Sligo–Leitrim is a parliamentary constituency that has been represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, from the 2016 general election. The constituency elects four deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). Another constituency of the same name existed from 1948 to 2007.
History and boundaries
1948–2007
The Sligo–Leitrim constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947, 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. 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.
At the 2020 general election, the electoral divisions in County Cavan were transferred to the Cavan–Monaghan constituency, and parts of County Roscommon were added to Sligo–Leitrim instead.
In the Constituency Review Report 2023, the Electoral Commission recommended that the electoral divisions of Roscommon in the constituency should be transferred to the Roscommon–Galway constituency, while keeping the nine electoral divisions of southern Donegal.
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="green"
|+Changes to the Sligo–Leitrim constituency
|-
!Years
!TDs
!Boundaries
!Notes
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1923–1937
|style="text-align:center"|7
|The full territory of both counties.
|Named Leitrim–Sligo
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1937–1948
|style="text-align:center"|—
|Constituency abolished
|Divided into Leitrim (3 seats) and Sligo (3 seats)
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1948–1961
|style="text-align:center"|5
|The full territory of both counties.
|Constituency recreated, now called Sligo–Leitrim
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1961–1969
|style="text-align:center"|4
|All of County Sligo, and all of County Leitrim except for those areas in the constituency of Roscommon.
|Adjustments to maintain voter-to-seat ratio at near national average. Most of the Carrick-on-Shannon and Mohill areas now in the Roscommon constituency.
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1969–1977
|style="text-align:center"|3
|All of County Sligo; and all of Leitrim, except the parts in the constituencies of Donegal–Leitrim and Roscommon–Leitrim.
|Large parts of County Leitrim moved to the two new neighbouring constituencies
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1977–1981
|style="text-align:center"|3
|All of County Sligo; in County Donegal, all of the Bundoran area and part of Ballyshannon; in County Leitrim, parts of the Kinlough and Manorhamilton districts.
|Major revision as part of the "Tullymander".<br/>Constituency is now effectively Sligo – Southmost Donegal and the small area of North Leitrim which was in the old Donegal–Leitrim constituency
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|1981–2007
|style="text-align:center"|4
|The full territory of both counties.
|District electoral divisions in County Leitrim transferred from Roscommon–Leitrim; district electoral divisions in County Donegal transferred to Donegal South-West
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2007–2016
|style="text-align:center"|—
|Constituency abolished.
|Divided into Sligo–North Leitrim (3 seats) and Roscommon–South Leitrim (3 seats)
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2016–2020
|style="text-align:center"|4
|All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; western parts of County Cavan.
|Constituency recreated, with electoral divisions transferred from Cavan–Monaghan and Donegal South-West
|- style="vertical-align:top"
|2020–
|style="text-align:center"|4
|All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; northern parts of County Roscommon.
<!-- The unnamed parameters below generate a key to parties -->
|Fianna Fáil
|Fine Gael
|Independent politician (Ireland)
|Labour Party (Ireland)
|Sinn Féin
TDs since 2016
Elections
2024 general election
2020 general election
2016 general election
1992 general election
1989 general election
1987 general election
November 1982 general election
February 1982 general election
1981 general election
1977 general election
1973 general election
1969 general election
1965 general election
See also
- Dáil constituencies
- Elections in the Republic of Ireland
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
- List of Dáil by-elections
- List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland