1937 Irish general election

1937 Irish general election

1 July 1937
137 of 138 seats in Dáil Éireann 70 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	76.2% 5.1pp
First party Second party Third party   105px Leader Éamon de Valera W. T. Cosgrave William Norton Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Party Leader since 26 March 1926 September 1934 19 July 1932 Leader's seat Clare Cork Borough Kildare Last election 76 seats, 49.7% 59 seats, 39.6% 8 seats, 5.7% Seats before 79 56 8 Seats won 68 48 13 Seat change 11 8 5 Popular vote 599,040 461,171 135,758 Percentage 45.2% 34.8% 10.3% Swing 4.5% 4.8% 4.6%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the three major parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents.
President of the Executive Council before election Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil President of the Executive Council after election Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil

The 1937 Irish general election was held on 1 July 1937, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 14 June. A plebiscite on whether to approve the new Constitution of Ireland was held on the same day. The newly elected 138 members of the 9th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 21 July 1937 when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of the Irish Free State were appointed. Fianna Fáil retained power, though it failed to achieve an outright majority.

The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Irish Free State for 138 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann.

For this election the number of seats in the Dáil was reduced by 15, from 153 to 138 seats.

Result

9th Irish general election – 1 July 1937

Party		Leader	Seats	±	% of seats	First Pref votes	% FPv	±%
	Fianna Fáil	Éamon de Valera	69	–8	50.0	599,040	45.2	–4.5
	Fine Gael	W. T. Cosgrave	48	–11	34.8	461,171	34.8	–4.8
	Labour Party	William Norton	13	+5	9.4	135,758	10.3	+4.6
style="background-color: Template:Independent politicians in Ireland/meta/color; width: 1px;" |	[[Independent politicians in Ireland|Template:Independent politicians in Ireland/meta/shortname]]	N/A	8	–1	5.8	128,480	9.7	+4.7
Spoilt votes						27,824	—	—
Total			138	–15	100	1,352,273	100	—
Electorate/Turnout						1,775,055	76.2%	—

• Fianna Fáil minority government formed.

Voting summary

First preference vote
Fianna Fáil			45.23%
Fine Gael			34.82%
Labour			10.25%
Independent			9.70%

Seats summary

Assembly seats
Fianna Fáil			50.00%
Fine Gael			34.78%
Labour			9.42%
Independent			5.80%

First time TDs

• Ernest Benson
• Cormac Breslin
• Patrick Browne
• Thomas Burke
• A. P. Byrne
• Michael Colbert
• Matthew Davis
• John Esmonde
• John Friel
• Archibald Heron
• Timothy Linehan
• Gerrard McGowan
• John Munnelly
• Jeremiah Ryan
• Laurence Walsh

Re-elected TDs

• Patrick Gorry
• Joseph Mongan

Outgoing TDs

• William Broderick (Lost seat)
• William Browne (Lost seat)
• Eamonn Cooney (Lost seat)
• Robert Davitt (Lost seat)
• Hugh Doherty (Retired)
• Eamon Donnelly (Retired)
• Stephen Jordan (Lost seat)
• Séamus Keely (Retired)
• Patrick Kehoe (Retired)
• William Kent (Retired)
• James McGuire (Lost seat)
• Conor Maguire (Resigned on appointment as judge in 1936)
• James Morrisroe (Lost seat)
• Patrick Murphy (Lost seat)
• Patrick O'Dowd (Lost seat)
• Margaret Mary Pearse (Lost seat)
• James Reidy (Lost seat)

See also

• Members of the 9th Dáil
• Government of the 9th Dáil
• Parliamentary Secretaries of the 9th Dáil