1944 Irish general election

The 1944 Irish general election to the 12th Dáil was held on Tuesday, 30 May, having been called on 9 May by President Douglas Hyde on the advice of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera. The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies for 138 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas. Fianna Fáil won an overall majority. The outgoing 11th Dáil was dissolved on 7 June.

1944 Irish general election

← 1943 30 May 1944 1948 →
← outgoing members elected members →
138 seats in Dáil Éireann[a] 70 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	69.2% 5.0 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Éamon de Valera Richard Mulcahy Joseph Blowick Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Clann na Talmhan Leader since 26 March 1926 1944 1944 Leader's seat Clare Tipperary Mayo South Last election 67 seats, 41.9% 32 seats, 23.1% 10 seats, 9.0% Seats won 76 30 9 Seat change 9 2 1 Popular vote 595,259 249,329 122,745 Percentage 48.9% 20.5% 10.8% Swing 7.0 pp 2.6 pp 1.8 pp   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader William Norton James Everett Party Labour National Labour Party Leader since 1932 1944 Leader's seat Carlow–Kildare Wicklow Last election 17 seats, 15.7% New party Seats won 8 4 Seat change 9 New Popular vote 106,767 32,732 Percentage 8.7% 2.7% Swing 7.0 pp New party
Election results and first-preference votes in each constituency Number of seats gained by each party in each constituency
Taoiseach before election Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil Taoiseach after election Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil

The 12th Dáil met at Leinster House on 9 June to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland on the nomination of the Taoiseach. Outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera was re-appointed leading a single-party Fianna Fáil government.

Calling the election

The outgoing Fianna Fáil government, formed on 1 July 1943, was a minority government. On 9 July 1944, it suffered a defeat for the second reading of its Transport Bill.^[3] Taoiseach Éamon de Valera sought a snap election, just one year after the previous election, in hopes of getting an overall majority.

It was the second election called under the General Elections (Emergency Provisions) Act 1943.^[4][5][6] The Act, intended to increase national security by minimising the interval during which no Dáil is in existence, subvented the requirement under the Constitution for the president to dissolve the Dáil before a general election took place, and was permitted under the state of emergency in effect during the Second World War.^[5] The election was called on 9 May but the Dáil met as scheduled on the following day, when an adjournment debate was held in which the opposition TDs condemned the decision to hold an election in wartime as unnecessary and reckless.^[6] The 11th Dáil was dissolved on 7 June 1944.^[7]

Campaign

The campaign was not wanted by the opposition parties. Fianna Fáil fought the election on its record in government and also in the hope of securing a fresh mandate for its policies. During the campaign Fine Gael put forward the proposal of forming a coalition government with the Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan; however, this was ridiculed by Fianna Fáil as untenable. National Labour had split from Labour in January 1944.

Due to the fractured nature of the opposition, Éamon de Valera's tactic of calling a snap general election succeeded, with Fianna Fáil increasing its share of seats, as it had in the previous snap elections of 1933 and 1938.

Result

Election to the 12th Dáil – 30 May 1944[8][9][10][11]
Party		Leader	Seats	±	% of seats	First pref. votes	% FPv	±%
	Fianna Fáil	Éamon de Valera	76[a]	+9	55.1	595,259	48.9	+7.0
	Fine Gael	Richard Mulcahy	30	–2	21.8	249,329	20.5	–2.6
	Clann na Talmhan	Joseph Blowick	9	–1	6.5	122,745	10.1	+0.3
	Labour	William Norton	8	–9	5.8	106,767	8.8	–6.9
	National Labour Party	James Everett	4	New	2.9	32,732	2.7	–
	Monetary Reform	Oliver J. Flanagan	1	0	0.7	9,856	0.8	+0.5
	Ailtirí na hAiséirghe		0	0	0	5,809	0.5	+0.3
	Independent	N/A	10	0	7.2	94,852	7.8	–0.9
Spoilt votes						12,790	—	—
Total			138	0	100	1,230,139	100	—
Electorate/Turnout						1,816,142	69.2%	—

Voting summary

First preference vote Fianna Fáil   48.9% Fine Gael   20.5% Clann na Talmhan   10.1% Labour   8.8% National Labour   2.7% Monetary Reform   0.8% Ailtirí na hAiséirghe   0.5% Independent   7.8%

Seats summary

Dáil seats Fianna Fáil   55.1% Fine Gael   21.8% Clann na Talmhan   6.5% Labour   5.8% National Labour   2.9% Monetary Reform   0.7% Independent   7.2%

Government formation

Fianna Fáil formed the 4th government of Ireland, a majority government.

Changes in membership

First-time TDs

• Thomas Brennan
• Harry Colley
• Eamonn Coogan
• Walter Furlong
• Michael Lydon
• Patrick McAuliffe
• John S. O'Connor
• Mary Ryan

Re-elected TDs

• John A. Costello
• Frank Loughman
• Peter O'Loghlen
• Eamonn O'Neill
• Laurence Walsh
• Richard Walsh (regained seat)

Outgoing TDs

• Ernest Benson
• Sir John Esmonde, Bt
• James Larkin
• Timothy Linehan
• Richard Stapleton

Retiring TDs

• Jeremiah Ryan
• W. T. Cosgrave

Seanad election

The election was followed by an election to the 5th Seanad.

Notes

1. Including Frank Fahy (FF), returned automatically for Galway East as outgoing Ceann Comhairle, under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral (Chairman of Dáil Éireann) Act 1937.^[1][2]