City council Dublin City Council | EP constituency Dublin | |
Seats 5 (1981–1992)
4 (1992–2016)
3 (2016–) TDs Paschal Donohoe (FG)
Mary Lou McDonald (SF)
Maureen O'Sullivan (Ind) Abolished Irish general election, 1977 Created Irish general election, 1981, Irish general election, 1969 | ||
Dublin Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs). The method of election is the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (PR-STV).
Contents
History
A Dublin Central constituency was created for the first time in 1969 and used at the 1969 and 1973 general elections. It originally spanned both sides of the River Liffey and took in inner city Dublin. It was abolished in 1977 as part of the Tullymander with the constituency being divided between Dublin North-Central, Dublin Cabra and Dublin South-Central. In its current incarnation, the seat was created in 1980, taking in most of the abolished Dublin Cabra constituency together with the inner half of Dublin North-Central and smaller parts of the abolished Dublin Finglas.
Boundaries
1981-1987: In the county borough of Dublin the wards of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ballybough A, Ballybough B, Cabra East A, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West B, Clontarf West D, Clontarf West E, Drumcondra South A, Drumcondra South B, Drumcondra South C, Glasnevin A, Glasnevin B, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock A, North Dock B, North Dock C, Rotunda A, Rotunda B; and parts of the wards of Cabra West A and Cabra West C.
1987-1992: In the county borough of Dublin the wards of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ballybough A, Ballybough B, Cabra East A, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West A, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Cabra West E, Clontarf West D, Clontarf West E, Drumcondra South A, Drumcondra South B, Drumcondra South C, Glasnevin A, Glasnevin B, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock A, North Dock B, North Dock C, Rotunda A, Rotunda B.
1992-1997: In the county borough of Dublin the wards of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ashtown A, Ashtown B, Botanic C, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Chapelizod, Decies, Inchicore A, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Kilmainham A, Kilmainham B, Kilmainham C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock B, North Dock C, Phoenix Park, Rotunda A, Rotunda B, Ushers A, Ushers F; and parts of the wards of Cabra East A and Cabra West A.
1997-2002: In the county borough of Dublin the wards of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ashtown A, Ashtown B, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Chapelizod, Cherry Orchard A, Cherry Orchard B, Cherry Orchard C, Decies, Drumfinn, Inchicore A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Kilmainham A, Kilmainham B, Kilmainham C, Kylemore, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock C, Phoenix Park, Rotunda A, Rotunda B, Ushers A, Ushers F; and parts of the wards of Cabra West A and Inns Quay A.
2002-2007: In the county borough of Dublin the electoral divisions of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ashtown A, Ashtown B, Ballybough A, Ballybough B, Botanic A, Botanic B, Botanic C, Cabra East A, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West A, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Drumcondra South B, Drumcondra South C, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock A, North Dock B, North Dock C, Phoenix Park, Rotunda A, Rotunda B.
2007-2016: In the city of Dublin the electoral divisions of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ashtown A, Ashtown B, Ballybough A, Ballybough B, Botanic A, Botanic B, Botanic C, Cabra East A, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West A, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Drumcondra South B, Drumcondra South C, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock A, North Dock B, North Dock C, Rotunda A, Rotunda B; and part of the electoral division of Phoenix Park.
2016–present: In the city of Dublin the electoral divisions of Arran Quay A, Arran Quay B, Arran Quay C, Arran Quay D, Arran Quay E, Ballybough A, Ballybough B, Cabra East A, Cabra East B, Cabra East C, Cabra West A, Cabra West B, Cabra West C, Cabra West D, Drumcondra South B, Inns Quay A, Inns Quay B, Inns Quay C, Mountjoy A, Mountjoy B, North City, North Dock A, North Dock B, North Dock C, Rotunda A, Rotunda B.
The Dublin Central constituency is located in the north inner city and suburbs of Dublin and encompasses an area to the north side of the river Liffey including: Stoneybatter, Mountjoy Square, Phibsborough, Cabra, Dorset Street, Henrietta Street, O'Connell Street, Arbour Hill, Navan Road, Glasnevin, North Wall, East Wall and Drumcondra. It comprises the local government areas of Ballymun, North Inner City and Cabra-Finglas.
Constituency profile
Dublin Central is regarded as one of the most social and ethnically diverse constituencies in Ireland. It contains Dublin's main shopping district and financial areas. The constituency consists of largely working class areas such as East Wall, North Strand, Summerhill, Ballybough, Sheriff Street and Cabra with more suburban middle class Glasnevin and Lower Drumcondra on the northern fringes of the constituency.
For many years it was the constituency of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern who won the first seat in the constituency at every election from its creation in 1981 until his retirement in 2011. It was a highly competitive constituency with the Labour Party, Sinn Féin and left-wing independents such as Tony Gregory drawing much support. Following the 2011 general election Fianna Fáil are not represented in the constituency.
TDs 1969–1977
Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.
TDs since 1981
Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.
2009 by-election
Following the death of independent TD Tony Gregory, a by-election was held on 5 June 2009. It was won by Independent candidate Maureen O'Sullivan.
1983 by-election
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD George Colley, a by-election was held on 23 November 1983. It was won by Fianna Fáil candidate Tom Leonard.