Limerick was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas elected on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). From 1923 to 1948, it represented the whole city and county of Limerick. On its second creation, from 2011 to 2016, it represented the rural part of the county of Limerick, other than in its neighbouring constituencies of Kerry North–West Limerick and Limerick City.

History and boundaries

1923–1948

The constituency was first created as a 7-seat constituency under the Electoral Act 1923 for the 1923 general election to Dáil Éireann; those elected comprised the 4th Dáil. It succeeded the constituencies of Limerick City–Limerick East and Kerry–Limerick West which were used to elect members to the 2nd Dáil and the 3rd Dáil. It covered Limerick city and all of County Limerick. It was abolished under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947, when it was replaced by the two new constituencies of Limerick East and Limerick West.

2011–2016

The Constituency Commission proposed in 2007 that at the next general election a new constituency called Limerick be created. It was established by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009 when it partially replaced the former constituencies of Limerick East and Limerick West. Most of the rural parts of the Limerick East constituency were transferred to the Limerick constituency and the western parts of the Limerick West constituency were transferred to the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency. It was represented only at the 2011 general election, electing 3 TDs. The 2009 Act defined the constituency as: It was abolished at the 2016 general election and replaced by the Limerick County constituency.

TDs

TDs 1923–1948

TDs 2011–2016

Elections

2011 general election

1944 general election

1943 general election

1938 general election

1937 general election

1933 general election

1932 general election

The number of and full figures for later counts are not available. Bennett, Bourke, Colbert, Crowley, O'Shaughnessy, Reidy and Ryan were all elected.

September 1927 general election

June 1927 general election

1924 by-election

Following the resignation of Cumann na nGaedheal TD Richard Hayes, a by-election was held on 28 May 1924. The seat was won by the Cumann na nGaedheal candidate Richard O'Connell.

1923 general election

Full figures for the remaining 16 counts are not available. The following are the number of votes unsuccessful candidates had at the time of their elimination though the counts which some eliminations occurred are unknown due to data being unavailable; Mackey 143, Larkin 509, J. O'Brien 766, Cleary 996, O'Callaghan 1,159, W. O'Brien 1,273, Walshe 1,706, Laffin 2,197, Colivet 2,249, Quaide 2,468, Keyes 2,808 and Smyth 3,509 Michael Gallagher notes that newspapers at the time reported there was a 'discrepancy' with the original first count results, leading to a recount. The results below are of the first count which occurred so may not be fully accurate, the results of the recount are unavailable.