Irish presidential election, 1973

The Irish presidential election of 1973 was held on 30 May 1973. Incumbent president Éamon de Valera was 90 years old and constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. His party Fianna Fáil sought to get former Tánaiste Frank Aiken to run for the presidency, but he declined. Under pressure, former Tánaiste Erskine H. Childers agreed to run. The odds-on favourite was Fine Gael deputy leader, Tom O'Higgins, who had come within 1% of defeating Éamon de Valera in the 1966 presidential election. In a political upset, Erskine H. Childers won the presidency.