Sligo–Leitrim is a
parliamentary constituency that has been represented in
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...
, the lower house of the Irish parliament or
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 and the two houses of the Oireachtas (): a house ...
, from the
2016 general election. The constituency elects four deputies (
Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
by means of the
single transferable vote
The single transferable vote (STV) or proportional-ranked choice voting (P-RCV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which each voter casts a single vote in the form of a ranked ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vot ...
(PR-STV). Another constituency of the same name existed from 1948 to 2007.
History and boundaries
1948–2007
The Sligo–Leitrim constituency was created under the
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947,
[ and first used at the 1948 general election. It replaced the two previous constituencies of ]Sligo
Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
and Leitrim, which had been created at the 1937 general election to replace the 1923–1937 Leitrim–Sligo constituency.
The constituency was abolished at the 2007 general election,[ and replaced by two new constituencies: Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim.
]
2016 onwards
The constituency was re-created for the 2016 general election. The change was implemented by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, following a recommendation of the Constituency Commission
The Constituency Commission () is an independent commission in Ireland which had advised on redrawing of constituency boundaries of Dáil constituencies for the election of members to Dáil Éireann (the house of representatives of the Oireacht ...
its 2012 report. It replaced the constituencies of Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim, and comprises all of County Sligo
County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...
; all of County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...
; nine electoral divisions of southern County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
, and thirty-six electoral divisions of western County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...
.[
This change proved controversial, and created an unusual cross-]province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
constituency, incorporating all or parts of four counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
. Some Cavan and Donegal voters felt unrepresented. One man shared a picture online of his spoiled ballot in the 2016 election, which read "I LIVE IN CAVAN!" Local newspaper '' The Anglo-Celt'' reported that several people had similarly spoiled their ballots, using the column of boxes to spell out the same message.
At the 2020 general election, the electoral divisions in County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...
were transferred to the Cavan–Monaghan constituency, and parts of County Roscommon
County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...
were added to Sligo–Leitrim instead.
In the Constituency Review Report 2023, the Electoral Commission
An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
recommended that the electoral divisions of Roscommon in the constituency should be transferred to the Roscommon–Galway constituency, while keeping the nine electoral divisions of southern Donegal.
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:
TDs
TDs 1948–2007
TDs since 2016
Elections
2024 general election
2020 general election
2016 general election
2002 general election
1997 general election
1992 general election
1989 general election
1987 general election
November 1982 general election
February 1982 general election
1981 general election
1977 general election
1973 general election
1969 general election
1965 general election
1961 general election
1961 by-election
Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Flynn died on 24 November 1960. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 1 March 1961.
1957 general election
1954 general election
1951 general election
1948 general election
See also
*Dáil constituencies
There are 43 multi-member electoral districts, known as Dáil constituencies, to elect 174 Teachta Dála, TDs to Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, Republic of Ireland, Ireland's parliament, on the system of propor ...
* Elections in the Republic of Ireland
*Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland, Ireland is a parliamentary system, parliamentary, representative democracy, representative democratic republic and a member state of the European Union. While the head of state is the popularly elected President of Irelan ...
* List of Dáil by-elections
*List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland
There are a number of political party, political parties in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and coalition governments are common. The two historically largest parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, arose from a split in the original History of Sinn ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sligo-Leitrim (Dail constituency)
Dáil constituencies
Politics of County Sligo
Politics of County Leitrim
1948 establishments in Ireland
2007 disestablishments in Ireland
Constituencies established in 1948
Constituencies disestablished in 2007
2016 establishments in Ireland
Constituencies established in 2016