2011 Dublin West by-election

A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann Dublin West constituency in Ireland on Thursday 27 October 2011,[1] following the death of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) and former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan Jnr on 10 June 2011.[2] The 2011 Irish presidential election and two constitutional referendums were held on the same day.

2011 Dublin West by-election
27 October 2011
Turnout36,391 (58.3%)
 
Nominee Patrick Nulty David McGuinness Ruth Coppinger
Party Labour Party 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 –
 
Nominee Eithne Loftus Paul Donnelly Roderic O'Gorman
Party Fine Gael Sinn Féin Green Party
First preferences 5,263 3,173 1,787
Percentage 14.7 8.9 5.0
Final count – – –
 
Nominee Barry Caesar Hunt John Frank Kidd Gary Bermingham
Party Independent Independent Independent
First preferences 775 311 185
Percentage 2.2 0.9 0.5
Final count – – –
Dublin West shown within County Dublin
TD before election

Brian Lenihan Jnr
Fianna Fáil

 Elected TD

Patrick Nulty
Labour Party

Patrick Nulty of the Labour Party was elected after a prolonged 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]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5
Labour Party Patrick Nulty[7] 24.3 8,665 8,885 10,186 13,027 17,636
Fianna Fáil David McGuinness[14] 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[15] 8.9 3,173 3,309      
Green Party 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.[16] 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.[17][18]

    It was the first time since July 1982 – when Noel Treacy won a seat in Galway East – that a candidate of a governing party won a by-election.[19] The result left Fianna Fáil with no TDs in Dublin city and County.[20]

    See also

    References
    1. "Dublin West by-election set for 27 October". RTÉ News. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
    2. "Brian Lenihan dead from pancreatic cancer at 52". Irish Independent. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
    3. "Nominations close for Dublin West by-election". RTÉ News. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
    4. Reilly, Gavan (12 October 2011). "13 names in the running for Dublin West by-election". thejournal.ie. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
    5. Duncan, Pamela (14 September 2011). "Running mate of Lenihan to contest Dublin West for FF". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
    6. "FG select Dublin West by-election candidate". RTÉ News. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
    7. "Nulty to contest by-election for Labour". Irish Examiner. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
    8. Kelly, Fiach (12 September 2011). "Socialist by-election candidate holds on to her teaching post". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
    9. "First candidates named in Dublin West by-election". The Journal. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
    10. Mary Minihan & Cian Nihill (9 September 2011). "Councillor warns against FG byelection 'carpetbagger'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
    11. "Candidates to step up canvassing". The Irish Times. 4 October 2011.
    12. "31st Dáil - Dublin West". Elections Ireland. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
    13. "Dublin West by-election". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
    14. "David McGuinness to contest by-election for FF". RTÉ News. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
    15. "Donnelly gets Sinn Féin nod for Dublin West by-election". Belfast Telegraph. 9 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
    16. "Full recount ordered in Dublin West by-election". TheJournal.ie. 28 October 2011.
    17. "Electoral Act, 1992, sec. 122 (3)". Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
    18. "Labour's Pat Nulty elected in Dublin West". Irish Independent. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
    19. O'Halloran, Marie (29 October 2011). "Labour wins Dublin byelection". The Irish Times.
    20. "Nulty elected in Dublin West". Irish Examiner. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
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