1937 Irish general election

1937 Irish general election

1 July 1937
138 seats in Dáil Éireann 70 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	76.2% 5.1pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Éamon de Valera W. T. Cosgrave William Norton Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Leader since 26 March 1926 September 1934 19 July 1932 Leader's seat Clare Cork Borough Carlow–Kildare Last election 77 seats, 49.7% 59 seats, 39.6% 8 seats, 5.7% Seats won 69 48 13 Seat change 8 11 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 to the 9th Dáil was held on Thursday, 1 July, following the dissolution of the 8th Dáil on 14 June by Ceann Comhairle Frank Fahy on the direction of the Executive Council. The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies throughout the Irish Free State for 138 seats in Dáil Éireann. The number of seats in the Dáil was reduced by 15, from 153 to 138 seats, under the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935.

A plebiscite on whether to approve the new Constitution of Ireland was held on the same day. It was approved with the support of 56.5% of voters and would come into operation on 29 December 1937.

The 9th Dáil met at Leinster House on 21 July 1937 to elect the President of the Executive Council and approve the appointment of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State. Outgoing president Éamon de Valera was re-elected leading a single-party Fianna Fáil government.

Result

Election to the 9th Dáil – 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	William Norton	13	5	9.4	135,758	10.3	4.6
	Independent	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%	—

Voting summary

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

Seats summary

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

Changes in membership

First time TDs

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

Re-elected TDs

• Patrick Gorry
• Joseph Mongan

Defeated TDs

• William Broderick
• William Browne
• Eamonn Cooney
• Robert Davitt
• Stephen Jordan
• James McGuire
• James Morrisroe
• Patrick Murphy
• Patrick O'Dowd
• Margaret Mary Pearse
• James Reidy

Retiring TDs

• Hugh Doherty
• Eamon Donnelly
• Séamus Keely
• Patrick Kehoe
• William Kent

Vacancies

• Conor Maguire (Resigned on appointment as judge in 1936)

Government formation

Fianna Fáil formed a minority government, the 8th Executive Council of the Irish Free State, with the support of the Labour Party. This became the 1st Government of Ireland on 29 December 1937 on the coming into operation of the Constitution.

Seanad election

After the coming into operation of the Constitution, an election took place under Article 53 of the Constitution for the 2nd Seanad in March 1938.