Cavan (Dáil constituency)


Cavan is a former parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, from 1921 to 1977. The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

History and boundaries

The constituency was created in 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as a 3-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 East Cavan and West Cavan. At the 1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the three 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 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 Cavan 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.
The constituency was recreated under the Electoral Act 1923, the first electoral act of the new state. At the 1977 general election, the Cavan and Monaghan constituencies were abolished and succeeded by the new 5-seat Cavan–Monaghan constituency.
YearsTDsBoundariesNotes
1921–19233County CavanConstituency created from East Cavan and West Cavan
1923–19614County Cavan
1961–19693County Cavan
1969–19773County Cavan and;

Transfer from Meath
1977—Constituency abolishedCounty Cavan became part of Cavan–Monaghan with the part in County Meath transferred to Meath

Elections

1948 general election

June 1927 general election

1925 by-election

National Party TD Seán Milroy resigned on 30 October 1925. A writ of election to fill the vacancy was moved on 18 February 1925. A by-election was held on 11 March 1925.