Dáil constituency (1937–2016)
Kerry South was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann , the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas , from 1937 to 2016. The constituency elected 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála , commonly known as TDs). The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
History and boundaries [ edit ]
The constituency was located in the southern half of County Kerry taking in the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas, including the towns of Killarney , Dingle , Cahirciveen , Killorglin and Kenmare .[ 1]
It was established by the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935 when the former Kerry constituency was divided into the constituencies of Kerry North and Kerry South. It was first used at the 1937 general election electing 9th Dáil .
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009 defined the constituency as:[ 1]
"The county of Kerry, except the part thereof which is comprised in the constituency of Kerry North–West Limerick ."
It was abolished at the 2016 general election and replaced by the new Kerry constituency.
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.
2011 general election [ edit ]
2011 general election : Kerry South[ 28]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fine Gael
Brendan Griffin
19.8
8,808
8,943
10,014
10,865
12,636
Independent
Michael Healy-Rae
15.0
6,670
6,789
7,412
9,146
10,129
10,326
Independent
Tom Fleming
14.5
6,416
6,548
7,357
8,746
10,389
10,697
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
13.3
5,917
5,960
6,200
Fine Gael
Tom Sheahan
12.8
5,674
5,736
6,577
7,326
8,668
9,409
SKIA
Michael Gleeson
11.1
4,939
5,222
6,378
7,037
Labour
Marie Moloney
11.1
4,926
5,132
Green
Oonagh Comerford
0.9
401
Independent
Richard Behal
0.8
348
Independent
Dermot Finn
0.6
281
Electorate: 59,629 Valid: 44,380 Spoilt: 299 (0.7%) Quota: 11,096 Turnout: 44,679 (74.9%)
2007 general election [ edit ]
2007 general election : Kerry South[ 27]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
23.4
9,128
9,407
9,956
Fianna Fáil
Tom Fleming
17.3
6,740
6,972
7,221
7,278
8,393
8,855
Independent
Jackie Healy-Rae
15.4
5,993
6,356
6,828
6,882
8,526
9,315
Fine Gael
Tom Sheahan
14.3
5,600
5,819
7,927
7,960
11,010
Labour
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
13.5
5,263
5,904
6,774
6,827
Fine Gael
Séamus Cosaí FitzGerald
10.7
4,195
4,419
Sinn Féin
Lynn Ní Bhaoigheallain
3.5
1,375
Green
John Hickey
1.9
738
Electorate: 53,660 Valid: 39,032 Spoilt: 293 (0.8%) Quota: 9,759 Turnout: 39,325 (73.3%)
2002 general election [ edit ]
2002 general election : Kerry South[ 26]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
25.8
9,445
Fianna Fáil
Tom Fleming
18.9
6,912
6,995
7,255
7,407
7,593
8,276
8,381
Independent
Jackie Healy-Rae
17.0
6,229
6,455
6,819
6,893
7,147
8,409
8,584
Labour
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
14.5
5,307
5,480
5,946
5,979
6,432
9,442
Fine Gael
Séamus Cosaí FitzGerald
12.4
4,539
4,732
4,791
4,811
6,083
Fine Gael
Sheila Casey
5.3
1,934
2,033
2,216
2,220
Independent
Donal Grady
3.7
1,346
1,449
Independent
Donal Barry
2.5
934
Electorate: 51,761 Valid: 36,646 Spoilt: 376 (1.0%) Quota: 9,162 Turnout: 37,022 (61.0%)
1997 general election [ edit ]
1997 general election : Kerry South[ 25] [ 29]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Independent
Jackie Healy-Rae
20.3
7,220
7,563
8,131
8,318
9,163
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
20.3
7,204
7,280
7,408
7,487
10,346
Labour
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
14.1
4,988
5,265
5,550
5,898
6,250
6,706
9,960
Independent
Breandan MacGearailt
11.8
4,172
4,265
4,402
4,547
4,686
5,332
5,975
Fianna Fáil
Brian O'Leary
11.5
4,079
4,248
4,464
4,493
Fine Gael
Aidan O'Connor
8.6
3,041
3,204
3,353
4,578
4,729
4,904
Fine Gael
Jim Kelly
5.2
1,847
1,928
2,060
Independent
P. J. Cronin
4.4
1,557
1,717
SKIA
Michael Gleeson
3.9
1,388
Electorate: 48,164 Valid: 35,496 Spoilt: 303 (0.9%) Quota: 8,875 Turnout: 35,799 (74.3%)
1992 general election [ edit ]
1992 general election : Kerry South[ 24] [ 30]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
26.4
8,263
Labour
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
24.1
7,537
7,613
7,649
7,747
7,843
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
19.5
6,113
6,407
6,420
6,470
6,535
7,407
Fine Gael
Michael Connor-Scarteen
11.4
3,576
3,601
3,617
3,640
3,660
4,030
Fine Gael
Paul Coghlan
8.5
2,658
2,668
2,682
2,706
2,715
3,274
Independent
P. J. Cronin
7.9
2,481
2,497
2,518
2,549
2,625
Sinn Féin
Dan Daly
1.1
331
333
335
353
Independent
Pól O'Críocháin
0.9
267
270
277
Independent
Liam West
0.4
112
114
Electorate: 44,591 Valid: 31,338 Spoilt: 486 (1.5%) Quota: 7,835 Turnout: 31,824 (71.4%)
1989 general election [ edit ]
1989 general election : Kerry South[ 23] [ 31]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
26.8
8,398
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
26.7
8,375
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
20.7
6,477
6,503
7,103
7,226
7,412
Labour
Michael Moynihan
20.5
6,408
6,468
7,125
7,570
7,929
Progressive Democrats
John Kelly
4.7
1,458
1,494
Independent
Barbara Hyland
0.6
202
Electorate: 43,159 Valid: 31,318 Quota: 7,830
1987 general election [ edit ]
1987 general election : Kerry South[ 22] [ 32]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
23.6
7,839
7,857
7,929
8,139
8,175
8,669
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
16.9
5,606
5,613
5,646
5,687
5,733
6,171
9,212
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
15.2
5,036
5,057
5,112
5,157
5,791
6,952
7,849
8,199
Labour
Michael Moynihan
13.7
4,559
4,581
4,705
4,971
5,074
6,055
6,580
6,945
Fianna Fáil
Breandan Mac Gearailt
13.5
4,481
4,489
4,571
4,637
4,652
4,947
Progressive Democrats
Michael C. Ahern
9.7
3,215
3,233
3,371
3,534
3,654
Fine Gael
Denis Sheahan
2.7
910
914
939
975
Workers' Party
Seán O'Grady
2.2
735
741
898
Green
Marcus Counihan
2.1
708
721
Independent
James Falvey
0.4
122
Electorate: 42,701 Valid: 33,211 Quota: 8,303 Turnout: 77.8%
November 1982 general election [ edit ]
November 1982 general election : Kerry South[ 21] [ 33]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
24.0
7,898
7,900
7,937
8,088
8,143
8,148
8,154
8,303
Labour
Michael Moynihan
23.1
7,609
7,620
7,690
8,052
8,247
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
22.8
7,524
7,532
7,556
7,613
8,252
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
21.9
7,201
7,215
7,232
7,282
7,298
7,300
7,302
7,715
Fine Gael
Tom Randles
2.7
890
893
908
927
Independent
Joseph O'Shea
2.6
845
850
874
929
941
951
955
Workers' Party
Seán O'Grady
2.1
679
687
729
Independent
Colm O'Sullivan
0.7
236
238
Independent
Stephen Doyle
0.2
57
Electorate: 41,941 Valid: 32,939 Quota: 8,235 Turnout: 78.5%
February 1982 general election [ edit ]
February 1982 general election : Kerry South[ 20] [ 34]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
23.1
7,510
7,515
7,758
7,764
8,811
Labour
Michael Moynihan
21.6
7,038
7,077
7,732
7,877
8,285
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
20.8
6,758
6,770
8,292
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
15.3
4,977
4,999
5,100
5,105
7,094
Fianna Fáil
Tom Fitzgerald
10.8
3,523
3,544
3,582
3,585
Fine Gael
Michael Connor Scarteen
7.9
2,584
2,599
Independent
Stephen Doyle
0.4
141
Electorate: 41,807 Valid: 32,531 (77.8%) Spoilt: 279 (0.9%) Quota: 8,133 Turnout: 32,810 (78.5%)
1981 general election [ edit ]
1981 general election : Kerry South[ 19] [ 35]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Labour
Michael Moynihan
24.5
8,221
8,624
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
22.0
7,383
7,550
7,757
9,036
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
18.3
6,144
6,401
7,741
8,195
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
14.0
4,702
4,888
4,980
6,904
Fianna Fáil
John O'Donoghue
11.3
3,780
4,150
4,248
Fine Gael
Patrick O'Connor
5.3
1,763
1,892
Independent
Michael O'Connell
4.8
1,600
Electorate: 41,807 Valid: 33,593 Quota: 8,399 Turnout: 80.4%
1977 general election [ edit ]
1977 general election : Kerry South[ 18] [ 36] [ 37]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
24.5
8,002
8,246
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
24.2
7,917
8,072
8,312
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
20.4
6,655
6,722
8,818
Labour
Michael Moynihan
17.7
5,799
6,174
6,982
Fine Gael
Michael Connor-Scarteen
10.0
3,256
3,345
Sinn Féin The Workers' Party
Redmond Sullivan
3.3
1,065
Electorate: 41,565 Valid: 32,694 Quota: 8,174 Turnout: 78.7%
1973 general election [ edit ]
1973 general election : Kerry South[ 17] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
30.3
8,286
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
21.3
5,819
7,021
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
19.7
5,390
5,444
5,610
7,752
Labour
Michael Moynihan
13.9
3,806
3,952
4,451
5,087
Fine Gael
Daniel Barry
11.1
3,025
3,052
3,145
Sinn Féin (Official)
Patrick O'Callaghan
3.7
1,014
1,035
Electorate: 36,391 Valid: 27,340 Quota: 6,836 Turnout: 75.1%
1969 general election [ edit ]
1969 general election : Kerry South[ 16] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary
30.6
8,656
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
22.9
6,490
7,733
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
16.1
4,564
4,621
4,666
5,629
6,713
Fine Gael
Patrick Connor
13.8
3,891
4,013
4,151
4,884
5,698
Labour
Tadhg O'Sullivan
9.4
2,652
2,795
2,945
3,109
Fine Gael
Daniel Barry
7.2
2,038
2,056
2,065
Electorate: 36,097 Valid: 28,291 Quota: 7,073 Turnout: 78.4%
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Honor Crowley , a by-election was held on 7 December 1966. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate John O'Leary.
1965 general election [ edit ]
1965 general election : Kerry South[ 14] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
22.5
5,977
6,253
6,842
Fianna Fáil
Honor Crowley
21.6
5,746
5,887
6,084
6,225
6,341
Fine Gael
Patrick Connor
20.7
5,501
5,664
7,365
Labour
Michael Moynihan
17.7
4,712
4,924
5,626
6,210
6,296
Fine Gael
Michael Begley
12.2
3,250
3,725
Independent
James Courtney
5.2
1,370
Electorate: 36,470 Valid: 26,556 Quota: 6,640 Turnout: 72.8%
1961 general election [ edit ]
1961 general election : Kerry South[ 13] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
Fianna Fáil
Honor Crowley
22.3
5,640
5,886
6,537
Fine Gael
Patrick Connor
21.3
5,402
6,588
Fianna Fáil
Timothy O'Connor
20.7
5,244
5,446
5,862
Labour
Michael Moynihan
14.3
3,630
3,952
5,073
Sinn Féin
John Joe Rice
12.8
3,240
3,380
Fine Gael
Michael O'Sullivan
8.5
2,158
Electorate: 36,781 Valid: 25,314 Quota: 6,329 Turnout: 68.8%
1957 general election [ edit ]
1954 general election [ edit ]
1954 general election : Kerry South[ 11] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Fine Gael
Patrick Palmer
25.6
6,376
Fianna Fáil
John Flynn
23.4
5,834
5,844
6,002
6,429
Fianna Fáil
Honor Crowley
23.0
5,732
5,740
5,946
6,380
Labour
Michael Moynihan
10.8
2,690
2,732
3,513
5,025
Clann na Talmhan
William Dennehy
9.9
2,461
2,499
3,112
Clann na Poblachta
John O'Leary
7.4
1,853
1,894
Electorate: 33,411 Valid: 24,946 Quota: 6,237 Turnout: 74.7%
1951 general election [ edit ]
1951 general election : Kerry South[ 10] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
Fine Gael
Patrick Palmer
29.5
7,437
Independent
John Flynn
21.2
5,337
5,614
6,023
7,521
Fianna Fáil
Honor Crowley
18.6
4,679
4,739
4,772
5,236
5,438
Fianna Fáil
Patrick J. Lane
16.8
4,232
4,312
4,405
4,555
4,648
Clann na Poblachta
John Joe O'Leary
9.3
2,330
2,723
3,579
Clann na Poblachta
Jeremiah O'Riordan
4.7
1,170
1,500
Electorate: 33,680 Valid: 25,185 Quota: 6,297 Turnout: 74.78%
1948 general election [ edit ]
1948 general election : Kerry South[ 9] [ 36]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
Fine Gael
Patrick Palmer
18.9
4,924
5,400
5,548
5,689
6,059
6,161
Independent
John Flynn
15.7
4,107
4,374
4,767
4,920
6,473
6,944
Fianna Fáil
Honor Crowley
15.7
4,091
4,244
4,274
5,973
7,900
Fianna Fáil
John Healy
15.3
3,992
4,033
4,164
4,398
Clann na Poblachta
Pádraig O'Donoghue
12.2
3,179
3,468
4,791
4,935
5,079
5,115
Fianna Fáil
Donal O'Donoghue
8.7
2,278
2,357
2,462
Clann na Poblachta
Patrick Jones
8.1
2,121
2,183
Independent
Patrick J. O'Shea
5.5
1,424
Electorate: 35,580 Valid: 26,116 Quota: 6,530 Turnout: 73.40%
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Frederick Crowley , a by-election was held on 4 December 1945. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Honor Crowley, widow of the deceased TD.
Following the resignation of Fine Gael TD Fionán Lynch upon his appointment as a judge, a by-election was held on 10 November 1944. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Donal O'Donoghue.
1944 general election [ edit ]
1944 general election : Kerry South[ 6] [ 38]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
Fianna Fáil
Frederick Crowley
26.6
6,693
Fianna Fáil
John Healy
25.9
6,526
Fine Gael
Fionán Lynch
24.1
6,057
6,232
6,344
Clann na Talmhan
Edmund Horan
23.5
5,908
6,129
6,246
Electorate: 36,504 Valid: 25,184 Quota: 6,297 Turnout: 69.0%
1943 general election [ edit ]
1943 general election : Kerry South[ 5] [ 38]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Fianna Fáil
Frederick Crowley
22.4
5,934
5,994
7,144
Fianna Fáil
John Healy
20.1
5,323
5,604
6,200
6,442
Fine Gael
Fionán Lynch
18.0
4,771
5,034
6,418
6,579
Clann na Talmhan
Daniel Allman
16.8
4,446
5,366
6,161
6,266
Labour
William Myers
16.5
4,384
4,509
Clann na Talmhan
John Duffy
6.3
1,685
Electorate: 36,504 Valid: 26,543 Quota: 6,636 Turnout: 72.7%
1938 general election [ edit ]
1937 general election [ edit ]
1937 general election : Kerry South[ 3] [ 38]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
Fianna Fáil
John Flynn
28.3
7,268
Fianna Fáil
Frederick Crowley
26.4
6,772
Fine Gael
Fionán Lynch
18.4
4,741
4,955
5,009
7,252
Independent
Patrick O'Shea
13.7
3,532
4,104
4,338
5,394
Fine Gael
William O'Sullivan
13.2
3,384
3,441
3,500
Electorate: 35,390 Valid: 25,697 Quota: 6,425 Turnout: 72.6%
^ a b "Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009: Schedule" . Irish Statute Book database . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ Walker, Brian M, ed. (1992). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92 . Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0-901714-96-8 . ISSN 0332-0286 .
^ a b "General election 1937: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1938: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1943: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1944: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "By-election 1944: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "By-election 1945: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1948: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1951: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1954: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1957: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1961: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1965: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "By-election 1966: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1969: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1973: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1977: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1981: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election February 1982: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election November 1982: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1987: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1989: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 29 September 2010 .
^ a b "General election 1992: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 22 February 2009 .
^ a b "General election 1997: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 22 February 2009 .
^ a b "General election 2002: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 22 February 2009 .
^ a b "General election 2007: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 22 February 2009 .
^ a b "General election 2011: Kerry South" . ElectionsIreland.org . Retrieved 28 February 2011 .
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^ "25th Dáil 1987 general election results" (PDF) . Houses of the Oireachtas . July 1987. Retrieved 15 October 2023 .
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^ a b c d Gallagher, Michael (1993). Irish Elections 1922-44: Results and Analysis . PSAI Press. ISBN 0951974815 .