1979 European Parliament election in Ireland

1979 European Parliament election in Ireland
elected members →
15 Irish seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	1,392,285 (63.6%)

The 1979 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1979 European Parliament election. These were the first direct elections to the European Parliament, and the first election to be held simultaneously across the entire Island of Ireland since the 1921 Irish elections. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.

Constituencies

1979 election to the European Parliament in Ireland
Party			Leader	1st pref	FPv%	Seats
	Fianna Fáil	EPD	Jack Lynch	464,451	34.7	5
	Fine Gael	EPP	Garret FitzGerald	443,652	33.1	4
	Labour	SOC	Frank Cluskey	193,898	14.5	4
	Independent Fianna Fáil	CDI	Neil Blaney	81,522	6.1	1
	Sinn Féin The Workers' Party		Tomás Mac Giolla	43,942	3.3	0
	Independent			111,607	8.3	1
Total				1,339,072	100.0	15

Constituency	Name
Connacht–Ulster	Neil Blaney	Independent Fianna Fáil	CDI
	Joe McCartin	Fine Gael	EPP
	Seán Flanagan	Fianna Fáil	EPD
Dublin	Richie Ryan	Fine Gael	EPP
	John O'Connell	Labour	SOC
	Síle de Valera	Fianna Fáil	EPD
	Michael O'Leary	Labour	SOC
Leinster	Mark Clinton	Fine Gael	EPP
	Patrick Lalor	Fianna Fáil	EPD
	Liam Kavanagh	Labour	SOC
Munster	T.J. Maher	Independent	ELDR
	Eileen Desmond	Labour	SOC
	Tom O'Donnell	Fine Gael	EPP
	Jerry Cronin	Fianna Fáil	EPD
	Noel Davern	Fianna Fáil	EPD

1979–2004 European Parliament Ireland constituencies

Constituency	Electorate	Turnout	Spoilt	Valid Poll	Quota	Seats	Candidates
Connacht–Ulster	442,471	320,713 (72.5%)	14,547 (4.5%)	306,166	76,542	3	11
Dublin	618,454	304,068 (49.2%)	8,653 (2.8%)	295,415	59,084	4	13
Leinster	486,248	322,312 (66.30%)	15,416 (4.80%)	306,896	61,380	3	9
Munster	641,625	445,192 (69.40%)	14,597 (3.3%)	430,595	71,766	5	13
Total	2,188,798	1,392,285 (63.6%)	53,213 (3.8%)	1,339,072	—	15	46

Provisional Sinn Féin did not to contest the election. However, the relative success of Bernadette McAliskey in Northern Ireland helped prompt Sinn Féin to stand in subsequent European elections.^[2]

^ European Assembly Elections Act 1977, 2nd Sch.: Constituencies (No. 30 of 1977, 2nd Sch.). Enacted on 9 December 1977. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
^ Frampton, Martyn (2000). "Sinn Féin and the European Arena: 'Ourselves Alone' or 'Critical Engagement'?". Irish Studies in International Affairs. 16: 235–253. JSTOR 30001944.