Dublin North was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, from 1981 to 2016, representing an area in the north of County Dublin (later Fingal). A previous constituency of the same existed in Dublin City from 1923 to 1937. The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
Boundaries
1923–1937
Dublin North was created under the Electoral Act 1923 as an eight-seat borough constituency on the northside of Dublin city from territory that had been part of the Dublin Mid and Dublin North-West constituencies. It was defined by borough electoral areas, each of which contained one or more wards: Dublin No. 1 [Arran Quay], Dublin No. 2 [Clontarf East, Clontarf West, Drumcondra and Glasnevin], Dublin No. 4 [Inns' Quay and Rotunda], Dublin No. 6 [Mountjoy] and Dublin No. 8 [North City and North Dock].
It was abolished with effect at the 1937 general election, when it was replaced by the constituencies of Dublin North-East (3 seats) and Dublin North-West (5 seats).
1981–2016
A constituency of the same name was created by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980 and was first used at the 1981 general election. It was in the northern area of County Dublin (later Fingal), and included the towns of Balbriggan and Malahide, Lusk, Rush, Donabate and Skerries. It was superseded by Dublin Fingal at the 2016 general election.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Changes to the Dublin North constituency 1981–2016
|-
!Years
!TDs
!Boundaries
!Notes
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1981–1992
|style="text-align:center"|3
|
|New constituency, with Balbriggan Rural, Balbriggan Urban, Ballyboghil, Balscadden, part of Coolock, Clonmethan, Donabate, part of Drumcondra Rural Number One, part of Finglas, Garristown, Hollywood, Holmpatrick, Kilsallaghan, Kinsaley, Lusk, Malahide, Rush, Skerries, Swords East, Swords West from Dublin County North;
and part of Blanchardstown from Dublin County West
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1992–1997
|style="text-align:center"|4
|
|Transfer of the part of the Dublin West constituency situated north of the Navan Road and the Castleknock Road; and minor adjustments with Dublin North-Central, Dublin North-East and Dublin North-West to bring the constituency into alignment with the city boundary.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1997–2002
|style="text-align:center"|4
|
|Transfer of Blanchardstown-Abbotstown, Blanchardstown-Corduff, Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown-Tyrrelstown, Castleknock Park to Dublin West.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2002–2007
|style="text-align:center"|3
|
|Loss of territory to align its southern boundary with the M50 and its Malahide Road extension.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2007–2011
|style="text-align:center"|3
|
|Transfer of part of Blanchardstown-Abbotstown to Dublin North-West, and of Kilsallaghan and part of Dubber and The Ward to Dublin West.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2011–2016
|style="text-align:center"|4
|
|Transfer of Balgriffin, Portmarnock North, Portmarnock South and balance of Turnapin, Priorswood A, Priorswood B and Priorswood C (part north of N32) to Dublin North-East; transfer of Swords-Forrest and balance of Airport to Dublin West.
|}
TDs
TDs 1923–1937
TDs 1981–2016
Note that the boundaries of Dublin North from 1981–2016 share no common territory with the 1923–1937 boundaries. See §Boundaries
Elections
2011 general election
2007 general election
1998 by-election
Following the resignation of Fianna Fáil TD Ray Burke, a by-election was held on 11 March 1998. The seat was won by the Labour Party candidate Seán Ryan.