| Laois–Offaly | |
| Type: | Dáil |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Abolished: | 2024 |
| Map4: | Laois-Offaly (Dáil Éireann constituency).png |
| Map Entity: | Ireland |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Seats: | 5 (2020–2024) |
| Local Council Label: | Local government areas |
| Blank1 Name: | EP constituency |
| Blank1 Info: | South |
Laois–Offaly (formerly King's County–Queen's County, Leix–Offaly and Laoighis–Offaly) was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (the legislature of Ireland), from 1921 to 2016 and again from 2020 to 2024. The constituency elected deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
| Laois–Offaly | |
| Type: | Dáil |
| Year: | 1921 |
| Abolished: | 2016 |
| Members Label: | TDs |
| Local Council Label: | Local government areas |
Laois–Offaly was created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as King's County–Queen's County (the respective names of County Offaly and County Laois before independence). The two counties were combined in a single four-member constituency for the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. It was known in the Dáil as Leix–Offaly, and first used for the 1921 general election to the Second Dáil. The Sinn Féin candidates elected unopposed preferred to sit in the Second Dáil (1921–22). It was used at every subsequent general election until 2011. It was abolished at the 2016 general election, and was replaced by the new constituencies of Laois and Offaly.
It was re-established by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, which came into effect for the 2020 general election.
In August 2023, the Electoral Commission published its review of constituency boundaries in Ireland, which recommended that the constituency of Laois–Offaly be abolished, with the creation of two new three-seat constituencies: Laois and Offaly.[1] Each new constituency would elect 3 deputies. These changes took effect for the 2024 general election under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023.
| Years | TDs | Boundaries | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | In the Dáil record, the constituency was variously described as Leix and Offaly[2] and Offaly, Leix[3] | |||
| 1923–2011 | 5 | County Laois and County Offaly | Named as Leix–Offaly.;[4] [5] [6] Renamed as Laoighis–Offaly from 1961;[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] Renamed as Laois–Offaly from 2007.[15] | |
| 2011–2016 | 5 | County Laois; and County Offaly except the areas in the Tipperary North constituency. | Transfer of Aghacon, Barna, Cangort, Cullenwaine, Dunkerrin, Ettagh, Gorteen, Mountheaton, Shinrone, Templeharry, in the former Rural District of Roscrea No. 2, to Tipperary North.[16] | |
| 2016–2020 | 5 | Constituency abolished. | Moved to constituencies of Laois and Offaly.[17] | |
| 2020–2024 | 5 | County Laois; except the area in the Kildare South constituency; County Offaly; except the area in the Kildare South constituency. | Transfer to Kildare South: in County Laois, the electoral divisions of: Ballybrittas, Jamestown, Kilmullen, Portarlington South, in the former Rural District of Mountmellick; and in County Offaly, the electoral division of: Portarlington North, in the former Rural District of Tullamore.[18] |
Fianna Fáil TD Bernard Cowen died on 24 January 1984. A Fianna Fáil motion to move the writ on 29 February was defeated by the Fine Gael–Labour government.[19] A second motion to move the writ on 17 May was unopposed.[20] The by-election was held on 14 June 1984, the same day as the European Parliament elections. The seat was won by the son of the deceased TD.[21]
Labour Party TD William Davin died on 1 March 1956. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 30 April 1956.
Republican TD Seán McGuinness was disqualified on 30 November 1925. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 18 February 1926.
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