The 2009 Local Elections in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Elections to 114 local authorities were held on 5 June 2009 against the backdrop of a struggling economy. It was not surprising that the problems besetting the national finances dominated the election campaign, relegating local government policy issues like planning, housing and roads to the margins of the debate. With the opposition parties successfully turning the elections into a referendum on the performance of the national government it was an uphill struggle for Fianna Fáil and the Green Party to keep the focus local. Ultimately the 2009 local elections in the Republic of Ireland confirmed the maxim that local elections are used to give sitting governments a mid‐term shock. Fianna Fáil suffered its worst ever local election performance and Fine Gael emerged as the largest party at local authority level. As is customary at local elections, independents and others also experienced profitable returns.

Keywords:

• Ireland
• local elections

Notes

1. Former town council mayor Rotimi Adebari at hearings of the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution into electoral reform, 7 October 2009.

2. Authors’ own analysis of Irish National Election Study, 2002–2007.