Irish general election, 1937
Encyclopedia
The Irish general election of 1937 was held on 1 July 1937, just over two weeks after the dissolution
of the Dáil on 14 June. A plebiscite to ratify the Constitution of Ireland
was held on the same day. The newly elected 138 members of the 9th Dáil
assembled at Leinster House
on 21 July 1937 when the new President of the Executive Council
and Executive Council
of the Irish Free State
were appointed.
The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies
throughout the Irish Free State for 138 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann
. For this election the number of seats in the Dáil was reduced by 15 from 153 to 138 seats.
Dissolution of parliament
In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time...
of the Dáil on 14 June. A plebiscite to ratify the Constitution of Ireland
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
was held on the same day. The newly elected 138 members of the 9th Dáil
Members of the 9th Dáil
This is a list of the members who were elected to the 9th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1937 general election on 1 July 1937 and met on 21 July 1937. The 9th Dáil was dissolved on 27 May 1938. The 9th Dáil lasted 351 days...
assembled at Leinster House
Leinster House
Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...
on 21 July 1937 when the new President of the Executive Council
President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...
and Executive Council
Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The Executive Council was the cabinet and de facto executive branch of government of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State. Formally, the role of the Executive Council was to "aid and advise" the Governor-General who would exercise the executive authority on behalf of the King...
of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
were appointed.
The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies
Parliamentary constituencies in the Republic of Ireland
The lower house of the Oireachtas , Dáil Éireann, contains 166 Teachtaí Dála , representing 43 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Republic of Ireland. Depending on its size, each constituency must have at least 3 members and a maximum of five members. The most recent ratio indicates that...
throughout the Irish Free State for 138 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann (Irish Free State)
Dáil Éireann served as the directly elected lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1937. The Free State constitution described the role of the house as that of a "Chamber of Deputies". Until 1936 the Free State Oireachtas also included an upper house known as the Seanad...
. For this election the number of seats in the Dáil was reduced by 15 from 153 to 138 seats.
Result
|}- Fianna Fáil government formed.
First time TDs
- Ernest BensonErnest BensonErnest Edmondson Benson was an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Townships constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 and 1943 general elections. He lost his seat at the 1944 general election.-References:...
- Cormac BreslinCormac BreslinCormac Breslin was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was born in Gweedore, County Donegal. He was educated at St. Eunan's College, Letterkenny. He was first elected to the Dáil in 1937 as a Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal West. He was re-elected at every election until his retirement in 1977. He...
- Patrick BrownePatrick Browne (Mayo politician)Patrick Browne was an Irish Fine Gael politician and farmer. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála for the Mayo North constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at each following general election until he lost his seat at the 1954 general...
- Thomas BurkeThomas Burke (Clare politician)Thomas Burke was an Irish independent politician. He was born in Dunshallagh, Miltown Malbay, County Clare and was well known in his locality as a bone-setter. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as an independent TD in the 1937 general election for the Clare constituency. He was re-elected on...
- Alfred P. ByrneAlfred P. ByrneAlfred Patrick Byrne was an Irish politician. A clerk by profession, he as first elected to Dáil Éireann as an independent Teachta Dála for Dublin North West at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 and 1943 general elections but lost his seat at the 1944 general election...
- Michael ColbertMichael ColbertMichael Colbert was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and farmer. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Limerick constituency at the 1937 general election. He lost his seat at the 1938 general election, but was subsequently elected to the 3rd Seanad on the...
- Matthew DavisMatthew Davis (politician)Matthew Davis was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Athlone–Longford constituency at the 1937 general election. He lost his seat at the 1938 general election.-References:...
- John EsmondeSir John Esmonde, 14th BaronetSir John Lymbrick Esmonde, 14th Baronet was an Irish nationalist politician who served as Member of Parliament in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and later as a Teachta Dála in Dáil Éireann....
- John FrielJohn FrielJohn Friel was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and merchant. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Donegal East constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at each subsequent election until he lost his seat at the 1951 general election.-References:...
- Archibald HeronArchibald HeronArchibald Heron was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade unionist. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency at the 1937 general election. He lost his seat at the 1938 general election.-References:...
- Timothy LinehanTimothy LinehanTimothy Linehan was an Irish Fine Gael politician. A solicitor, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Cork North constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 and 1943 general elections. He lost his seat at the 1944 general election.-References:...
- Gerrard McGowanGerrard McGowanGerrard L. McGowan was an Irish Labour Party politician. A solicitor by profession, he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Dublin County constituency at the 1937 general election. He did not contest the 1938 general election.-References:...
- John MunnellyJohn MunnellyJohn Munnelly was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A farmer, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Mayo North constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 general election. He died in October 1941 during the course of the 10th Dáil...
- Jeremiah RyanJeremiah RyanJeremiah Ryan was an Irish Fine Gael politician. A farmer, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 and 1943 general elections. He did not contest the 1944 general election...
- Laurence WalshLaurence WalshLaurence Joseph Walsh was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A farmer and merchant, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 general election but lost his seat at the 1943 general...
Outgoing TDs
- William BroderickWilliam BroderickWilliam Joseph Broderick was an Irish politician and farmer. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for the Cork East constituency at the 1932 general election. He was re-elected at the 1933 general election but lost his seat at the 1937 general election...
(Lost seat) - William BrowneWilliam Browne (Irish politician)William Frazer Browne was an Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Leitrim–Sligo constituency at the 1932 general election. He was re-elected at the 1933 general election but lost his seat at the 1937 general election.-References:...
(Lost seat) - Eamonn CooneyEamonn CooneyEamonn Cooney was an Irish politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency at the September 1927 general election. He was re-elected at the 1932 and 1933 general elections...
(Lost seat) - Robert DavittRobert DavittRobert Emmet Davitt was an Irish Fine Gael politician and medical practitioner. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for the Meath constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election. He was a son of Michael Davitt.-References:...
(Lost seat) - Hugh DohertyHugh Doherty (Irish politician)Hugh Doherty was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Donegal constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election.-References:...
(Retired) - Eamon DonnellyEamon DonnellyEamon Donnelly was an Irish politician.Born in Ulster and living in Newry, Donnelly was elected as an independent independent republican member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in Armagh at the 1925 general election. Shortly after his election, he was served with an order excluding him from...
(Retired) - Stephen JordanStephen Jordan (Irish politician)Stephen Jordan was an Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Galway constituency at the September 1927 general election...
(Lost seat) - Séamus KeelySéamus KeelySéamus P. Keely was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Galway constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election....
(Retired) - Patrick KehoePatrick KehoePatrick Kehoe was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and farmer. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Wexford constituency at the 1933 general election. He did not contest the 1937 general election. In the 1938 Seanad election, he was elected to the 2nd Seanad on the...
(Retired) - William KentWilliam Kent (Irish politician)William Rice Kent was an Irish politician. He was first elected as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Cork East constituency at the September 1927 general election. He lost his seat at the 1932 general election. He was elected as a National Centre Party TD at the 1933 general election...
(Retired) - James McGuireJames McGuire (Irish politician)James Ivan McGuire was an Irish politician and barrister-at-law. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency at the 1933 general election. He lost his seat at the 1937 general election.-References:...
(Lost seat) - Conor MaguireConor MaguireConor Alexander Maguire was an Irish politician, lawyer and judge. He was a founding member of the Legal and Economic Society in UCD in 1911; now known as the University College Dublin Law Society...
(Resigned on appointment as judge in 1936) - James MorrisroeJames MorrisroeJames Morrisroe was an Irish politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for the Mayo North constituency at the 1933 general election. He lost his seat at the 1937 general election.-References:...
(Lost seat) - Patrick MurphyPatrick Murphy (Irish politician)Patrick Stephen Murphy was an Irish politician and solicitor. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Cork East constituency at the 1932 general election. He was re-elected at the 1933 general election but lost his seat at the 1937 general election.-References:...
(Lost seat) - James ReidyJames ReidyJames Reidy was an Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála for the Limerick constituency at the 1932 general election. He was re-elected at the 1933 general election but lost his seat at the 1937 general election. At the 1938 general election,...
(Lost seat)
See also
- Members of the 9th DáilMembers of the 9th DáilThis is a list of the members who were elected to the 9th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1937 general election on 1 July 1937 and met on 21 July 1937. The 9th Dáil was dissolved on 27 May 1938. The 9th Dáil lasted 351 days...
- Government of the 9th DáilGovernment of the 9th DáilThe 9th Dáil was elected at the 1937 general election on 1 July 1937 and first met on 21 July when the 8th Executive Council was appointed. The 9th Dáil lasted for 351 days.-8th Executive Council of the Irish Free State:...
- Parliamentary Secretaries of the 9th DáilParliamentary Secretaries of the 9th DáilOn 21 July 1937, the 1st Government of Ireland was officially appointed by Dáil Éireann. The new Fianna Fáil government was led by Éamon de Valera, who appointed the following Parliamentary Secretaries.-Parliamentary Secretaries:-See also:* Minister of State...