Michael Gallagher
michaelgtcd.bsky.social
Michael Gallagher
@michaelgtcd.bsky.social
Emeritus professsor political science Trinity College Dublin. Co-editor How Ireland Voted 2024 (Springer 2025) and of Politics in the Republic of Ireland 7th ed
Pinned
How Ireland Voted 2024 now available (in full colour printing) from all good bookshops and probably some bad ones too. Full of outstanding analysis and fascinating facts. 13 chapters, 6 Appendices, 33 Tables, 41 Figures, 19 pages of great photos.
Of the 138 by-election outcomes, the first 50 took place 1923–1949, the next 50 1952–76. Only 38 so far in the 50 years since then, mainly because it's now much rarer for TDs to die in office. 4th Dáil (1923–27) saw 21 seats filled through by-elections, by far the largest number of any Dáil.
Irish Labour Party @labour.ie has won 10 of the 136 by-elections to have taken place since the foundation of the independent Irish state. Its first success, exactly 100 years ago today (18 Feb 1926), came in Dublin County, when future party leader William Norton was elected.
February 19, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Of the 138 TDs elected at the 136 Dáil by-elections (two by-elections in 1925 each returned two TDs), nine (so far) have gone on to become a party leader, and a further two party leaders were first elected at Westminster by-elections in the summer of 1917.
February 18, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Irish Labour Party @labour.ie has won 10 of the 136 by-elections to have taken place since the foundation of the independent Irish state. Its first success, exactly 100 years ago today (18 Feb 1926), came in Dublin County, when future party leader William Norton was elected.
February 18, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Gail McElroy and Theresa Reidy bring expertise to discussion of How Ireland Voted 2024 and what the book tells us about the current state of Irish politics in a recent Irish Times podcast @irishtimes.com:
irishtimes.com/podcasts/inside-politics/irish-politics-shifted-left-why/
Irish politics shifted left. Why?
Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan
irishtimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Concerns about stocks of How Ireland Voted 2024 running low have been allayed, temporarily at least, as Hodges Figgis on Dawson St Dublin 2 have plenty of copies at the moment.
February 12, 2026 at 11:09 AM
In Japan election 8 Feb 2026, LDP seems to have won 43% votes, 68% seats. Further evidence that the mixed-member majoritarian electoral system (used also in Andorra, South Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Senegal, Seychelles, Taiwan) can produce highly disproportional outcomes.
February 9, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Two Dáil vacancies arose in Nov 2025, yet Taoiseach states neither by-election to be held before May 2026. Unfortunately, the court-directed maximum of 6 months seems now to be regarded as an acceptable norm:
www.rte.ie/news/politic...
February 6, 2026 at 10:52 AM
In UK, much attention on Gorton&D by-election; MP resigned seat 23 Jan, by-eln 26 Feb, 34 days later. No reason why by-elns in Ireland shouldn’t be held as promptly; 6 months lacuna allowed by courts far too long, & anyway there's no bar on moving the writ sooner.
bbc.com/news/articles/crkrpgvkd0no
Confirmed Gorton and Denton by-election candidates
Who is standing in the Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton?
bbc.com
February 5, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Some high quality football action, and a good book to read during half-time.
January 31, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Prof Theresa Reidy of UCC, co-editor of How Ireland Voted 2024, discusses the book, incl some discussion re choice of contributors, with David McCullagh on RTE Radio 1 22 Jan 26:
rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22577527/
BOOK: ‘How Ireland Voted 2024’ - tenth in a series putting Irish elections under the microscope
Theresa Reidy, Professor in Government at UCC joined David
rte.ie
January 23, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Co-editors Theresa Reidy and Eoin O'Malley, with distinguished launcher Pat Leahy of Irish Times, at launch of How Ireland Voted 2024 in Hodges Figgis Dublin on 21 Jan 26, definitive study of Ireland’s 2024 elections (general, local and Euro Parliament). Copies still available to purchase.
January 22, 2026 at 11:30 AM
A great view, and some good reading to hand as well.
January 21, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Intriguing match coming up tomorrow in Spanish Segunda division (futbol), AD Ceuta vs FC Andorra. One team in Europe but not in Spain, the other in Spain but not in Europe.
January 3, 2026 at 10:15 AM
December 29, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The time between christmas and new year is usually a time of little political activity. But not this year in Kosovo, where a general election will take place on 28 December. Kosovo becomes the 12th European country since 1945 to hold more than 1 election in a calendar year.
December 19, 2025 at 10:17 AM
How Ireland Voted 2024 now available (in full colour printing) from all good bookshops and probably some bad ones too. Full of outstanding analysis and fascinating facts. 13 chapters, 6 Appendices, 33 Tables, 41 Figures, 19 pages of great photos.
December 4, 2025 at 7:13 PM