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1945 Irish presidential election
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1945 Irish presidential election |
| country | Ireland |
| type | presidential |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 1938 Irish presidential election |
| previous_year | 1938 |
| next_election | 1952 Irish presidential election |
| next_year | 1952 |
| turnout | 63.0% |
| 1blank | 1st preference |
| 2blank | Final count |
| election_date | 14 June 1945 |
| image1 | |
| nominee1 | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| party1 | Fianna Fáil |
| 1data1 | **537,965 |
| 49.5%** | |
| 2data1 | **565,165 |
| 55.5%** | |
| image2 | |
| nominee2 | Seán Mac Eoin |
| party2 | Fine Gael |
| 1data2 | 335,539 |
| 30.9% | |
| 2data2 | 453,425 |
| 44.5% | |
| image3 | |
| nominee3 | Patrick McCartan |
| party3 | Independent politician (Ireland) |
| alliance3 | |
| 1data3 | 212,834 |
| 19.6% | |
| 2data3 | *Eliminated* |
| map_image | File:Irish presidential election 1945.png |
| map_size | 200px |
| map_caption | First count winner by local authority |
| title | President |
| before_election | Douglas Hyde |
| before_party | Independent politician (Ireland) |
| after_election | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| after_party | Fianna Fáil |
49.5%** 55.5%** 30.9% 44.5% 19.6%

The 1945 Irish presidential election was held on Thursday, 14 June 1945. It was Ireland's first contested presidential election. Outgoing president Douglas Hyde, who had served since 1938, did not seek a second term. Fianna Fáil nominated its deputy leader, Tánaiste Seán T. O'Kelly, as its candidate. Fine Gael nominated Seán Mac Eoin. Independent republican Patrick McCartan sought and failed to receive the necessary four nominations from local councils, but secured a nomination from Oireachtas members.
O'Kelly won on the second count but the degree of voting transfers between the two opposition candidates, and O'Kelly's failure to win on the first count, showed the depth of growing opposition to Éamon de Valera's government and the potential that existed for cooperation among various opposition groups. De Valera's government was defeated in the subsequent 1948 general election and succeeded by the first inter-party government.
The election took place on the same date as the 1945 local elections. Electoral law was amended to allow administrative counties and county boroughs to be used as constituencies instead of using Dáil constituencies, as previously required. This was to facilitate sorting and counting of ballots with ballots for the local elections.
Nomination process
Under Article 12 of the Constitution of Ireland, candidates could be nominated by:
- at least twenty of the 198 serving members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, or
- at least four of 31 councils of the administrative counties, including county boroughs, or
- themselves, in the case of a former or retiring president.
All Irish citizens on the Dáil electoral register were eligible to vote.
The first candidate nominated was Seán Mac Eoin, a Fine Gael TD who was nominated on 5 May by 17 members of his own party, as well as three independent TDs, Alfie Byrne, Tom O'Reilly and Richard Anthony. Seán T. O'Kelly was nominated by Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members on 15 May. On the date before nominations closed on 16 May, the administrative council of the Labour Party voted to allow its Oireachtas members to sign the nomination form of Patrick McCartan, and Clann na Talmhan voted that its Oireachtas members would sign his nomination form, together guaranteeing his position on the ballot.
Result
Results by local authority
Results were announced by county councils and county borough corporations rather than by constituency.
| Local Authority | O'Kelly | Mac Eoin | McCartan | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **6,178** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **46.76** | 5,197 | 39.33 | 1,838 | 13.91 | |||
| Cavan County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **14,500** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **49.29** | 11,883 | 40.40 | 3,032 | 10.31 | |||
| Clare County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **22,910** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.73** | 10,796 | 27.20 | 5,979 | 15.07 | |||
| Cork County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **49,737** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **44.09** | 38,911 | 34.49 | 24,163 | 21.42 | |||
| Cork County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,875** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **50.25** | 9,025 | 32.68 | 4,714 | 17.07 | |||
| Donegal County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **24,999** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **54.38** | 13,137 | 28.58 | 7,834 | 17.04 | |||
| Dublin County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **16,206** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **43.00** | 11,665 | 30.95 | 9,815 | 26.04 | |||
| Dublin County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **70,777** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **45.94** | 39,273 | 25.49 | 44,027 | 28.57 | |||
| Galway County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **32,496** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.66** | 12,713 | 22.56 | 11,153 | 19.79 | |||
| Kerry County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **20,589** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **56.77** | 7,180 | 19.80 | 8,500 | 23.44 | |||
| Kildare County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **11,426** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **54.11** | 6,731 | 31.88 | 2,958 | 14.01 | |||
| Kilkenny County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,437** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **53.60** | 8,158 | 32.54 | 3,476 | 13.86 | |||
| Laois County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **8,946** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **45.85** | 5,683 | 29.12 | 4,884 | 25.03 | |||
| Leitrim County | 8,064 | 39.52 | Fine Gael}}" | **9,344** | Fine Gael}}" | **45.80** | 2,995 | 14.68 | |||
| Limerick County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **22,725** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **55.88** | 13,183 | 32.42 | 4,758 | 11.70 | |||
| Limerick County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **9,318** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **56.18** | 4,731 | 28.52 | 2,538 | 15.30 | |||
| Longford County | 5,848 | 35.09 | Fine Gael}}" | **10,170** | Fine Gael}}" | **61.03** | 646 | 3.88 | |||
| Louth County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,685** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **49.32** | 9,395 | 33.86 | 4,668 | 16.82 | |||
| Mayo County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **27,260** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **50.08** | 14,672 | 26.95 | 12,505 | 22.97 | |||
| Meath County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **14,083** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **58.02** | 6,784 | 27.95 | 3,406 | 14.03 | |||
| Monaghan County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,042** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **54.38** | 6,878 | 28.68 | 4,062 | 16.94 | |||
| Offaly County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **10,580** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **53.13** | 5,199 | 26.11 | 4,136 | 20.77 | |||
| Roscommon County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **15,354** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **47.62** | 11,747 | 36.43 | 5,140 | 15.94 | |||
| Sligo County | 10,288 | 39.72 | Fine Gael}}" | **12,026** | Fine Gael}}" | **46.43** | 3,590 | 13.86 | |||
| Tipperary North County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **12,477** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.09** | 7,530 | 31.44 | 3,946 | 16.47 | |||
| Tipperary South County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **15,940** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **50.45** | 10,499 | 33.23 | 5,155 | 16.32 | |||
| Waterford County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **10,980** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **58.85** | 5,198 | 27.86 | 2,481 | 13.30 | |||
| Waterford County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **5,898** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.19** | 3,267 | 28.91 | 2,135 | 18.89 | |||
| Westmeath County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **10,303** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **47.52** | 9,741 | 44.93 | 1,636 | 7.55 | |||
| Wexford County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **16,380** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **46.87** | 10,082 | 28.85 | 8,488 | 24.29 | |||
| Wicklow County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **9,664** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **42.80** | 4,741 | 21.00 | 8,176 | 36.21 | |||
| Total | 537,965 | 49.52 | 335,539 | 30.89 | 212,834 | 19.59 |
| Local Authority | O'Kelly | Mac Eoin | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **6,615** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.41** | 6,007 | 47.59 | ||
| Cavan County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **15,010** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.82** | 13,406 | 47.18 | ||
| Clare County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **23,668** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **63.00** | 13,902 | 37.00 | ||
| Cork County | 52,350 | 49.84 | Fine Gael}}" | **52,688** | Fine Gael}}" | **50.16** | ||
| Cork County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **14,504** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **55.50** | 11,627 | 44.50 | ||
| Donegal County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **25,881** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **61.44** | 16,244 | 38.56 | ||
| Dublin County | 17,317 | 48.29 | Fine Gael}}" | **18,546** | Fine Gael}}" | **51.71** | ||
| Dublin County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **76,119** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.84** | 67,947 | 47.16 | ||
| Galway County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **33,653** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **65.42** | 17,788 | 34.58 | ||
| Kerry County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **21,627** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **65.09** | 11,599 | 34.91 | ||
| Kildare County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **11,869** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **58.63** | 8,376 | 41.37 | ||
| Kilkenny County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,921** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.86** | 10,140 | 42.14 | ||
| Laois County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **9,540** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **54.59** | 7,937 | 45.41 | ||
| Leitrim County | 8,497 | 44.43 | Fine Gael}}" | **10,626** | Fine Gael}}" | **55.57** | ||
| Limerick County and County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **33,127** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **60.28** | 21,828 | 39.72 | ||
| Longford County | 5,974 | 36.29 | Fine Gael}}" | **10,486** | Fine Gael}}" | **63.71** | ||
| Louth County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **14,312** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **54.42** | 11,987 | 45.58 | ||
| Mayo County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **28,418** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.86** | 20,695 | 42.14 | ||
| Meath County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **14,655** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **62.80** | 8,680 | 37.20 | ||
| Monaghan County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,671** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **61.87** | 8,427 | 38.13 | ||
| Offaly County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **11,672** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **62.70** | 6,944 | 37.30 | ||
| Roscommon County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **15,853** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **52.22** | 14,507 | 47.78 | ||
| Sligo County | 10,857 | 44.25 | Fine Gael}}" | **13,676** | Fine Gael}}" | **55.75** | ||
| Tipperary North County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **13,082** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.52** | 9,660 | 42.48 | ||
| Tipperary South County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **16,696** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **55.24** | 13,531 | 44.76 | ||
| Waterford County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **11,251** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **62.82** | 6,658 | 37.18 | ||
| Waterford County Borough | Fianna Fáil}}" | **6,215** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **57.82** | 4,533 | 42.18 | ||
| Westmeath County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **10,620** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **50.17** | 10,548 | 49.83 | ||
| Wexford County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **17,209** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **53.32** | 15,065 | 46.68 | ||
| Wicklow County | Fianna Fáil}}" | **10,982** | Fianna Fáil}}" | **53.97** | 9,367 | 46.03 | ||
| Total | 565,165 | 55.49 | 453,425 | 44.51 |
References
References
- (1 May 1945). "Presidential and Local Elections Act 1945".
- (25 April 1945). "Presidential and Local Elections Bill, 1945—Second and Subsequent Stages". Houses of the Oireachtas.
- (7 May 1945). "First nomination for the presidency". [[The Irish Times]].
- (16 May 1945). "Dr McCartan secures nomination". [[The Irish Times]].
- (29 January 2025). "14 June 1945 Presidential election".
- "Presidential Elections 1938–2018". [[Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
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