Connacht–Ulster (European Parliament constituency)

Connacht–Ulster was a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland between 1979 and 2004. Throughout its history, it elected 3 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using the single transferable vote (STV) system.

Connacht–Ulster
European Parliament constituency
Shown within Ireland
Member stateIreland
Created1979
Dissolved2004
MEPs3
Sources

Although the constituency was abolished in 2004, Connacht-Ulster is still often used when analysing election results by region, as in this analysis of the results by region of the 2018 referendum to legalise abortion.[1]

History and boundaries

The constituency was created in 1979 for the first direct elections to the European Parliament. It comprised the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo from the historic province of Connacht together with the Ulster counties of Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan.[2] It was abolished under the European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2004 and succeeded by the new North-West constituency.[3]

MEPs
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for Connacht–Ulster 1979–2009
Key to parties
Parl.ElectionMember
(Party)		Member
(Party)		Member
(Party)
1st1979[4] Neil Blaney
(IFF)		 Seán Flanagan
(FF)		 Joe McCartin
(FG)
2nd1984[5] Ray MacSharry
(FF)
1987[6] Mark Killilea
(FF)
3rd1989[7] Neil Blaney
(IFF)
4th1994[8] Pat "the Cope" Gallagher
(FF)
5th1999[9] Dana Rosemary Scallon
(Ind)
2002[10] Seán Ó Neachtain
(FF)
6th2004 Constituency abolished. See North-West.

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.

Elections

1999 election
1999 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[9]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456
Fianna Fáil Pat "the Cope" Gallagher[10] 20.6 66,055 66,381 66,902 72,673 98,258  
Fine Gael Joe McCartin 19.9 63,632 63,811 64,506 68,388 72,764 75,275
Independent Dana Rosemary Scallon 16.0 51,086 51,366 52,802 59,444 67,887 72,855
Fianna Fáil Noel Treacy 15.0 47,933 48,060 48,470 51,544    
Independent Marian Harkin 14.8 47,372 47,712 48,632 56,141 60,316 64,152
Sinn Féin Seán MacManus 6.4 20,457 20,571 20,801      
Labour Gerard Gibbons 3.3 10,522 10,827 10,972      
Independent Liam Sharkey 1.7 5,334 5,404        
Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan 1.6 5,000 5,539 5,650      
Natural Law Paul Campbell 0.6 1,920          
Independent Paul Raymond 0.3 840          
Electorate: 541,552   Valid: 320,151   Spoilt: 12,085 (3.6%)   Quota: 80,038   Turnout: 332,236 (61.4%)

    Mark Killilea retired and his seat was gained by Independent Dana Rosemary Scallon.

    1994 election
    1994 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[11] [12]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345
    Fianna Fáil Pat "the Cope" Gallagher 22.9 53,171 54,122 57,657 59,372  
    Fianna Fáil Mark Killilea 19.6 45,638 46,445 47,500 53,030 59,773
    Fine Gael Joe McCartin 16.4 38,039 38,861 39,461 43,896 49,371
    Fine Gael Jim Higgins 13.3 30,947 32,100 32,768 37,135 42,153
    Progressive Democrats Bobby Molloy 9.1 21,219 22,784 23,538    
    Labour Ann Gallagher 8.5 19,826 22,195 25,303 27,875  
    Sinn Féin Pat Doherty 6.0 13,939 14,665      
    Green Richard Douthwaite 3.7 8,628        
    Natural Law Mary Louise Lacey 0.5 1,223        
    Electorate: 496,352   Valid: 232,630   Spoilt: 4,971 (2.1%)   Quota: 58,158   Turnout: 237,601 (47.9%)

      Pat "the Cope" Gallagher of Fianna Fáil gained the seat vacated by Neil Blaney.

      1989 election
      1989 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[13][14]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      123456789
      Fianna Fáil Mark Killilea 17.2 53,842 53,950 54,122 54,395 54,668 55,095 57,686 58,795 67,246
      Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 16.9 52,852 53,075 53,922 54,425 55,981 56,940 59,954 63,193 69,857
      Fianna Fáil Seán Doherty 15.5 48,288 48,367 48,569 48,725 49,186 49,474 50,694 51,562 53,641
      Fine Gael Joe McCartin 14.9 46,523 46,579 46,694 47,045 47,328 47,589 52,737 71,091 84,697
      Progressive Democrats Bobby Molloy 13.0 40,476 40,564 40,754 41,613 41,804 43,254 45,621 48,227  
      Fine Gael Paddy Harte 9.8 30,745 30,798 31,225 31,559 31,715 32,137 34,663    
      Fine Gael Angela Lupton 3.3 10,165 10,212 10,254 10,553 10,615 11,154      
      Sinn Féin Pat Doherty 2.5 7,716 8,119 8,237 8,315 10,668 11,094      
      Sinn Féin Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin 2.0 6,173 6,441 6,553 6,656          
      Labour Ivan McPhillips 1.6 4,969 5,012 5,306            
      Workers' Party Jimmy Brick 1.5 4,759 4,840 5,333 6,710 6,841        
      Workers' Party Seamus Rodgers 1.3 4,097 4,112              
      Sinn Féin Dermot Guy 0.5 1,697                
      Electorate: 464,661   Valid: 312,302   Spoilt: 10,362 (3.2%)   Quota: 78,076   Turnout: 322,664 (69.4%)

        Neil Blaney regained his seat at the expense of Fianna Fáil.

        1984 election
        1984 European Parliament election: Connacht–Ulster[15] [16]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        123456789
        Fianna Fáil Ray MacSharry[6] 24.1 56,803 56,955 57,252 57,718 57,896 58,740 59,448    
        Fine Gael Joe McCartin 21.7 51,164 51,293 51,545 51,752 54,991 57,247 57,761 76,674  
        Fianna Fáil Seán Flanagan 17.3 40,760 41,017 41,424 41,615 41,788 42,657 43,021 43,915 46,010
        Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 13.8 32,504 32,875 33,622 35,379 35,610 37,340 40,415 42,324 44,430
        Fine Gael Joseph Murrin 8.5 20,107 20,204 20,415 20,568 23,190 25,154 25,459    
        Labour Michael D. Higgins 3.5 8,337 9,205 9,401 9,587 9,988        
        Fine Gael Pól Ó Foighil 3.0 7,144 7,214 7,282 7,323          
        Sinn Féin Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin 2.6 6,103 6,158 7,167 10,043 10,159 10,417      
        Sinn Féin Eddie Fullerton 2.5 5,771 5,896 6,706            
        Sinn Féin Mary McGing 1.8 4,176 4,294              
        Workers' Party Jimmy Brick 1.1 2,612                
        Electorate: 471,577   Valid: 235,481   Spoilt: 5,763 (2.4%)   Quota: 58,871   Turnout: 241,244 (51.2%)

          Neil Blaney lost his seat to Ray MacSharry of Fianna Fáil.

          1979 election
          1979 European Parliament election[17]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1234567
          Independent Fianna Fáil Neil Blaney 26.6 81,522            
          Fine Gael Joe McCartin 15.5 47,519 47,989 49,697 50,474 51,696 65,471 66,901
          Fianna Fáil Seán Flanagan 12.5 38,233 38,653 39,478 40,732 52,409 54,826 82,209
          Fine Gael Patrick Cooney 10.9 33,360 34,142 36,596 37,281 38,006 50,025 51,267
          Fine Gael Myles Staunton 10.6 32,485 32,773 35,343 35,746 36,189    
          Fianna Fáil Jim Doolan 9.1 27,739 28,263 29,781 30,606 37,781 38,576  
          Fianna Fáil Sean McEniff 8.4 25,774 26,267 26,782 27,818      
          Labour Michael D. Higgins 4.3 13,062 14,013          
          Sinn Féin – The Workers' Party Tony Coffey 1.1 3,329            
          Sinn Féin – The Workers' Party Séamus Rodgers 0.9 2,696            
          Independent Christopher Morris 0.2 447            
          Electorate: 442,471   Valid: 306,166   Spoilt: 14,547 (4.5%)   Quota: 76,542   Turnout: 320,713 (72.5%)

            See also

            References
            1. "Referendum 2018". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
            2. "European Assembly Elections Act, 1977: Schedule (Constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
            3. "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2004: Schedule (Constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
            4. "1979 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
            5. "1984 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
            6. Ray MacSharry resigned on 10 March 1987 and was substituted by Mark Killilea (FF / EDA) on 24 March 1987.
            7. "1989 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
            8. "1994 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
            9. "1999 European Parliament election result – Connacht–Ulster constituency". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
            10. Pat "the Cope" Gallagher was substituted by Seán Ó Neachtain (FF / UEN) on 2 July 2002, following the 2002 general election.
            11. http://irelandelection.com/electiondetail.php?elecid=216&constitid=478&electype=7
            12. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/your-meps/1994-european-elections-results
            13. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/your-meps/1989-european-elections-results
            14. http://irelandelection.com/electiondetail.php?elecid=215&constitid=478&electype=7
            15. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/your-meps/1984-european-elections-results
            16. http://irelandelection.com/electiondetail.php?elecid=214&constitid=478&electype=7
            17. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/your-meps/1979-european-elections-results

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