Irish general election, 1944
Encyclopedia
The Irish general election of 1944 was held on 30 May 1944, three weeks after the dissolution
of the Dáil on 9 May. The 138 newly elected members of the 12th Dáil
assembled on 9 June when the new Taoiseach
and government were appointed.
The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies
throughout Ireland
for 138 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann
. The election was fought while the Emergency Powers Act 1939
was still in force.
government on the second reading of the Transport Bill. The Taoiseach Éamon de Valera
, decided to call a snap general election, just one year after the last. It was a campaign that Fianna Fáil needed to have a more comfortable position in the Dáil, however, 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. A split in the Labour movement meant that the party was by no means ready to fight an election, and the results showed this.
Due to the fractured nature of the opposition, Éamon de Valera's tactic of calling a snap general election had succeeded, as it had in 1933 and 1938.
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 9 May. The 138 newly elected members of the 12th Dáil
Members of the 12th Dáil
This is a list of the members who were elected to the 12th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and met on 9 June 1944. The 12th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the...
assembled on 9 June 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 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 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 138 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 election was fought while the Emergency Powers Act 1939
Emergency Powers Act 1939
The Emergency Powers Act 1939 is an act of the Oireachtas enacted on 3 September 1939 after an official state of emergency had been declared on 2 September 1939...
was still in force.
Campaign
The general election of 1944 was caused by a defeat for the ruling Fianna FáilFianna 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 on the second reading of the Transport Bill. The Taoiseach 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...
, decided to call a snap general election, just one year after the last. It was a campaign that Fianna Fáil needed to have a more comfortable position in the Dáil, however, 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
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...
put forward the proposal of forming a coalition government with 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...
and Clann na Talmhan
Clann na Talmhan
Clann na Talmhan , abbreviated CnaT, was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965.- Formation and Growth :Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in Athenry, County Galway, in the wake of the breakdown of unification talks between the Irish Farmers Federation and...
, however, this was ridiculed by Fianna Fáil as untenable. A split in the Labour movement meant that the party was by no means ready to fight an election, and the results showed this.
Due to the fractured nature of the opposition, Éamon de Valera's tactic of calling a snap general election had succeeded, as it had in 1933 and 1938.
Result
|}- Fianna Fáil majority government formed.
First time TDs
- Thomas Brennan
- Harry Colley
- Eamonn CooganEamonn CooganEamonn Coogan was an Irish Fine Gael politician, barrister and Deputy Commissioner of the Garda Síochána. He was born in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Kilkenny constituency at the 1944 general election. He died during the 1948 general...
- Walter FurlongWalter FurlongWalter Furlong was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was elected on his second attempt, to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Cork Borough constituency at the 1944 general election...
- Michael LydonMichael LydonMichael F. Lydon was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A civil engineer, he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency at the 1944 general election. He was re-elected at the 1948 general election but lost his seat at the 1951 general election...
- Patrick McAuliffePatrick McAuliffePatrick McAuliffe was an Irish Labour Party politician. A farmer before entering politics, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Cork North constituency at the 1944 general election. He was re-elected at each subsequent general election until he lost his seat...
- John O'ConnorJohn O'Connor (Irish politician)John S. O'Connor was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A solicitor, he was elected on his second attempt, to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North West constituency at the 1944 general election. He lost his Dáil seat at the 1948 general election.-References:...
- Mary RyanMary Ryan (Irish politician)Mary Bridget Ryan was an Irish Fianna Fáil party politician and Teachta Dála . She was a member of Cumann na mBan and a founder member of Fianna Fáil....
- Patrick ShanahanPatrick ShanahanPatrick Shanahan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician.He was elected to the 12th Dáil as a TD for the Clare constituency in the December 1945 by-election to succeed Patrick Burke. He lost his seat in the 1948 general election.He died in 2000, aged 91.-External links:**...
(December 1945 by-election)
Re-elected TDs
- John A. CostelloJohn A. CostelloJohn Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957....
- Frank LoughmanFrank LoughmanFrank Loughman was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and pharmaceutical chemist who served as a Teachta Dála and Senator from the 1930s to the 1960s....
- Peter O'LoghlenPeter O'LoghlenPeter Joseph O'Loghlen was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A publican, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Clare constituency at the 1938 general election. He was lost his Dáil seat at the 1943 general election but was nominated by the Taoiseach to the 4th Seanad. He...
- Eamonn O'NeillEamonn O'Neill (Irish politician)Eamonn O'Neill was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal and later Fine Gael party politician, and TD for the Cork West constituency....
- 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...
- Richard WalshRichard WalshRichard Walsh was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Mayo South constituency at the September 1927 general election...
Outgoing 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:...
(Lost seat) - W. T. Cosgrave (Retired)
- 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....
(Lost seat) - 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:...
(Lost seat) - 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...
(Retired) - Richard StapletonRichard StapletonRichard Stapleton was an Irish Labour Party politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Tipperary constituency at the 1943 general election. He lost his seat at the 1944 general election....
(Lost seat)
See also
- Members of the 12th DáilMembers of the 12th DáilThis is a list of the members who were elected to the 12th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and met on 9 June 1944. The 12th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the...
- Government of the 12th DáilGovernment of the 12th DáilThe 12th Dáil was elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and first met on 9 June when the 4th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 12th Dáil lasted for 1,345 days.-4th Government of Ireland:...
- Parliamentary Secretaries of the 12th DáilParliamentary Secretaries of the 12th DáilOn 9 June 1944 the 4th Government of Ireland was officially appointed by Dáil Éireann. The new Fianna Fáil government was led by the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, who appointed the following Parliamentary Secretaries.-Parliamentary Secretaries:-See also:...