beann Eadair ward of the county borough of Dublin; and County Dublin, except the parts in the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown constituency and the portion lying to the east of a line drawn commencing at the point on the boundary of that county where Killester Avenue meets Malahide Road and thence in a south westerly direction along Malahide Road to the boundary of the county, which was in the Dublin North East constituencyHowth was transferred from the county to the city in 1942, but remained in the county constituency.1961–19695County Dublin, except the parts in the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown constituency; and the part of the Ballyfermot ward in the county borough of Dublin which is not included in the Dublin South WestArea transferred from Dublin North East and part of Ballyfermot transferred from the former Dublin South1969—Constituency abolishedDivided into Dublin County North (4 seats) and Dublin County South (3 seats)

Full figures of the last nine counts are unavailable. Ó Droighneáin, Lynch, Bennett and FitzGerald all lost their deposits.

A by election was held on 14 August 1927 to fill the seat in the 4th Dáil which had been left vacant by the assassination on 10 July of the Minister for Justice, Cumann na nGaedheal TD Kevin O'Higgins. The election was won for Cumann na nGaedheal by Gearóid O'Sullivan, who won nearly 70% of the first preference votes.