Irish general election, 1977
Encyclopedia
The Irish general election of 1977 was held on 16 June 1977 and is regarded as a pivotal point in twentieth century Irish politics. The general election took place in 42 parliamentary constituencies
throughout Ireland
for 148 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann
. The number of seats in the Dáil was increased by 4 from 144 to 148. The newly elected 148 members of the 21st Dáil
assembled at Leinster House
on 5 July when a new Fianna Fáil
government replaced the incumbent Fine Gael
–Labour Party
coalition, with Jack Lynch
becoming Taoiseach
.
–Labour Party
coalition looked set to defy political history by winning an unprecedented second term. This belief was further augmented following the so-called "Tullymander
" of parliamentary constituencies. This refers to the Minister for Local Government James Tully, and his scheme of redrawing every constituency in the country in an effort to maximise the vote for the coalition partners. For instance in Dublin there were thirteen three-seat constituencies. It was hoped that the coalition partners would win two of the seats, leaving Fianna Fáil
with only one seat. A similar tactic was used in rural areas where the party was at its strongest.
As a result of this, Fianna Fáil and its leader, Jack Lynch
, believed that they couldn't win the general election. The party drew up a manifesto which offered the electorate a string of financial and economic "sweeteners", encouraging them to vote for Fianna Fáil. Some of the promises that were offered included the abolition of rates on houses, the abolition of car tax and the promise of reducing unemployment to under 100,000. Lynch agreed to the manifesto because he believed that the party needed something dramatic if it were to win the election. This was not the case.
In addition many Republican
voters were angered by what they saw as Cosgrave's harsh line on the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(PIRA) and the handling of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
which resulted in the perpetrators walking scott-free. Both the Irish Times and the Irish Press, which was then edited by Tim Pat Coogan
, were extremely critical of the government's curtailment of freedom of speech and in particular of the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs Conor Cruise O'Brien
which was used against the PIRA.
The Fianna Fáil campaign was based on the American
model. Lynch travelled the length and breadth of the country, accompanied by his followers. His popularity was at its highest, and it soon became clear that the manifesto was unnecessary. Lynch's popularity alone was Fianna Fáil's biggest electoral asset. The party slogan, "Bring Back Jack", even played on Lynch's huge appeal.
In contrast to Fianna Fáil, the government parties of Fine Gael and the Labour Party fought the general election on their record in government. The redrawing of the constituency boundaries also gave them hope for success, however, they offered little else to the electorate apart from the policies they had been pursuing for the previous four years.
While towards the end of the campaign Fianna Fáil were expected to win the general election, nobody predicted the scale of that victory. An unprecedented twenty-seat majority in Dáil Éireann for Fianna Fáil saw the National Coalition
swept from power in the biggest political hurricane in Irish history at the time. Only Éamon de Valera
had ever done better, but only once out of 13 elections. Following the election defeat the leaders of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, Liam Cosgrave
and Brendan Corish resigned as leaders of their respective parties, the first occasion in which a defeated Taoiseach
or Tánaiste
had done so.
"Tullymandering" was widely blamed for the scale of the coalition's defeat as the constituency boundaries had given them many seats that would be lost on only a small drop in their share of the vote. The new government established an independent commission
to carry out future boundary revisions.
Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil
(13,824 votes, 1 seat) and the Community group in Dublin (9,427 votes).
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 148 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...
. The number of seats in the Dáil was increased by 4 from 144 to 148. The newly elected 148 members of the 21st Dáil
Members of the 21st Dáil
This is a list of the members who were elected to the 21st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and met on 5 July 1977. The 21st Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, 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 5 July when a new 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...
government replaced the incumbent 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...
–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...
coalition, with Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
becoming 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...
.
Campaign
In spite of having faced some controversial issues during its term of office, the ruling Fine GaelFine 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...
–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...
coalition looked set to defy political history by winning an unprecedented second term. This belief was further augmented following the so-called "Tullymander
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974
The Electoral Act 1974 was a review of parliamentary constituencies passed in the Republic of Ireland by the governing Fine Gael–Labour Party National Coalition. It was intended to secure their re-election, but instead backfired disastrously resulting in a landslide victory for their main...
" of parliamentary constituencies. This refers to the Minister for Local Government James Tully, and his scheme of redrawing every constituency in the country in an effort to maximise the vote for the coalition partners. For instance in Dublin there were thirteen three-seat constituencies. It was hoped that the coalition partners would win two of the seats, leaving 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...
with only one seat. A similar tactic was used in rural areas where the party was at its strongest.
As a result of this, Fianna Fáil and its leader, Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
, believed that they couldn't win the general election. The party drew up a manifesto which offered the electorate a string of financial and economic "sweeteners", encouraging them to vote for Fianna Fáil. Some of the promises that were offered included the abolition of rates on houses, the abolition of car tax and the promise of reducing unemployment to under 100,000. Lynch agreed to the manifesto because he believed that the party needed something dramatic if it were to win the election. This was not the case.
In addition many Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
voters were angered by what they saw as Cosgrave's harsh line on the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(PIRA) and the handling of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
Dublin and Monaghan Bombings
The Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 17 May 1974 were a series of car bombings in Dublin and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The attacks killed 33 civilians and wounded almost 300 – the highest number of casualties in any single day during the conflict known as The Troubles.A loyalist...
which resulted in the perpetrators walking scott-free. Both the Irish Times and the Irish Press, which was then edited by Tim Pat Coogan
Tim Pat Coogan
Timothy Patrick Coogan is an Irish historical writer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist. He served as editor of the Irish Press newspaper from 1968 to 1987...
, were extremely critical of the government's curtailment of freedom of speech and in particular of the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien
Conor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions...
which was used against the PIRA.
The Fianna Fáil campaign was based on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model. Lynch travelled the length and breadth of the country, accompanied by his followers. His popularity was at its highest, and it soon became clear that the manifesto was unnecessary. Lynch's popularity alone was Fianna Fáil's biggest electoral asset. The party slogan, "Bring Back Jack", even played on Lynch's huge appeal.
In contrast to Fianna Fáil, the government parties of Fine Gael and the Labour Party fought the general election on their record in government. The redrawing of the constituency boundaries also gave them hope for success, however, they offered little else to the electorate apart from the policies they had been pursuing for the previous four years.
While towards the end of the campaign Fianna Fáil were expected to win the general election, nobody predicted the scale of that victory. An unprecedented twenty-seat majority in Dáil Éireann for Fianna Fáil saw the National Coalition
Government of the 20th Dáil
The 20th Dáil was elected at the 1973 general election on 28 February 1973 and first met on 14 March when the 14th Government of Ireland was appointed...
swept from power in the biggest political hurricane in Irish history at the time. Only 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...
had ever done better, but only once out of 13 elections. Following the election defeat the leaders of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, Liam Cosgrave
Liam Cosgrave
Liam Cosgrave is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach and as Leader of Fine Gael . He was a Teachta Dála from 1943 to 1981....
and Brendan Corish resigned as leaders of their respective parties, the first occasion in which a defeated 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...
or Tánaiste
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
had done so.
"Tullymandering" was widely blamed for the scale of the coalition's defeat as the constituency boundaries had given them many seats that would be lost on only a small drop in their share of the vote. The new government established an independent commission
Constituency Commission
The Constituency Commission is an independent statutory body in Ireland, whose remit is to make a report in relation to the constituencies for the election of members to Dáil Éireann and of members to the European Parliament from Ireland...
to carry out future boundary revisions.
Result
|}Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil
Independent Fianna Fáil
Independent Fianna Fáil was a splinter republican party created by Neil Blaney after his expulsion from Fianna Fáil following the Irish Arms Crisis . It ceased to exist on 26 July 2006...
(13,824 votes, 1 seat) and the Community group in Dublin (9,427 votes).
- Fianna Fáil majority government formed. Turnout: 76%
First time TDs
A total of 42 TDs were elected for the first time:- Bertie AhernBertie AhernPatrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
- Kit AhernKit AhernCatherine Ita "Kit" Ahern was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician from Ballybunion in County Kerry....
- Niall AndrewsNiall AndrewsNiall Andrews was an Irish politician. He served as a Teachta Dála and Member of the European Parliament for the Fianna Fáil party....
- Liam AylwardLiam AylwardLiam Aylward is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a Member of the European Parliament for the East constituency. He was a Teachta Dála for Carlow–Kilkenny from 1977–2007....
- John Boland
- Gerard BradyGerard BradyGerard Brady is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Education in November and December 1982.Gerard Brady was born in Dublin in 1936. He was educated at St. Mary's College in Rathmines and later at the College of Science and Technology and the College of Pharmacy in the...
- Vincent BradyVincent BradyVincent Brady is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served under Taoiseach Charles Haughey as Government Chief Whip and Minister for Defence .Vincent Brady was born in Dublin in 1936...
- Barry CoganBarry Cogan (politician)Barry Cogan is a retired Irish Fianna Fáil party politician who served as a Teachta Dála for 4 years and a Senator for less than one year....
- Hugh ConaghanHugh ConaghanHugh Conaghan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and transport official. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the Donegal North East by-election on 10 June 1976. He was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1977 general election as Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for the Donegal constituency...
- Michael Joe CosgraveMichael Joe CosgraveMichael Joe Cosgrave is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North East constituency, and also served as a local councillor.Cosgrave was educated at St...
- Michael D'ArcyMichael D'ArcyMichael D'Arcy is a retired Irish Fine Gael politician, and a former TD for the Wexford constituency.He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1977 general election and held it until the 1987 general election when he lost it to Brendan Howlin of the Labour Party...
- Síle de ValeraSíle de ValeraSíle de Valera , is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was first elected a Teachta Dála in 1977 serving as a member of Dáil Éireann until 1981, and then again from 1987 to 2007, as well as being a Member of the European Parliament for Dublin from 1979 to 1984...
- Austin DeasyAustin DeasyAustin Deasy is a former Irish Fine Gael politician representing Waterford constituency as Teachta Dála until his retirement at the 2002 general election....
- Seán Doherty
- Eddie FilgateEddie FilgateEdward "Eddie" Filgate is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served for 5 years as Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. Filgate was first elected to the 21st Dáil at the 1977 general election. He was re-elected twice, at the 1981 and the February 1982 general elections...
- Jim FitzsimonsJim FitzsimonsJames Fitzsimons is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician.A publican from Navan, County Meath, who was educated at St...
- Pádraig FlynnPadraig FlynnPádraig "Pee" Flynn is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála in 1977. He was returned at each subsequent election until 1993...
- Joe Fox
- John HorganJohn Horgan (academic)John S. Horgan is the Press Ombudsman in the Republic of Ireland. An author and former Labour Party politician who served from 1969 to 1981 as a senator and then as a Teachta Dála , he was Professor of Journalism at Dublin City University before taking up the ombudsman post in 2007.- Political...
- Michael KeatingMichael Keating (Irish politician)Michael Keating is a former Irish politician.-Early life:Michael Keating was born in Dublin in 1946. He was educated at the Christian Brothers O'Connell School, University College Dublin and St. Patrick's College in Maynooth where he received a Bachelor of Arts...
- Seán KeeganSeán KeeganSean Keegan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A farmer from Kilbeggan, his father had been active in the Irish War of Independence. He was elected to Westmeath County Council in 1955. He contested his first general election in 1965 at the behest of Seán Lemass...
- Patrick KerriganPatrick KerriganPatrick Kerrigan was an Irish Labour Party Senator and then Teachta Dála who died in office.A trade union official, Kerrigan was an unsuccessful candidate in the Cork City North West constituency at the 1969 general election. He lost again at the 1973 general election, when a Fine Gael-Labour...
- Timothy KilleenTimothy KilleenTimothy Killeen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A company secretary, Killeen stood in the 1969 and 1973 general elections but was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Artane constituency at the 1977 general election...
- Mark Killilea, JnrMark Killilea, JnrMark Killilea, Jnr is a former Irish Fianna Fáil party politician from County Galway. In a 30-year political career, served as a Teachta Dála and Member of the European Parliament and also as a Senator....
- Liam LawlorLiam LawlorLiam Aloysius Lawlor was an Irish politician who resigned from the Fianna Fáil political party following a finding by a Party standards committee that he had failed to co-operate with its investigation into planning irregularities, and subsequently came into conflict with the Mahon Tribunal.-Early...
- Eileen LemassEileen LemassEileen Lemass is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician.Eileen Delaney was born in Dublin in 1932. She was educated at St. Kevin's School, the National College of Art, Grafton Academy of Dress Designing and the Abbey Theatre School of Acting. She first became involved in politics in 1974 when she...
- Tom Leonard
- Terry LeydenTerry LeydenTerry Leyden is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. Formerly a Teachta Dála , he is currently a member of Seanad Éireann.He was elected to Roscommon County Council in 1974, and re-elected in 1979 and 1985...
- Michael LipperMichael LipperMichael Lipper was an Irish Labour Party politician who served for four years as an independent TD for the Limerick East constituency....
- John Mannion, JnrJohn Mannion, JnrJohn Martin Mannion was an Irish Fine Gael party politician from Clifden, County Galway. He was a Teachta Dála for four years and a senator for 10 years....
- Charlie McCreevyCharlie McCreevyCharles "Charlie" McCreevy is a former Irish politician. He was the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2004–2010. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1977 and held the seat in Kildare until 2004 when he became Ireland's European Commissioner...
- Jim Mitchell
- P. J. MorleyP. J. MorleyPatrick Joseph Morley , known as P.J. Morley, is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician.Morley is a retired primary school teacher and former TD from Claremorris, County Mayo...
- William O'BrienWilliam O'Brien (Fine Gael)William O'Brien was a Fine Gael politician from County Limerick in Ireland. He was a senator from 1969 to 1977, and then a Teachta Dála for Limerick West from 1977 to 1987....
- Martin O'DonoghueMartin O'DonoghueMartin O'Donoghue is a former Irish politician and economist. He also served as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála and holds the distinction of being one of only five TDs to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil...
- Rory O'HanlonRory O'HanlonRory O'Hanlon is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from 1977 until 2011, and also served in a range of cabinet positions and as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann....
- Jim O'KeeffeJim O'KeeffeJim O'Keeffe is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for Cork South West constituency from 1977 to 2011....
- Paddy O'ToolePaddy O'ToolePaddy J. O'Toole is a former Irish politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann on his second attempt at the 1977 general election as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála for Mayo East. O'Toole was just one of a handful of new Fine Gael TD's in what has gone down in history as the biggest landslide...
- Ruairi QuinnRuairi QuinnRuairi Quinn is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Education and Skills since March 2011. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency. He was Minister for Finance from 1994 to 1997, and leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002.-Early...
- Albert ReynoldsAlbert ReynoldsAlbert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...
- Joe WalshJoe Walsh (Irish politician)Joe Walsh is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for Cork South West and was first elected as a TD at the 1977 general election. He lost his seat in 1981 but regained it again in 1982 and served as a TD until retiring at the 2007 general election...
- Michael Woods
Outgoing TDs
- Liam BurkeLiam BurkeLiam Burke was an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the constituency of Cork North Central. Burke was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1969 general election for Cork City North West. After the constituencies were redrawn, he stood at the 1977 general election in the new...
(Lost seat) - Ruairí BrughaRuairi BrughaRuairí Brugha was an Irish Republican and IRA volunteer who became a Fianna Fáil politician, serving as a Teachta Dála , senator and Member of the European Parliament .- Family and early life :...
(Lost seat) - Justin KeatingJustin KeatingJustin Keating was an Irish Labour Party politician, broadcaster, journalist, lecturer and veterinary surgeon. In later life he was President of the Humanist Association of Ireland....
(Lost seat) - Conor Cruise O'BrienConor Cruise O'BrienConor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions...
(Lost seat) - Seán FlanaganSeán FlanaganSeán Flanagan was an Fianna Fáil politician and Gaelic footballer in Ireland. He served under Taoiseach Jack Lynch as Minister for Health and Minister for Lands .-Early life and education:...
(Lost seat) - Richard GoganRichard GoganRichard Gogan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A home assistance officer, Gogan was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency at the 1954 general election having previously stood in the 1948 election and the 1951 election...
(Lost seat) - Gus HealyGus HealyAugustine 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...
(Retired) - Brigid Hogan-O'HigginsBrigid Hogan-O'HigginsBrigid Hogan-O'Higgins is a retired Irish Fine Gael politician, who served for twenty years as a member of Dáil Éireann for constituencies in County Galway....
(Lost seat) - Eugene TimmonsEugene TimmonsEugene 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...
(Lost seat)
See also
- Members of the 21st DáilMembers of the 21st DáilThis is a list of the members who were elected to the 21st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and met on 5 July 1977. The 21st Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the...
- Government of the 21st DáilGovernment of the 21st DáilThe 21st Dáil was elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and first met on 5 July when the 15th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 21st Dáil lasted for 1,456 days.-15th Government of Ireland:...
- Ministers of State of the 21st DáilMinisters of State of the 21st DáilOn 5 July 1977 the 15th Government of Ireland was officially appointed by Dáil Éireann. The new Fianna Fáil government was led by the Taoiseach Jack Lynch, who appointed the following Parliamentary Secretaries....
- Gerrymandering in Ireland