Dublin South 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 south of County Dublin (later Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown and South Dublin). A previous constituency of the same name existed in Dublin City from 1921 to 1948. The method of election was proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
History and boundaries
1921 to 1948
A Dublin South constituency existed in Dublin City from 1921 to 1948. The first constituency of this name was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as a 4-seat constituency for the Southern Ireland House of Commons and a single-seat constituency for the United Kingdom House of Commons at Westminster, combining the former Westminster constituencies of St Patrick's and St Stephen's Green. At the 1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the four seats were won uncontested by Sinn Féin, who treated it as part of the election to the 2nd Dáil. It was never used as a Westminster constituency; under s. 1(4) of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922, no writ was to be issued "for a constituency in Ireland other than a constituency in Northern Ireland". Therefore, no vote was held in Dublin South at the 1922 United Kingdom general election on 15 November 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom on 6 December 1922. It was restructured by the Electoral Act 1923, the first electoral act of the new state.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="green"
|+Changes to the Dublin South constituency 1921–1937
|-
!Years
!TDs
!Boundaries
!Notes
|- valign="top"
|1921–1923
|align="center"|4
|Merchants' Quay and Wood Quay; and Royal Exchange, Fitzwilliam and Mansion House wards and those parts of the South Dock and Trinity wards not contained within the Dublin Mid constituency
|Amalgamation of former St Patrick's and St Stephen's Green constituencies.
|- valign="top"
|1923–1937
|align="center"|7
|Dublin No. 3 [Fitzwilliam, Mansion House, Royal Exchange, South City], Dublin No. 5 [Merchant's Quay], Dublin No. 7 [New Kilmainham and Usher's Quay], Dublin No. 9 [Wood Quay] and Dublin No. 10 [South Dock and Trinity].
|New Kilmainham and Usher's Quay from the Dublin North-West; balance of South Dock and Trinity from Dublin Mid
|- valign="top"
|1937–1948
|align="center"|5
|The Fitzwilliam, Merchants Quay, Mansion House, New Kilmainham, Royal Exchange, South City, South Dock, Trinity, Ushers Quay and Wood Quay Wards, and so much of the townland of Ringsend as is situate in the county borough of Dublin and was not included in the former urban district of Pembroke.
|Added Ringsend from Dublin County
|- valign="top"
|1948
|align="center"|—
|Constituency abolished
|Areas moved to Dublin South-Central, Dublin South-East and Dublin South-West
|}
1981–2016
A new constituency was created by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980 and was first used at the 1981 general election. This Dublin South (1981–2016) was one of Ireland's most affluent constituencies. The 2006 census reported that residents tended to have higher-than-average levels of educational attainment, especially in terms of third-level qualifications, and were much more likely to work in professional and managerial positions. "Volatile, unpredictable and utterly ruthless, Dublin South voters have hired and fired TDs with abandon over the years" – The Irish Times description of the constituency in August 2012.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Changes to the Dublin South constituency 1981–2016
|-
!Years
!TDs
!Boundaries
!Notes
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1981–1992
|style="text-align:center"|5
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1992–1997
|style="text-align:center"|5
|In the county borough of Dublin the ward of Pembroke East D;
|Transfer of the Kilternan-Stepaside area to Dún Laoghaire;
New definitions of wards and DEDs.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1997–2002
|style="text-align:center"|5
|
|Transfer of Pembroke East D and the Belfield/Woodbine/Seafield area to Dublin South-East;
transfer of part of Glencullen from Dún Laoghaire.
Establishment of new counties and new electoral division definitions.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2002–2007
|style="text-align:center"|5
|
|Transfer of Belfield area from Dublin South-East; transfer of Stillorgan, Leopardstown and Glenamuck area from Dún Laoghaire;
transfer of area around Firhouse and Bohernabreena area to Dublin South-West.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2007–2011
|style="text-align:center"|5
|
|Transfer of remainder of Firhouse Village to Dublin South-West
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2011–2016
|style="text-align:center"|5
|
|
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2016
|style="text-align:center"|—
|Constituency abolished
|
with remainder reconstituted as Dublin Rathdown
|}
TDs
TDs 1921–1948
TDs 1981–2016
Note that the boundaries of Dublin South from 1981–2016 share no common territory with the 1921–1948 boundaries. See §History and boundaries