Carlow–Kilkenny
Carlow–Kilkenny is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five deputies on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
History and boundaries
The constituency was created in 1921 by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as a 4-seat constituency for the Southern Ireland House of Commons and a single-seat constituency for the United Kingdom House of Commons at Westminster, combining the former Westminster constituencies of County Carlow, Kilkenny North and Kilkenny South which had formed the basis for the First Dáil. At the 1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the four seats were won uncontested by Sinn Féin, who treated it as part of the election to the Second Dáil. It was never used as a Westminster constituency; under s. 1 of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922, no writ was to be issued "for a constituency in Ireland other than a constituency in Northern Ireland". Therefore, no vote was held in Carlow–Kilkenny at the 1922 United Kingdom general election on 15 November 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom on 6 December 1922.It was recreated as a constituency in Irish legislation by the Electoral Act 1923. Carlow–Kilkenny did not exist between 1937 and 1948, when it was replaced by the constituencies of Carlow–Kildare and Kilkenny. The constituency has continued in existence since 1948.
The 2023 Report of the Electoral Commission recommended that at the next general election, Carlow–Kilkenny remain as a five-seat constituency, with the transfer of a population of 6,431 to the new constituency of Tipperary North.
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:
| Years | TDs | Boundaries | Notes |
| 1921–1923 | 4 | County Carlow and County Kilkenny | Constituency created from County Carlow, Kilkenny North and Kilkenny South |
| 1923–1937 | 5 | County Carlow and County Kilkenny | |
| 1937–1948 | — | Constituency disestablished. | Replaced by Carlow–Kildare and Kilkenny, with parts of County Carlow in Wexford and Wicklow |
| 1948–1961 | 5 | County Carlow and County Kilkenny | |
| 1961–1981 | 5 | County Carlow and County Kilkenny and in County Wexford, the district electoral divisions of: and County Kilkenny. | |
| 2020–2024 | 5 | County Carlow and County Kilkenny | Transfer of area in County Carlow from Wicklow |
| 2024– | 5 | County Carlow; and County Kilkenny, except the part in the constituency of Tipperary North |
Elections
2002 general election
Séamus Pattison was Ceann Comhairle at the dissolution of the 28th Dáil and therefore deemed to be returned automatically. The constituency was treated as a four-seater for the purposes of calculating the quota.1977 general election
1960 by-election
Following the death of Fine Gael TD Joseph Hughes, a by-election was held on 23 June 1960. The Elections Act 1960 enabled the election to be held the same day as the 1960 local elections, using the same administrative apparatus. The Dáil seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Patrick Teehan.1956 by-election
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Walsh, a by-election was held on 14 November 1956. The seat was won by Fianna Fáil candidate Martin Medlar.The surplus votes of the elected candidate were distributed after being declared elected because there was a possibility another candidate could have reached the threshold of a third of a quota which would have meant their election deposit was returned to them.