Irish general election, 1961
Encyclopedia
The Irish general election of 1961 was held on 4 October 1961, just over three weeks after the dissolution
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 8 September. The newly elected members of the 17th Dáil
Members of the 17th Dáil
This is a list of the members who were elected to the 17th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1961 general election on 4 October 1961 and met on 11 October 1961. The 17th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the...

 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 11 October when the new Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...

 and government were appointed.

The general election took place in 38 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 Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 for 144 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

 which had been reduced in size by three seats from the previous election.

Campaign

The general election of 1961 saw the three main parties being led by three new leaders. Seán Lemass
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....

 had taken charge of Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...

 in 1959. It was also the first time Fianna Fáil faced a general election campaign without Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...

. James Dillon took over at Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

 in 1959 also, while the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

 was now under the leadership of Brendan Corish.

While the election was caused by the "crisis" surrounding Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

's application for membership of the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...

 and various other international affairs, little attention was paid to these matters during the campaign. While the 1961 general election has become known as the dullest campaign on record, with the most important issue being the teaching of the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 in schools. Fianna Fáil were fighting the election on their record in government and a reforming theme, Fine Gael presented itself as the party of free enterprise. The Labour Party campaigned strongly against the "conservative" Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties. It also favoured major expansion in the public sector. It was the first and only general election for the new National Progressive Democrats party led by Noël Browne
Noel Browne
Noël Christopher Browne was an Irish politician and doctor. He holds the distinction of being one of only five Teachtaí Dála to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. His controversial Mother and Child Scheme in effect brought down the First Inter-Party Government of John A...

.

Result

|}
  • Fianna Fáil minority government formed.


The opposition parties gained ground on Fianna Fáil, while Sinn Féin failed to defend the four seats it had won in the previous election.

First time TDs

  • Lorcan Allen
    Lorcan Allen
    Lorcan Allen is an Irish farmer and Fianna Fáil politician.Allen was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1961 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Wexford constituency. Aged just 21 years and 6 months at the time, he is the second youngest ever TD, after William J. Murphy...

  • Mark Clinton
    Mark Clinton
    Mark Anthony Clinton was an Irish Fine Gael politician.Clinton was born to a farming family at Moynalty, Kells, County Meath, in February, 1915. He was known as an accomplished Gaelic footballer in his youth and played on the Meath GAA team defeated in the 1939 All Ireland by Kerry...

  • George Colley
    George Colley
    George Colley was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a wide number of Cabinet poistions, most notably as Minister for Finance and Tánaiste. He was twice defeated for the leadership of Fianna Fáil in 1966 and 1979.-Early life:Colley was born in Fairview, on the northside of Dublin...

  • Patrick Connor
    Patrick Connor (Irish politician)
    Patrick Connor was an Irish Fine Gael Party politician who served for four years as a senator and eight years as a Teachta Dála ....

  • Paddy Harte
    Paddy Harte
    Paddy Harte, Honorary OBE, Honorary LLD is a retired Irish Fine Gael party politician who served for 36 years as Teachta Dála for Donegal North East.-Political career:...

  • Brian Lenihan
  • Tom O'Donnell
    Tom O'Donnell
    Thomas G. O'Donnell is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. He was born at Bulgaden, County Limerick and was educated at the Crescent College, Salesian College and University College Dublin where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree...

  • Séamus Pattison
    Séamus Pattison
    Séamus Pattison is a former Irish Labour Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1961–2007 and was Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1997–2002....

  • Eugene Timmons
    Eugene Timmons
    Eugene Timmons was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. An office worker, Timmons was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North East constituency at the 1961 general election having previously stood in the 1948, 1951 and 1954 general elections, but not the 1957 general...

  • Seán Treacy

By-elections

  • Paddy Belton
    Paddy Belton
    Patrick Belton was an Irish politician, company director and publican. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála at the Dublin North East by-election held on 30 May 1963 caused by the death of his brother Jack Belton. He was re-elected for Dublin North East at the 1965,...

     (May 1963)
  • Terence Boylan
    Terence Boylan (Irish politician)
    Terence Boylan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and businessman. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Kildare constituency at the 1964 by-election caused by the death of William Norton of the Labour Party...

     (February 1964)
  • Sheila Galvin
    Sheila Galvin
    Sheila Galvin was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Cork Borough constituency in the February 1964 by election caused by the death of her husband John Galvin. She did not contest the 1965 general election.-References:...

     (February 1964)
  • Joan Burke
    Joan Burke
    Joan T. Burke is a former Irish Fine Gael politician, farmer and nurse. She was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála for the Roscommon constituency at the July 1964 by-election caused by the death of her husband James Burke...

     (July 1964)
  • John Donnellan
    John Donnellan
    John F. Donnellan is a former Irish politician and sportsperson. He served as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Dáil Éireann for twenty-five years. He played Gaelic football with his local club Dunmore McHales and with the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1960s.-Early & private life:John...

     (December 1964)
  • Eileen Desmond
    Eileen Desmond
    Eileen Desmond, née Harrington was a senior Irish Labour Party politician. She served in the Dáil and the Seanad and the European Parliament, and was Minister for Health & Social Welfare from 1981 to 1982....

     (March 1965)

Outgoing TDs

  • Batt Donegan
    Batt Donegan
    Bartholomew "Batt" Donegan was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Cork in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála from 1957 to 1961, and a senator from 1963 to 1965....

     (Lost seat)
  • Patrick Giles
    Patrick Giles
    Patrick Giles was an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was born in 1899 on a family farm outside Longwood village in County Meath. During the War of Independence he was a member of the IRB , and was captain of the local Longwood Company. In 1920 he and some of his brothers took part in a raid on...

     (Retired)
  • Gus Healy
    Gus Healy
    Augustine A. Healy was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A dental laboratory proprietor, Healy was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Cork Borough constituency at the 1957 general election but failed to be re-elected in the 1961 general election and was instead...

     (Lost seat)
  • Denis Larkin
    Denis Larkin
    Denis Larkin was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official, and son of Dublin's most noted trade union leader, the Liverpool-born Jim Larkin, who died in 1948 . He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Dublin North East constituency at the 1954...

     (Lost seat)
  • Frank Loughman
    Frank Loughman
    Frank Loughman was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and pharmaceutical chemist who served as a Teachta Dála and Senator from the 1930s to the 1960s....

     (Lost seat)
  • Peadar Maher
    Peadar Maher
    Peadar Maher is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and publican who served as a Teachta Dála for Leix–Offaly constituency....

     (Retired)
  • James O'Toole
    James O'Toole (Irish politician)
    James O'Toole was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and publican who served as a Teachta Dála , representing the Wicklow constituency in Dáil Éireann. O'Toole was elected at the 1957 general election but lost his seat at the subsequent 1961 general election.-References:...

     (Lost seat)
  • Oscar Traynor
    Oscar Traynor
    Oscar Traynor was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and revolutionary. He served in a number of Cabinet positions, most notably as the country's longest-serving Minister for Defence....

     (Retired)

See also

  • Members of the 17th Dáil
    Members of the 17th Dáil
    This is a list of the members who were elected to the 17th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1961 general election on 4 October 1961 and met on 11 October 1961. The 17th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the...

  • Government of the 17th Dáil
    Government of the 17th Dáil
    The 17th Dáil was elected at the 1961 general election on 4 October 1961 and first met on 11 November when the 10th Government of Ireland was appointed...

  • Parliamentary Secretaries of the 17th Dáil
    Parliamentary Secretaries of the 17th Dáil
    On 11 November 1961 the 10th Government of Ireland was officially appointed by Dáil Éireann. The new Fianna Fáil government was led by the Taoiseach Seán Lemass, who appointed the following Parliamentary Secretaries.-Parliamentary Secretaries:-See also:...

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