2011 Dublin West by-election

2011 Dublin West by-election
27 October 2011
Turnout36,391 (58.3%)
 
Nulty
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 –
TD before election

Brian Lenihan Jnr
Fianna Fáil

 TD after election

Patrick Nulty
Labour

A Dáil by-election was held in the constituency of Dublin West in Ireland on Thursday, 27 October 2011,[1] to fill a vacancy in the 31st Dáil. It followed the death of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) Brian Lenihan Jnr on 10 June 2011.[2]

The 2011 Irish presidential election and two constitutional referendums were held on the same day. The Labour candidate Patrick Nulty was elected on the fifth 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][14]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345
Labour Patrick Nulty[7] 24.3 8,665 8,885 10,186 13,027 17,636
Fianna Fáil David McGuinness[15] 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[16] 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.[17] 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.[18][19]

It was the first time since the 1982 Galway East by-election that a candidate of a governing party won a by-election, and the first since the 1976 Dublin South-West by-election to have transferred a seat from an opposition party to a government party.[20] The result left Fianna Fáil with no TDs in Dublin city and County.[21]

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "Dublin West by-election". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Dublin West: 2011 by-election". Ireland Election. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ "Donnelly gets Sinn Féin nod for Dublin West by-election". Belfast Telegraph. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "Electoral Act, 1992, sec. 122 (3)". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑ "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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