1997 Irish general election
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166 seats in Dáil Éireann 84 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 65.9% 2.6pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1997 Irish general election to the
The two largest parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, increased both their vote totals and representation, while both the junior parties in the Dáil, the Labour Party and the Progressive Democrats, had disastrous campaigns that saw their representation in the Dáil slashed by 50% or greater. However, some of the other minor parties in the Dáil saw improvements: for the first time in 75 years a Sinn Féin TD took their seat in the Dáil after Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was elected, while the Green party added a second TD and the Socialist Party gained their first ever national representative in Joe Higgins.
Following the election, the 28th Dáil met at
The election has been described by Irish Independent journalist Shane Coleman as a prelude to the "golden years" of the Celtic Tiger, and thus one of the most significant general elections in Irish history.[1]
Background
The maximum amount of time between a general election in Ireland is five years, and thus the governing Rainbow Coalition of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left knew an election would have to be called in mid to late 1997. Fine Gael had wanted to wait until the autumn to call the election, but Labour were keen to fight their campaign in the summer. Anticipating the election, on 14 April 1997 during their annual party conference, Labour leader Dick Spring declared "I will not, in the aftermath of the next general election, come before you and recommend any form of coalition with either of the parties that make up the centre-right alternative, the Progressive Democrats or Fianna Fail", which ruled out the possibility of Labour being able to play kingmaker between possible coalition blocs.[2]
Both Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats were delighted by the decision to hold the election in the summer instead of the autumn; Fianna Fáil in particular feared the release in October or November of the report by the
The 1997 general election saw the public offered a choice of two possible coalitions. The existing government was a coalition of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Democratic Left – called the Rainbow Coalition, while the opposition "alternative coalition" consisted of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats.
Campaigns
Rainbow coalition (Fine Gael, Labour, Democratic Left)
The outgoing Rainbow parties campaigned to re-elect the coalition and thus emphasized the working relationship that they had developed, running with the slogan 'Partnership That Works'.[3] They claimed credit for a booming economy, improving social services and reforms such as the introduction of divorce. Despite this united front, each party fought its own campaign. Labour emphasised the number of campaign pledges it had managed to implement not only as part of the Rainbow government but also during its coalition with Fianna Fáil.
Fianna Fáil campaign
Fianna Fáil under Bertie Ahern had been restructuring itself after its turbulent period under Charles Haughey and Albert Reynolds. The party's central office gained control of candidate selection and modernised its campaigning strategy, especially concerning vote management and controlling transfers under Ireland's PR electoral system. In addition, the bitter internal feuding that had dogged the party for decades was ended by Ahern's more unifying style of leadership. This leadership also allowed Fianna Fáil to run a very energetic campaign that emphasised Ahern's relative youth and enthusiasm, which distanced the party from scandals that had beset the party.[2][1][4]
Progressive Democrats' campaign
Despite entering the election with polls suggesting they would overtake Labour as the third biggest party, and with Mary Harney as the most popular party leader, the Progressive Democrats struggled. Initially, it ran a presidential-style campaign that emphasized Harney. However, entering a pact with a resurgent Fianna Fáil meant it struggled to assert itself. In response, the PDs hastily published a manifesto — a move that backfired as it controversially called for single parent benefits to be cut in order to encourage single mothers to live with their parents.[2] This drew fire from Pronsias De Rossa, who claimed Harney did "not have a bull's notion about social welfare".[5] The Progressive Democrat's manifesto also called for the laying off of 25,000 public sector workers over five years, a proposal that was heavily criticised by the left-wing parties.[2] In response, Fianna Fáil's leadership demanded a sit-down meeting with the Progressive Democrat leadership, and after the two parties publicly announced together that no layoffs would be made in the public sector without the consent of Irish trade unions. Harney also claimed her comments about unwed mothers had been misrepresented by the media.[2]
Party slogans/Manifestos
Party | Slogan/Manifesto name | Refs | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fine Gael | |||||
Fianna Fáil | People before Politics | [6][7] | |||
Labour Party | Labour makes the vital difference | [8] | |||
Progressive Democrats | Real answers, not idle promises | [9] | |||
Democratic Left | Make the future work | [10] | |||
Green Party | For Quality of Life | [11] | |||
Sinn Féin |
|
[12] | |||
Socialist Party |
Campaign topics
Sinn Féin and Northern Ireland
1997 was a pivotal year politically across the island of Ireland as the Troubles drew to an end and progress towards the forthcoming Good Friday Agreement was being made. Inevitably, the issue of Sinn Féin's participation in the election and each party's policy on Northern Ireland came up repeatedly during the campaign. Previous to the May 1997 United Kingdom general election, leader of Fine Gael John Bruton declared that if the IRA had not declared a ceasefire, then a vote for Sinn Féin would be a vote for violence. However, on 26 May, Labour leader and coalition partner Dick Spring stated that a vote for Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland would be a vote for peace. The opposition in the Dáil responded by declaring that the government was sending out mixed messaging about Sinn Féin and Northern Ireland.[2]
In late May/early June, Bernie Ahern began attacking Bruton on the topic of Northern Ireland, criticising Bruton for not being the leading voice of "Nationalist Ireland" and promising that he would take this mantle if elected Taoiseach. Simultaneously, Sinn Féin leader
Crime
The murder of journalist
Opinion polls
Polling firm | Date | FF | FG | Lab | PDs | DL | GP | Ind/Oth |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irish Times/MRBI | 7 June | 44 | 27 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
Independent Newspapers-IMS | 2 June | 44 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Irish Times/MRBI | 28 May | 42 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Independent Newspapers-IMS | 29 May | 40 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Independent Newspapers-IMS | 26 May | 41 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
Irish Times/MRBI | 20 May | 43 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
Irish Times/MRBI | 5 May | 43 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Results
Party | Fianna Fáil | Fine Gael | Labour Party | Progressive Democrats | Green Party | Sinn Féin | Democratic Left | Socialist Party |
Leader | Bertie Ahern | John Bruton | Dick Spring | Mary Harney | — | Gerry Adams | Proinsias De Rossa | Joe Higgins |
Votes | 39.3%, 703,682 | 27.9%, 499,936 | 10.4%, 186,044 | 4.7%, 83,765 | 2.8%, 49,323 | 2.5%, 45,614 | 2.5%, 44,901 | 0.7%, 12,445 |
Seats | 77 (46.4%) | 54 (32.5%) | 17 (10.2%) | 4 (2.4%) | 2 (1.2%) | 1 (0.6%) | 4 (2.4%) | 1 (0.6%) |
77 | 4 | 6 | 54 | 17 | 4 | |||
Fianna Fáil | PD | Inds | Fine Gael | Labour | DL |
Election to the 28th Dáil – 6 June 1997[13][14][15] | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Leader | Seats | ± | % of seats |
First pref. votes |
% FPv | ±% | |
Fianna Fáil | Bertie Ahern | 77 | 10 | 46.4 | 703,682 | 39.3 | 0.2 | |
Fine Gael | John Bruton | 54 | 9 | 32.5 | 499,936 | 27.9 | 3.4 | |
Labour | Dick Spring | 17 | 16 | 10.2 | 186,044 | 10.4 | 8.9 | |
Progressive Democrats | Mary Harney | 4 | 6 | 2.4 | 83,765 | 4.7 | ±0.0 | |
Green | — | 2 | 1 | 1.2 | 49,323 | 2.8 | 1.4 | |
Sinn Féin | Gerry Adams[a] | 1 | 1 | 0.6 | 45,614 | 2.5 | 0.9 | |
Democratic Left | Proinsias De Rossa | 4 | 0 | 2.4 | 44,901 | 2.5 | 0.3 | |
National Party
|
Nora Bennis | 0 | New | 0 | 19,077 | 1.1 | New | |
Socialist Party | Joe Higgins | 1 | New | 0.6 | 12,445 | 0.7 | New | |
Christian Solidarity | Gerard Casey | 0 | New | 0 | 8,357 | 0.5 | New | |
Workers' Party | Tom French | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,808 | 0.4 | 0.3 | |
Socialist Workers
|
N/A | 0 | New | 0 | 2,028 | 0.1 | New | |
Natural Law Party
|
N/A | 0 | New | 0 | 1,515 | 0.1 | New | |
SKIA
|
0 | New | 0 | 1,388 | 0.1 | New | ||
Independent | N/A | 6 | 2 | 3.6 | 123,102 | 7.9 | 1.1 | |
Spoilt votes | 17,947 | — | — | |||||
Total | 166 | 0 | 100 | 1,806,932 | 100 | — | ||
Electorate/Turnout | 2,741,262 | 65.9% | — |
The outgoing Ceann Comhairle retired at this election. Independents include Independent Fianna Fáil (11,607 votes, 1 seat).
Voting summary
Seats summary
Although Fine Gael gained seats, it crossed the Dáil chamber to the Opposition benches. Fianna Fáil also increased its representation, but the Progressive Democrats had a disastrous election, maintaining its share of the vote, but winning only four seats compared to ten at the previous election, losing seats thought safe such as Cork North-Central and Dún Laoghaire.
The Green Party won a second seat, with John Gormley elected in Dublin South-East. He was elected by just over 30 votes after a recount lasting four days saw Progressive Democrat Michael McDowell defeated. The loss of McDowell was particularly stinging to the Progressive Democrats as McDowell was their "chief ideologue".[2]
One of the main features of the election, however, was the collapse of the Labour Party vote. Not only did it lose seats it had picked up in the 1992 general election, when its vote was at an all-time high – such as in Clare and Laois–Offaly – but it also lost reasonably safe seats, such as in Dublin North, Dublin Central and Cork South-Central. Dick Spring would retire as leader of the Labour Party later that year, after further disappointment in the presidential election.
Another seat change of note was the first capture of Cavan–Monaghan by Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. When Ó Caoláin subsequently took his seat in the Dáil, it was the first time in 75 years a member of Sinn Féin had done so.[16][17][18] Ó Caoláin's entry into the Dáil marked a major turning point in the history of Sinn Féin, who would continue to hold a presence in the Dáil to the present day.
Government formation
Following the election, none of the major parties had a clear majority. Negotiations resulted in a Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition taking office. Four Independent Teachta Dála (TDs) also supported the government ensuring a working majority. Bertie Ahern became the Taoiseach while Mary Harney of the Progressive Democrats became Tánaiste.
Dáil membership changes
The following changes took place as a result of the election:
- 17 outgoing TDs retired, including the Ceann Comhairle, Seán Treacy
- 149 TDs stood for re-election
- 121 were re-elected
- 28 failed to be re-elected
- 45 successor TDs were elected
- 32 were elected for the first time
- 13 had previously been TDs
- There were 6 successor female TDs, replacing 9 outgoing, decreasing the total number by 3 to 20
- There were changes in 34 of the 41 constituencies contested
Outgoing TDs are listed in the constituency they contested in the election. For some, such as Kildare North, this differs from the constituency they represented in the outgoing Dáil. Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Féin, was an MP for Belfast West. After the election, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin became sole member of the Sinn Féin parliamentary party.
References
- ^ a b c d Coleman, Shane (3 June 2022). "Changes and a charm offensive: how Bertie Ahern propelled himself over the Rainbow in the 1997 election". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ . Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ ""Partnership That Works" -Rainbow Coalition Flyer 1997 election | Irish Election Literature". 23 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Bertie Episode 3 - United We Stand". YouTube. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The PDs: From Boom to Bust | Part 1 - Party On | RTÉ Documentary 2010". YouTube.
- ^ "Flyer for Pat Carey , Noel Ahern -Fianna Fail- 1997 GE Dublin North West". 5 January 2011.
- ^ "Noel Whelan , Eoin Ryan -Fianna Fail- 1997 GE Dublin South East". 26 February 2010.
- ^ Labour Party 1997
- ^ "Mary Heaslip -Progressive Democrats -1997 General Election -Wicklow". 10 May 2010.
- ^ "Democratic Left 1997 Manifesto- 'Make the Future Work'". 18 September 2009.
- ^ Green Party 2019
- ^ "Sinn Fein Leinster House Election Manifesto 1997".
- ^ Government of Ireland (1993). 28th Dáil general election: June, 1997: election results and transfer of votes (PDF). Stationery Office. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (help) - ^ "28th Dáil – General Election: 6 June 1997". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
- ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
- ^ "Irish election: Recalling when the Dáil was a Sinn Féin 'cold house'". BBC News. 16 February 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ White 2017, p. 292.
- ^ Feeney 2002, p. 10.
Further reading
- Feeney, Brian (2002). Sinn Féin : a hundred turbulent years. Dublin: O'Brien. ISBN 978-0862786953.
- ISBN 0717126749.
- White, Robert W. (2017). Out of the ashes : an oral history of provisional Irish Republican movement (Social movements vs terrorism). Merrion Press. ISBN 9781785370939.