Sligo–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)

The constituency was defined in the Electoral Act 1923 as:[2]

"The administrative counties of Leitrim and Sligo."

This was the first time that the Dáil had not used constituencies defined under British law. Leitrim–Sligo replaced the old Leitrim–Roscommon North and Sligo–Mayo East constituencies, which had been created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The constituency was first used at the 1923 general election.[2]

Under the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935, the Leitrim–Sligo constituency was abolished, and replaced for the 1937 general election by two separate 3 seat constituencies: Sligo and Leitrim.[3] The territory was reunited as Sligo–Leitrim under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947, in operation from the 1948 general election.[4] The constituency was abolished at the 2007 general election,[5] and replaced by two new constituencies: Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim.

The constituency was recreated following a recommendation of the Constituency Commission its 2012 report.[6][7] The change was implemented by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013.[8] It replaced the constituencies of Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim, and comprises all of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; nine electoral divisions of southern County Donegal, and thirty-six electoral divisions of western County Cavan.[6] It took effect at the 2016 general election.

This change proved controversial, and created an unusual cross-province constituency taking in all or parts of four counties. Some Cavan and Donegal voters felt unrepresented. One man shared a picture online of his spoiled ballot in the 2016 election, which read "I LIVE IN CAVAN!"[9] Local newspaper The Anglo-Celt reported that several people had similarly spoiled their ballots, using the column of boxes to spell out the same message.[10] At the 2020 general election, the electoral divisions in County Cavan were transferred to the Cavan–Monaghan constituency, and Sligo–Leitrim instead took in parts of Roscommon–Galway constituency.

The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:[11]

"The county of Sligo;

and the county of Leitrim;

and in the county of Donegal, the electoral divisions of:

Ballintra, Ballyshannon Rural, Ballyshannon Urban, Bundoran Rural, Carrickboy, Cavangarden, Cliff, in the former Rural District of Ballyshannon;

Ballintra in the former Rural District of Donegal;

and Bundoran Urban;

and, in the county of Roscommon, the electoral divisions of:

Aghafin, Altagowlan, Ballyfarnan, Ballyformoyle, Boyle Rural, Boyle Urban, Crossna, Danesfort, Keadew, Kilbryan, Killukin, Lough Allen, Oakport, Rockingham, Rushfield, Tivannagh, Tumna North, Tumna South, in the former Rural District of Boyle No. 1."

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.

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.

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.

John Ellis topped the poll on the first count, but unusually he was not elected.

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Flynn on 24 November 1960, a by-election was held on 1 March 1961.

The vote was delayed two weeks in Leitrim–Sligo due to the assassination of Patrick Reynolds TD two days before the election was to take place. His widow Mary took his place on the ballot and was elected.

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Samuel Holt on 18 April 1929, a by-election was held on 7 June 1929.

Following the resignations of Cumann na nGaedheal TDs Thomas Carter and Alexander McCabe on 30 October 1924, a by-election for both seats was held on 11 March 1925.