The 1965 Irish general election to the

18th Dáil 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...

was held on Wednesday, 7 April, following the

dissolution Dissolution may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books * ''Dissolution'' (''Forgotten Realms'' novel), a 2002 fantasy novel by Richard Lee Byers * ''Dissolution'' (Sansom novel), a 2003 historical novel by C. J. Sansom Music * Dissolution, in mu ...

of the

17th Dáil 17 (seventeen) is the natural number following 16 and preceding 18. It is a prime number. Seventeen is the sum of the first four prime numbers. In mathematics 17 is the seventh prime number, which makes seventeen the fourth super-prime, as s ...

on 18 March by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of governm ...

on the request of

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

Seán Lemass Seán Francis Lemass (born John Francis Lemass; 15 July 1899 – 11 May 1971) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1959 to 1966. He also served as Tánaiste from 1957 to 1959, 1951 to 1954 ...

. The general election took place in 38

Dáil constituencies There are 39 multi-member electoral districts, known as Dáil constituencies, that elect 160 TDs (members of parliament), to Dáil Éireann, Ireland's lower house of the Oireachtas, or parliament, by means of the single transferable vote, ...

throughout Ireland for 144 seats in

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

, the house of representatives of the

Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas ...

. The governing

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...

saw a slight increase, though did not obtain a majority. The 18th Dáil met at

Leinster House Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...

on 21 April to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new

government of Ireland The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

. Lemass was re-appointed Taoiseach, forming the

11th Government of Ireland 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

, a single-party minority

government.

Campaign

The general election of 1965 was caused by the ruling

party's failure to gain a seat in a by-election. The success of

Eileen Desmond Eileen Christine Desmond (; 29 December 1932 – 6 January 2005) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Health and Minister for Social Welfare from 1981 to 1982. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1965 to 1969, 19 ...

of the Labour Party in Cork Mid in holding a seat previously held by her husband

Dan Desmond Daniel Desmond (3 October 1913 – 9 December 1964) was an Irish Labour Party politician and Teachta Dála (TD) for seventeen years. Early life Desmond was born on 3 October 1913 in Crosshaven, County Cork, the second child of two sons and f ...

, led to an unacceptable mathematical situation with regard to the government's majority. The Taoiseach,

immediately dissolved the Dáil and the campaign began in earnest. Fianna Fáil ran its campaign on its record in government. Over the last number of years the economy had seen a huge improvement and the party played up on its record in government. The party also played up heavily on the personality of the party leader with the slogan "Let Lemass Lead On".

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

put forward a comprehensive manifesto, which included the establishment of a government department concerned with economic planning. However, the older, conservative members of the party did not warm to the new turn the party was taking.

Television and radio

This was the first Irish general election to be covered on television by state broadcaster

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

, which had formed on 31 December 1961. ''Election Newsroom'' was broadcast live on Telefís Éireann from their Donnybrook studios in Dublin, presented by John O'Donoghue with analysis provided by John Healy (''The Irish Times''), John O'Sullivan (''The Cork Examiner''),

Garret FitzGerald Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987, and ...

and Professor Basil Chubb. Cameras were present in four count centres: Bolton Street (Dublin), Wexford, Cork and Monaghan. The GPO provided direct links as results were announced. Raidió Éireann provided special coverage from 3 pm on the day of the count due to the coverage on Telefís Éireann. It was a new approach to election coverage on the state's radio service, which began broadcasting in 1926.

Result

Voting summary

Seats summary

Government formation and aftermath

formed the

, a single-party government led by

as Taoiseach. Lemass had been in office since 1959. James Dillon resigned as leader of Fine Gael immediately after the result was announced. In November 1966, Lemass resigned as Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach, and was succeeded in both positions by

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, Minister ...

, who formed the

12th Government of Ireland 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

Changes in membership

First time TDs

* David Andrews *

Luke Belton Luke Belton (9 August 1918 – 18 June 2006) was an Irish Fine Gael politician. A publican from Rathcline, County Longford, he unsuccessfully contested the 1961 general election and was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta ...

Ben Briscoe Ben Briscoe (born 11 March 1934) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for 37 years, representing constituencies in the south Dublin city area. Member of Dáil Éireann Briscoe was first elected to Dáil Éirea ...

Flor Crowley Florence Crowley (27 December 1934 – 16 May 1997) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for thirteen years, and a Senator for five years. Family An auctioneer from Bandon, County Cork, Crowley was an accomplished ...

* Tom Fitzpatrick (Cavan) * Tom Fitzpatrick (Dublin) * James Kennedy *

Patrick Lenihan Patrick James Lenihan (4 September 1902 – 11 March 1970) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Longford–Westmeath constituency from 1965 to 1970. He held the distinction of being the only parent t ...

Gerry L'Estrange Mathew Gerrard L'Estrange (7 November 1917 – 5 April 1996) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Defence from June 1981 to November 1981. He served as a Teachta Dála ...

* Michael Lyons *

Bobby Molloy Robert Molloy (9 July 1936 – 2 October 2016) was an Irish politician who served as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Renewal and Minister of State to the Government from 1997 to 2002, Minister for Energy from 1989 to 1992, Minister for ...

* John O'Connell * Michael O'Leary *

Pearse Wyse Pearse Wyse (2 March 1923 – 28 April 2009) was an Irish politician, a long-serving member of Fianna Fáil who was later an early member of the Progressive Democrats. He was born in Cork in 1923, son of John Wyse (or Wise), pawnbroker's clerk ...

Re-elected TDs

Gus Healy Augustine A. Healy (20 May 1904 – 10 July 1987) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A dental laboratory proprietor, Healy was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork Borough constituency at the 195 ...

Denis Larkin Denis Larkin (1908 – 2 July 1987) was an Irish Labour Party (Ireland), Labour Party politician and trade union official. He was the son of Dublin trade union leader, James Larkin. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta ...

Outgoing TDs

Gerald Bartley Gerald Bartley (12 June 1898 – 18 April 1975) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for the Gaeltacht and Minister for Defence from 1959 to 1965. He was a TD for the Galway and Galway West constituencies from 1932 unt ...

(Retired) * Seán Brady (Lost seat) * Robert Briscoe (Retired) *

Dan Breen Daniel Breen (11 August 1894 – 27 December 1969) was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. In later years he was a Fianna Fáil politician. Background Breen was born in Grang ...

(Retired) *

Joseph Blowick Joseph Blowick (13 March 1903 – 12 August 1970) was an Irish Clann na Talmhan politician who served as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Minister for Lands from 1948 to 1951 and 1954 to 1957 and Clann na Talmhan, Leader ...

(Retired) *

John Moher John W. Moher (7 February 1909 – 10 November 1985) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, auctioneer and farmer who was a member of Dáil Éireann representing the Cork East (Dáil constituency), Cork East constituency. He was the son of Willia ...

(Lost seat) *

Denis J. O'Sullivan Denis James O'Sullivan (5 March 1918 – 20 July 1987) was an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at his second attempt at the 1951 general election. He served as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) for various Cork c ...

(Lost seat) * James Ryan (Retired) *

Eugene Timmons Eugene Timmons (died 13 May 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He attended St. Joseph's Secondary C.B.S. in Fairview. An office worker, Timmons was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin ...

(Lost seat)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irish General Election, 1965 1965 elections in Europe General election, 1965 1965 in Irish politics

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

18th Dáil April 1965 events in Europe