1979 European Parliament election in Ireland

The 1979 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1979 European Parliament election. These were the first direct elections to the European Parliament, and the first election to be held simultaneously across the entire Island of Ireland since the 1921 Irish elections. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.

1979 European Parliament election in Ireland

7 June 1979 1984 →
elected members →
15 Irish seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	1,392,285 (63.6%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jack Lynch Garret FitzGerald Frank Cluskey Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Alliance EPD EPP SOC Leader since 9 November 1966 1977 1977 Seats won 5 / 15 4 / 15 4 / 15 Popular vote 464,451 443,652 193,898 Percentage 34.7% 33.1% 14.5%   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Neil Blaney Tomás Mac Giolla Party Independent Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin The Workers' Party Alliance CDI Leader since 1972 14 October 1962 Seats won 1 / 15 0 / 15 Popular vote 81,522 43,942 Percentage 6.1% 3.3%

Constituencies

Ireland was entitled to 15 MEPs who were elected on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) in four constituencies based on the provinces of Ireland:

• Connacht–Ulster (3 seats);
• Dublin (4 seats);
• Leinster (3 seats);
• Munster (5 seats).

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Fianna Fáil	464,451	34.68	5
	Fine Gael	443,652	33.13	4
	Labour Party	193,898	14.48	4
	Independent Fianna Fáil	81,522	6.09	1
	Sinn Féin The Workers' Party	43,942	3.28	0
	Independent	111,607	8.33	1
Total		1,339,072	100.00	15
Valid votes		1,339,072	96.18
Invalid/blank votes		53,213	3.82
Total votes		1,392,285	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,188,798	63.61

MEPs elected

Constituency	Name	Party		EP group
Connacht–Ulster	Neil Blaney		Independent Fianna Fáil		CDI
	Joe McCartin		Fine Gael		EPP
	Seán Flanagan		Fianna Fáil		EPD
Dublin	Richie Ryan		Fine Gael		EPP
	John O'Connell		Labour		SOC
	Síle de Valera		Fianna Fáil		EPD
	Michael O'Leary		Labour		SOC
Leinster	Mark Clinton		Fine Gael		EPP
	Patrick Lalor		Fianna Fáil		EPD
	Liam Kavanagh		Labour		SOC
Munster	T.J. Maher		Independent		ELDR
	Eileen Desmond		Labour		SOC
	Tom O'Donnell		Fine Gael		EPP
	Jerry Cronin		Fianna Fáil		EPD
	Noel Davern		Fianna Fáil		EPD

Voting details

Constituency	Electorate	Turnout	Spoilt	Valid Poll	Quota	Seats	Candidates
Connacht–Ulster	442,471	320,713 (72.5%)	14,547 (4.5%)	306,166	76,542	3	11
Dublin	618,454	304,068 (49.2%)	8,653 (2.8%)	295,415	59,084	4	13
Leinster	486,248	322,312 (66.30%)	15,416 (4.80%)	306,896	61,380	3	9
Munster	641,625	445,192 (69.40%)	14,597 (3.3%)	430,595	71,766	5	13
Total	2,188,798	1,392,285 (63.6%)	53,213 (3.8%)	1,339,072	—	15	46

Aftermath

Provisional Sinn Féin did not to contest the election. However, the relative success of Bernadette McAliskey in Northern Ireland helped prompt Sinn Féin to stand in subsequent European elections.