2011 Dublin West by-election
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Turnout36,391 (58.3%)
 
Nominee Patrick Nulty David McGuinness Ruth Coppinger
Party Labour Fianna Fáil Socialist Party
First preferences 8,665 7,742 7,542
Percentage 24.3 21.7 21.1
Final count 17,636 11,590 –
 
Nominee Eithne Loftus Paul Donnelly Roderic O'Gorman
Party Fine Gael Sinn Féin Green
First preferences 5,263 3,173 1,787
Percentage 14.7 8.9 5.0
Final count – – –
 
Nominee Barry Caesar Hunt John Frank Kidd Gary Bermingham
Party Independent Independent Independent
First preferences 775 311 185
Percentage 2.2 0.9 0.5
Final count – – –
Dublin West shown within County Dublin
TD before election

Brian Lenihan Jnr
Fianna Fáil

Elected TD

Patrick Nulty
Labour

A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann Dublin West constituency in Ireland on Thursday 27 October 2011,[1] following the death of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) and former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan Jnr on 10 June 2011.[2] The 2011 Irish presidential election and two constitutional referendums were held on the same day.

Patrick Nulty of the Labour Party was elected after a prolonged count.

Candidates

Thirteen candidates contested the by-election.[3][4] Four were members of Fingal County Council: David McGuinness of Fianna Fáil,[5] Eithne Loftus of Fine Gael,[6] Patrick Nulty of the Labour Party,[7] and Ruth Coppinger of the Socialist Party.[8] The other party candidates were Paul Donnelly of Sinn Féin,[9] Roderic O'Gorman of the Green Party[10] and Peadar Ó Ceallaigh of Fís Nua.[3]

There were six independent candidates: Gary Bermingham, a satirical actor and artist; Benny Cooney, a FÁS employee; Brendan Doris, an architect; Barry Caesar Hunt, a contestant in The Apprentice reality television show in 2010; John Frank Kidd, a retired fire officer; and Jim Tallon, a farmer.[3][4][11]

Donnelly, McGuinness, Nulty and O'Gorman had all been unsuccessful candidates in this constituency at the general election in February 2011.[12] Bermingham, Cooney, Ó Ceallaigh and Tallon had been candidates in other constituencies at the same election.[4]

Result

2011 Dublin West by-election[13]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Labour Patrick Nulty[7] 24.3 8,665 8,885 10,186 13,027 17,636
Fianna Fáil David McGuinness[14] 21.7 7,742 7,935 8,720 9,873 11,590
Socialist Party Ruth Coppinger[13] 21.1 7,542 7,834 9,368 9,873  
Fine Gael Eithne Loftus[6] 14.7 5,263 5,410 5,942    
Sinn Féin Paul Donnelly[15] 8.9 3,173 3,309      
Green Roderic O'Gorman[10] 5.0 1,787 1,925      
Independent Barry Caesar Hunt[11] 2.2 775        
Independent John Frank Kidd[3] 0.9 311        
Independent Gary Bermingham[3] 0.5 185        
Independent Brendan Doris[3] 0.3 95        
Independent Jim Tallon[3] 0.2 73        
Independent Benny Cooney[3] 0.1 51        
Fís Nua Peadar Ó Ceallaigh[3] 0.1 40        
Electorate: 62,396   Valid: 35,702   Spoilt: 689 (1.9%)   Quota: 17,852   Turnout: 36,391 (58.3%)  

A full recount was ordered after only 18 votes separated Socialist Party candidate Ruth Coppinger from Fianna Fáil candidate David McGuinness.[16] After the recount, both McGuinness and Coppinger had the same number of votes in the fourth count. Under electoral law Coppinger was eliminated, for McGuinness had more first-preference votes.[17][18]

It was the first time since July 1982 – when Noel Treacy won a seat in Galway East – that a candidate of a governing party won a by-election.[19] The result left Fianna Fáil with no TDs in Dublin city and County.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Dublin West by-election set for 27 October". RTÉ News. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Brian Lenihan dead from pancreatic cancer at 52". Irish Independent. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nominations close for Dublin West by-election". RTÉ News. 12 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Reilly, Gavan (12 October 2011). "13 names in the running for Dublin West by-election". thejournal.ie. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  5. ^ Duncan, Pamela (14 September 2011). "Running mate of Lenihan to contest Dublin West for FF". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ^ a b "FG select Dublin West by-election candidate". RTÉ News. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Nulty to contest by-election for Labour". Irish Examiner. 20 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  8. ^ Kelly, Fiach (12 September 2011). "Socialist by-election candidate holds on to her teaching post". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  9. ^ "First candidates named in Dublin West by-election". The Journal. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  10. ^ a b Mary Minihan & Cian Nihill (9 September 2011). "Councillor warns against FG byelection 'carpetbagger'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Candidates to step up canvassing". The Irish Times. 4 October 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  12. ^ "31st Dáil - Dublin West". Elections Ireland. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Dublin West by-election". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  14. ^ "David McGuinness to contest by-election for FF". RTÉ News. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  15. ^ "Donnelly gets Sinn Féin nod for Dublin West by-election". Belfast Telegraph. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  16. ^ "Full recount ordered in Dublin West by-election". TheJournal.ie. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  17. ^ "Electoral Act, 1992, sec. 122 (3)". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  18. ^ "Labour's Pat Nulty elected in Dublin West". Irish Independent. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  19. ^ O'Halloran, Marie (29 October 2011). "Labour wins Dublin byelection". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Nulty elected in Dublin West". Irish Examiner. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
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