Meath West (Dáil constituency)

Meath West
Dáil constituency
Outline map
Location of Meath West within Ireland
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created2007
Seats3
TDs
  •   Aisling Dempsey (FF)
  •   Johnny Guirke (SF)
  •   Peadar Tóibín (Aon)
Local government areasCounty Meath
EP constituencyMidlands–North-West

Meath West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects three deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

History and boundaries

The constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 when the previous 5-seat Meath constituency was divided into two 3-seat constituencies of Meath East and Meath West.[1] It was first used at the 2007 general election to the 30th Dáil. The town of Kells was moved to Meath East at the 2011 general election. The part of County Westmeath in the constituency was moved to Longford–Westmeath at the 2024 general election.

It spans the western portions of County Meath, including the towns of Trim and Navan.[2]

For the 2024 general election, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:[3]

"The county of Meath, except the parts thereof which are comprised in the constituencies of Louth and Meath East."
Changes to the Meath West constituency 2007–present
Years TDs Boundaries Notes
2007–2011 3 County Meath, except that part in the constituency of Meath East,

and County Westmeath, except that part in the constituency of Longford–Westmeath.[1]

Created from Meath and Westmeath[4]
2011–2020 3 County Meath, except the parts in the constituencies of Louth and Meath East,

and County Westmeath, except that part in the constituency of Longford–Westmeath.[5][6]

Transfer to Meath East of[7][8]
Ceanannas Mór Urban, and of Ceanannas Mór Rural, Maperath and Staholmog in the former Rural District of Kells.
2020–2024 3 County Meath, except the parts in the constituencies of Cavan–Monaghan, Louth and Meath East,

and County Westmeath, except that part in the constituency of Longford–Westmeath.[9]

2024– 3 County Meath, except the parts in the constituencies of Louth and Meath East[3]
Transfer to Longford–Westmeath of[10]
Ballinlough, Ballyhealy, Ballynaskeagh, Bracklin, Clonarney, Collinstown, Copperalley, Delvin, Faughalstown, Fore East, Fore West, Hilltown, Kilcumny, Killua, Killulagh, Kilpatrick, Kinturk, Riverdale, Rosmead in the former Rural District of Kells in County Westmeath.

TDs

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Meath West 2007–
Key to parties
Dáil Election Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)
30th 2007[11] Johnny Brady
(FF) 		Noel Dempsey
(FF) 		Damien English
(FG)
31st 2011[12] Peadar Tóibín[a]
(SF) 		Ray Butler
(FG)
32nd 2016[13] Shane Cassells
(FF)
33rd 2020[14] Peadar Tóibín
(Aon) 		Johnny Guirke
(SF)
34th 2024[15] Aisling Dempsey
(FF)

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.

  1. ^ Left Sinn Féin 15 November 2018; formed Aontú 28 January 2019.

Elections

^ *: Outgoing TD

2024 general election

2024 general election: Meath West[15][16]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Sinn Féin Johnny Guirke[*] 22.8 8,604 8,899 9,887    
Aontú Peadar Tóibín[*] 20.1 7,563 8,038 8,334 10,054  
Fianna Fáil Aisling Dempsey 17.3 6,535 6,683 7,116 8,454 8,806
Fine Gael Linda Murray Nelson 16.4 6,164 6,393 6,841 7,823 8,098
Independent Noel French 10.5 3,969 4,298 5,045    
Social Democrats Ronan Moore 6.7 2,542 3,244      
Green Séamus McMenamin 1.5 568        
PBP–Solidarity Finbar Lynch[a] 1.4 505        
Labour Sandy Gallagher 1.1 420        
Liberty Republic Ben Gilroy 1.1 416        
The Irish People Ian McGauley 0.6 216        
Independent Damien Reilly 0.5 203        
Electorate: 65,148   Valid: 37,705   Spoilt: 230   Quota: 9,427   Turnout: 58.2%  
  1. ^ Lynch is a member of People Before Profit.

2020 general election

2020 general election: Meath West[14][17][18][19][20]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sinn Féin Johnny Guirke 30.5 12,652          
Aontú Peadar Tóibín[*] 17.6 7,322 8,249 8,616 9,075 9,714 11,410
Fianna Fáil Shane Cassells[*] 16.2 6,742 6,926 7,117 7,311 7,644 8,224
Fine Gael Damien English[*] 13.2 5,499 5,604 6,513 6,802 8,699 9,558
Fine Gael Noel French 7.1 2,952 3,006 3,361 3,534    
Social Democrats Ronan Moore 5.7 2,376 2,931 3,045 4,141 4,569  
Green Séamus McMenamin 4.7 1,935 2,224 2,380      
Fine Gael Sarah Reilly 4.4 1,817 1,897        
Renua John Malone 0.5 209 290        
Electorate: 67,982   Valid: 41,504   Spoilt: 320   Quota: 10,377   Turnout: 61.5%  

2016 general election

2016 general election: Meath West[21][22][13]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Fianna Fáil Shane Cassells 27.4 10,585          
Sinn Féin Peadar Tóibín[*] 24.5 9,442 9,713        
Fine Gael Damien English[*] 21.0 8,123 8,333 8,376 8,785 8,880 10,371
Fine Gael Ray Butler[*] 11.5 4,432 4,519 4,552 4,853 4,904 5,841
Independent Trevor Golden 4.5 1,718 1,844 1,984 2,137 2,616  
Green Séamus McMenamin 3.7 1,421 1,519 1,587 1,807 2,178  
Direct Democracy Alan Lawes 3.3 1,279 1,310 1,380 1,440    
Labour Tracy McElhinney 3.0 1,166 1,229 1,241      
Independent John Malone 1.1 439 486        
Electorate: 64,600   Valid: 38,605   Spoilt: 315   Quota: 9,652   Turnout: 38,920 (60.3%)  

2011 general election

2011 general election: Meath West[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Fine Gael Damien English[*] 23.1 9,290 9,609 10,122    
Sinn Féin Peadar Tóibín 17.4 6,989 7,421 7,711 8,155 9,112
Labour Jenny McHugh 13.5 5,432 5,852 6,040 6,794 7,798
Fine Gael Ray Butler 13.1 5,262 5,414 5,574 7,879 8,926
Fine Gael Catherine Yore 9.7 3,898 4,072 4,208    
Fianna Fáil Johnny Brady[*] 9.4 3,789 3,874 6,065 6,437  
Fianna Fáil Shane Cassells 8.7 3,496 3,631      
Green Fiona Irwin 1.2 479        
Independent Stephen Ball 1.2 475        
Independent Dáithí Stephens 1.0 387        
Independent Ronan Carolan 0.6 258        
Christian Solidarity Manus MacMeanmain 0.6 234        
Workers' Party Séamus McDonagh 0.5 189        
Electorate: 62,776   Valid: 40,178   Spoilt: 413 (1.0%)   Quota: 10,045   Turnout: 40,591 (64.7%)  

2007 general election

2007 general election: Meath West[11]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fianna Fáil Noel Dempsey[*] 29.7 12,006            
Fianna Fáil Johnny Brady[*] 21.9 8,868 10,178          
Fine Gael Damien English[*] 17.9 7,227 7,427 7,566 7,856 8,527 9,548 12,934
Sinn Féin Joe Reilly 11.3 4,567 4,697 4,803 5,024 5,187 5,588 6,015
Fine Gael Peter Higgins 8.0 3,234 3,335 3,424 3,534 3,960 4,379  
Labour Brian Collins 4.0 1,634 1,663 1,734 2,097 2,181    
Fine Gael Graham Geraghty 3.2 1,284 1,326 1,360 1,420      
Green Brian Flanagan 2.5 1,011 1,047 1,194        
Independent Phil Cantwell 1.3 506 544          
Fathers Rights Paul Coleman 0.3 127 130          
Electorate: 56,267   Valid: 40,464   Spoilt: 388 (0.9%)   Quota: 10,117   Turnout: 40,852 (72.6%)  

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005, Schedule (No. 16 of 2005, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Meath East and Meath West" (PDF). Government of Ireland. Tailte Éireann. 8 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023, Schedule (No. 40 of 2023, Schedule). Enacted on 19 December 2023. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 16 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Report on Dáil Constituencies, 2004" (PDF). Constituency Commission. pp. 26–27. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, Schedule (No. 4 of 2009, Schedule). Enacted on 24 February 2009. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 August 2022.
  6. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, Schedule (No. 7 of 2013, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Report on Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies 2007" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 23 October 2007. p. 64. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Constituency Commission Report 2012: Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  9. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, Schedule (No. 39 of 2017, Schedule). Enacted on 23 December 2017. Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 25 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Constituency Review Report 2023" (PDF). Electoral Commission. pp. 64, 136. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  11. ^ a b "General election 2007: Meath West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  12. ^ a b "General election 2011: Meath West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  13. ^ a b "General election 2016: Meath West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  14. ^ a b "General election 2020: Meath West". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  15. ^ a b "General election 2024: Meath West". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  16. ^ "General Election 2024 Results – Meath West". RTÉ News. December 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  17. ^ "General Election 2020 Results – Meath West". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Meath West: 2020 General Election". Irelandelection.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  19. ^ Walsh, Louise (10 February 2020) [9 February 2020]. "Meath West results: Surprise at Fianna Fáil loss as seismic shift to left". The Irish Times. Dublin. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Election 2020: Meath West". The Irish Times. Dublin. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Meath West Results 2016". Irelandelection.com. Irelandelection.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Meath West Results 2016". RTÉ. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.