Connacht–Ulster (European Parliament constituency)

Connacht–Ulster
European Parliament constituency
Shown within Ireland
Member state Ireland
Created 1979
Dissolved 2004
MEPs 3
Sources

Connacht–Ulster was a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland between 1979 and 2004. It elected 3 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (PR-STV). Connacht-Ulster is still often used to analyse election results by region.[1]

History and boundaries

The constituency was created in 1979 for the first direct elections to the European Parliament. It comprised the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo from the historic province of Connacht together with the Ulster counties of Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan.[2] It was abolished under the European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2004 and succeeded by the new North-West constituency.[3]

Continued use in political analysis

Although the constituency was abolished in 2004, Connacht-Ulster is still often used when analysing election results by region, as in this analysis of the results by region of the 2018 Referendum to legalise abortion.[1]

MEPs

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for Connacht–Ulster 1979–2009
Key to parties
Parl.ElectionMember
(Party)		Member
(Party)		Member
(Party)
1st1979[4] Neil Blaney
(IFF)		 Seán Flanagan
(FF)		 Joe McCartin
(FG)
2nd1984[5] Ray MacSharry
(FF)
1987[6] Mark Killilea
(FF)
3rd1989[7] Neil Blaney
(IFF)
4th1994[8] Pat "the Cope" Gallagher
(FF)
5th1999[9] Dana Rosemary Scallon
(Ind)
2002[10] Seán Ó Neachtain
(FF)
6th2004 Constituency abolished. See North-West

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

1999 election

1999 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[9]
PartyCandidate% 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
Fianna Fáil Pat "the Cope" Gallagher[10] 20.6 66,055 66,381 66,902 72,673 98,258  
Fine Gael Joe McCartin 19.9 63,632 63,811 64,506 68,388 72,764 75,275
Independent Dana Rosemary Scallon 16.0 51,086 51,366 52,802 59,444 67,887 72,855
Independent Marian Harkin 14.8 47,372 47,712 48,632 56,141 60,316 64,152
Fianna Fáil Noel Treacy 15.0 47,933 48,060 48,470 51,544    
Sinn Féin Seán MacManus 6.4 20,457 20,571 20,801      
Labour Party Gerard Gibbons 3.3 10,522 10,827 10,972      
Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan 1.6 5,000 5,539 5,650      
Independent Liam Sharkey 1.7 5,334 5,404        
Natural Law Paul Campbell 0.6 1,920          
Independent Paul Raymond 0.3 840          
Electorate: 541,552   Valid: 320,151   Spoilt: 12,085 (3.6%)   Quota: 80,038   Turnout: 332,236 (61.4%)

    Mark Killilea retired and his seat was gained by Independent Dana Rosemary Scallon.

    1994 election

    1994 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[8]
    Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
    Fianna Fáil Pat "the Cope" Gallagher 53,171 22.9 1 4
    Fianna Fáil Mark Killilea 45,638 19.6 2 5
    Fine Gael Joe McCartin 38,039 16.4 3 5
    Fine Gael Jim Higgins 30,947 13.3
    Labour Party Ann Gallagher 19,826 8.5
    Progressive Democrats Bobby Molloy 21,219 9.1
    Sinn Féin Pat Doherty 13,939 6.0
    Green Party Richard Douthwaite 8,628 3.7
    Natural Law Mary Louise Lacey 1,223 0.5
    Electorate: 496,352   Valid: 232,630   Spoilt: 4,971 (2.1%)   Quota: 58,158   Turnout: 237,601 (47.9%)

    Pat "the Cope" Gallagher of Fianna Fáil gained the seat vacated by Neil Blaney.

    1989 election

    1989 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[7]
    Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
    Fine Gael Joe McCartin 46,523 14.9 1 9
    Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 52,852 16.9 2 9
    Fianna Fáil Mark Killilea 53,842 17.2 3 9
    Fianna Fáil Seán Doherty 48,288 15.5
    Progressive Democrats Bobby Molloy 40,476 13.0
    Fine Gael Paddy Harte 30,745 9.8
    Fine Gael Angela Lupton 10,165 3.3
    Sinn Féin Pat Doherty 7,716 2.5
    Workers' Party Jimmy Brick 6,173 2.0
    Sinn Féin Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin 4,969 1.6
    Labour Party Ivan McPhillips 4,759 1.5
    Workers' Party Seamus Rodgers 4,097 1.3
    Sinn Féin Dermot Guy 1,697 0.5
    Electorate: 464,661   Valid: 312,302   Spoilt: 10,362 (3.2%)   Quota: 78,076   Turnout: 322,664 (69.4%)

    Neil Blaney regained his seat at the expense of Fianna Fáil.

    1984 election

    1984 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[5]
    Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
    Fianna Fáil Ray MacSharry[6] 56,803 24.1 1 7
    Fine Gael Joe McCartin 51,164 21.7 2 8
    Fianna Fáil Seán Flanagan 40,760 17.3 3 9
    Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 32,504 13.8
    Fine Gael Joseph Murrin 20,107 8.5
    Sinn Féin Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin 6,103 2.6
    Labour Party Michael D. Higgins 8,337 3.5
    Fine Gael Pól Ó Foighil 7,144 3.0
    Sinn Féin Eddie Fullerton 5,771 2.5
    Sinn Féin Mary McGing 4,176 1.8
    Workers' Party Jimmy Brick 2,612 1.1
    Electorate: 471,577   Valid: 235,481   Spoilt: 5,763 (2.4%)   Quota: 58,871   Turnout: 241,244 (51.2%)

    Neil Blaney lost his seat to Ray MacSharry of Fianna Fáil.

    1979 election

    1979 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[4]
    Party Candidate 1st Pref % Seat Count
    Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 81,522 26.6 1 1
    Fianna Fáil Seán Flanagan 38,233 12.5 2 7
    Fine Gael Joe McCartin 47,519 15.5 3 7
    Fine Gael Patrick Cooney 33,360 10.9
    Fianna Fáil Jim Doolan 27,739 9.1
    Fine Gael Myles Staunton 32,485 10.6
    Fianna Fáil Sean McEniff 25,774 8.4
    Labour Party Michael D. Higgins 13,062 4.3
    Sinn Féin - The Workers' Party Tony Coffey 3,329 1.1
    Sinn Féin - The Workers' Party Séamus Rodgers 2,696 0.9
    Independent Christopher Morris 447 0.2
    Electorate: 442,471   Valid: 306,166   Spoilt: 14,547 (4.5%)   Quota: 76,542   Turnout: 320,713 (72.5%)

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 "Referendum 2018". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    2. ↑ "European Assembly Elections Act, 1977: Schedule (Constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
    3. ↑ "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2004: Schedule (Constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
    4. 1 2 "1979 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
    5. 1 2 "1984 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
    6. 1 2 Ray MacSharry resigned on 10 March 1987 and was substituted by Mark Killilea (FF / EDA) on 24 March 1987.
    7. 1 2 "1989 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
    8. 1 2 "1994 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
    9. 1 2 "1999 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
    10. 1 2 Pat "the Cope" Gallagher was substituted by Seán Ó Neachtain (FF / UEN) on 2 July 2002, following the 2002 general election.

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