1976 Dublin South-West by-election

A Dáil by-election was held in the constituency of Dublin South-West in Ireland on Thursday, 10 June 1976, to fill a vacancy in the 20th Dáil. It followed the death of Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) Noel Lemass on 13 April 1976.

The writ of election was moved by Fianna Fáil TD Patrick Lalor on 20 May 1976 and was agreed by the Dáil. A by-election in Donegal North-East was held the same day.

The Fianna Fáil candidate was Eileen Lemass, widow of the deceased TD. The by-election was won by the Labour candidate Brendan Halligan, who was a member of the 13th Seanad as a Taoiseach's nominee. This was the last by-election until the 2011 Dublin West by-election in which a government party won a seat which had been held by an opposition party.

At the 1977 general election, Halligan stood in the new Dublin Finglas constituency but was not elected, and was never subsequently re-elected to the Dáil. He briefly returned to the Seanad as a Taoiseach's nominee after the loss of his Dáil seat. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 1983 to 1984.

Result

Notes

References