South
European Parliament constituency
Map of the European Parliament constituencies with South highlighted in red
Location among the current constituencies
South shown within Ireland (2019 borders)
Member stateIreland
Created2004
MEPs3 (2004–2014)
4 (2014–2020)
5 (2020–)[fn 1]
Sources

South is a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland. It elects 5 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

History and boundaries

It was created in 2004 with the same area as the old Munster constituency, except for County Clare which was then in North-West.[1] It is sometimes referred to as Ireland South.[2] The area of constituency has increased twice.

For the 2019 European Parliament election, a reapportionment following Brexit and the loss of 73 MEPs from the United Kingdom gave two additional seats to Ireland. Following a recommendation of the Constituency Commission, South gained territory and an additional seat, from 4 to 5.[3][4][5] However, Deirdre Clune, as the last candidate elected, did not take her seat until after the United Kingdom left the European Union.[6]

In 2016, 74.1% of the constituency's population lived in Munster, while the southern Leinster counties accounted for 25.9%.[7][8]

It comprises the counties of Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow; the cities of Cork, Limerick, and Waterford.[5]

The main urban areas (by population size) are Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Bray, Kilkenny, Ennis, Carlow, Tralee, Tullamore, Portlaoise, and Wexford.

2024

For the 2024 European Parliament election, Ireland will gain one MEP. The Electoral Commission has recommended that the additional seat be given to the constituency of Midlands–North-West, with the transfer of County Laois and County Offaly to Midlands–North-West.[9]

Elections Area Seats
2004, 2009 Counties of Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford; and the cities of Cork, Limerick and Waterford. 3[1][10]
2014 Addition of counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow from East; and Clare from North-West. 4[11]
2019 Addition of counties Laois and Offaly from Midlands–North-West 5[fn 1][6][5]
2024 Loss of Laois and Offaly to Midlands–North-West

MEPs

2014–2019, 2024– boundaries
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for South 2004–
Key to parties
Parl.ElectionMember
(Party)		Member
(Party)		Member
(Party)		Member
(Party)		Member
(Party)
6th2004[12] Kathy Sinnott
(IND)		 Brian Crowley
(FF)		 Simon Coveney
(FG)		 3 seats
2004–2014
2007[fn 2] Colm Burke
(FG)
7th2009[13] Alan Kelly
(Lab)		 Seán Kelly
(FG)
2011[fn 3] Phil Prendergast
(Lab)
8th2014[14] Liadh Ní Riada
(SF)		 Deirdre Clune[fn 1]
(FG)		 4 seats
2014–2019
9th2019[15] Mick Wallace
(I4C)		 Billy Kelleher
(FF)		 Grace O'Sullivan
(GP)

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

Elections

2019 election

2019 European Parliament election: South[16][17][2][18][19]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567891011121314151617181920
Fine Gael Seán Kelly 16.47 118,446 118,491 118,677 118,775 119,125 119,382 119,547 119,717 119,885                      
Fianna Fáil Billy Kelleher 11.69 84,084 84,107 84,165 84,239 84,389 84,560 84,655 84,842 84,972 85,452 86,027 87,037 87,966 88,604 89,040 92,893 131,665      
Inds. 4 Change Mick Wallace 11.37 81,780 82,033 82,163 82,374 82,697 82,903 83,459 83,811 84,028 84,276 85,277 87,613 88,806 90,285 95,834 101,792 109,221 112,528 139,529  
Sinn Féin Liadh Ní Riada 10.99 78,995 79,062 79,204 79,309 79,494 79,662 79,864 80,165 80,292 80,732 81,721 82,839 83,790 84,892 87,214 91,727 95,446 98,248    
Green Grace O'Sullivan 10.56 75,887 75,986 76,188 76,314 76,584 76,658 76,959 77,243 77,355 77,694 78,757 80,050 80,645 81,932 84,671 93,037 95,996 98,606 114,287 119,701
Fianna Fáil Malcolm Byrne 9.62 69,167 69,202 69,273 69,317 69,383 69,512 69,557 69,673 70,899 71,169 71,843 72,134 72,854 73,783 74,371 80,624        
Fine Gael Deirdre Clune[fn 1] 8.98 64,605 64,631 64,692 64,764 64,900 65,006 65,116 65,253 65,559 66,050 66,733 67,277 67,899 69,096 69,566 89,755 97,956 101,047 110,085 112,162
Fine Gael Andrew Doyle 5.39 38,738 38,755 38,788 38,804 38,842 38,926 38,950 38,996 39,294 39,429 39,855 40,014 40,586 41,069 41,416          
Labour Sheila Nunan 3.07 22,082 22,120 22,200 22,259 22,329 22,391 22,461 22,634 22,708 22,901 23,527 23,857 24,342 24,943 25,969          
Solidarity–PBP Adrienne Wallace 2.06 14,810 14,966 15,017 15,216 15,362 15,403 15,795 16,116 16,217 16,387 16,917 17,407 17,736 18,485            
Independent Dolores Cahill 1.47 10,582 10,639 10,746 10,884 10,938 11,238 11,397 11,720 12,628 14,213 15,039 15,470 17,135              
Independent Diarmuid O'Flynn 1.37 9,828 9,865 9,941 9,995 10,179 10,231 10,399 10,613 10,661 10,948 11,157                  
Independent Liam Minehan 1.31 9,426 9,458 9,783 9,858 9,972 10,253 10,331 10,468 10,547 11,707 12,275 12,774                
Independent Breda Gardner 1.29 9,306 9,331 9,401 9,436 9,496 9,724 9,869 9,975 10,222 10,838                    
Independent Theresa Heaney 1.04 7,475 7,498 7,596 7,738 7,808 8,005 8,197 8,373 8,561                      
Independent Allan Brennan 0.65 4,665 4,691 4,734 4,791 4,841 4,956 5,028 5,132                        
Identity Ireland Peter O'Loughlin 0.51 3,685 3,762 3,806 3,922 4,009 4,050 4,184                          
Independent Colleen Worthington 0.46 3,285 3,306 3,319 3,551 3,653 3,713                            
Independent Paddy Fitzgerald 0.44 3,183 3,198 3,258 3,301 3,333                              
Independent Walter Ryan-Purcell 0.40 2,863 2,897 2,918 3,066                                
Independent Maurice Sexton 0.34 2,419 2,467 2,545                                  
Independent Peter Madden 0.33 2,397 2,411                                    
Direct Democracy Jan van de Ven 0.20 1,421                                      
Electorate: 1,417,017   Valid: 719,194   Spoilt: 36,793   Quota: 119,866   Turnout: 53.4%  

    Following a recheck of the votes for O'Sullivan and Ní Riada after the 18th count, a full recount was requested by the Sinn Féin candidate. Returning officer Martin Harvey announced that the recount would begin on 4 June. RTÉ reported that the recount could take up to 28 working days.[20] On 4 June, Ní Riada withdrew the request for a recount.[21] After the transfer of Ní Riada's votes and Mick Wallace's surplus, Grace O'Sullivan and Deirdre Clune were deemed elected, but Clune did not take office as an MEP until Brexit had taken effect.

    2014 election

    2014 European Parliament election: South[14]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123456789101112
    Fianna Fáil Brian Crowley 27.4 180,329                      
    Sinn Féin Liadh Ní Riada 19.1 125,309 129,957 130,840 132,590                
    Fine Gael Seán Kelly 12.7 83,520 92,042 92,355 92,758 93,106 94,266 95,683 95,736 98,646 106,068 113,311 121,566
    Fine Gael Simon Harris 7.8 51,483 53,912 54,161 54,511 55,273 56,050 56,691 56,738 59,056 63,536 66,061 70,808
    Fine Gael Deirdre Clune 7.2 47,453 51,850 52,097 52,295 52,798 54,081 55,293 55,340 58,311 64,889 69,009 74,370
    Independent Diarmuid O'Flynn 4.6 30,323 31,649 33,311 34,840 36,198 38,960 43,628 44,023 48,125 51,387    
    Labour Phil Prendergast 4.6 30,317 32,360 32,664 33,147 33,560 34,150 34,874 34,939 42,213      
    Fianna Fáil Kieran Hartley 4.6 29,987 50,349 50,653 50,953 51,475 52,481 54,475 54,559 56,746 59,722 64,357  
    Green Grace O'Sullivan 4.2 27,860 29,360 29,999 31,075 31,962 32,829 34,443 34,607        
    Catholic Democrats Theresa Heaney 2.1 13,569 14,677 15,159 15,655 17,016 19,114            
    Independent Richard Cahill 1.6 10,719 11,661 12,408 13,152 15,310              
    Direct Democracy Jan van de Ven 1.4 9,255 9,586 10,125                  
    Independent Jillian Godsil 1.4 9,179 9,829 10,607 11,531                
    Independent Peter O'Loughlin 1.0 6,561 7,000                    
    Fís Nua Dónal Ó Ríordáin 0.2 1,634 1,766                    
    Electorate: 1,221,683   Valid: 657,498   Spoilt: 21,798 (3.2%)   Quota: 131,500   Turnout: 679,296 (55.6%)  

      2009 election

      2009 European Parliament election: South[13][22]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345678
      Fianna Fáil Brian Crowley 23.7 118,258 119,625 122,404 132,410        
      Fine Gael Seán Kelly 18.6 92,579 94,430 96,153 97,482 98,394 134,712    
      Sinn Féin Toiréasa Ferris 13.0 64,671 65,861 67,304 68,296 69,295 73,389 74,480  
      Labour Alan Kelly[fn 3] 12.9 64,152 66,121 69,683 70,309 70,991 78,651 83,921 105,597
      Independent Kathy Sinnott 11.7 58,485 62,057 64,295 65,518 66,920 71,349 75,168 95,134
      Fine Gael Colm Burke 10.8 53,721 54,617 57,190 57,884 58,654      
      Fianna Fáil Ned O'Keeffe 3.3 16,596 16,896 17,124          
      Green Dan Boyle 3.1 15,499 16,250            
      Independent Alexander Stafford 2.3 11,692              
      Independent Maurice Sexton 0.5 2,474              
      Electorate: 861,727   Valid: 498,127   Spoilt: 11,836 (2.3%)   Quota: 124,532   Turnout: 509,963 (59.2%)  

        2004 election

        2004–2009 South constituency boundaries
        2004 European Parliament election: South[12]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        123456
        Fianna Fáil Brian Crowley 25.9 125,539          
        Fine Gael Simon Coveney[fn 2] 24.6 118,937 120,261 120,537 121,332    
        Independent Kathy Sinnott 18.4 89,127 89,872 90,175 92,010 97,057 120,600
        Fianna Fáil Gerry Collins 15.1 73,131 74,991 75,246 75,577 78,367 87,658
        Sinn Féin David Cullinane 6.7 32,643 32,848 32,977 33,561 35,385  
        Labour Brendan Ryan 4.1 19,975 20,086 20,170 20,576 24,406  
        Green Chris O'Leary 2.3 10,896 10,980 11,056 11,478    
        Independent Gerry Hannan 1.3 6,394 6,428 6,551 6,934    
        Independent Lily Moynihan 1.2 5,831 5,914 6,048      
        Independent Anthony O'Connor 0.4 1,797 1,822        
        Electorate: 802,359   Valid: 484,270   Spoilt: 14,124 (2.8%)   Quota: 121,068   Turnout: 498,394 (62.1%)  

          See also

          Footnotes

          1. 1 2 3 4 Deirdre Clune, the last elected candidate in 2019, was not an MEP between the time of the 2019 election (24 May 2019) and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU (31 January 2020). This is because the reallocation of European Parliament seats had to wait until after Brexit.
          2. 1 2 Simon Coveney was substituted by Colm Burke (FG / EPP-ED) on 19 June 2007.
          3. 1 2 Alan Kelly was substituted by Phil Prendergast (Lab / S&D) on 21 April 2011.

          References

          1. 1 2 "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2004, Section 4". Irish Statute Book. 27 February 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
          2. 1 2 Leogue, Joe (4 March 2019). "FG's Doyle selected to run in European elections". Irish Examiner.
          3. ↑ "Dublin and Ireland South to gain extra European Parliament seats". RTÉ News. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
          4. ↑ "Report on European Parliament Constituencies 2018" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
          5. 1 2 3 "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019, Section 7". Irish Statute Book. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
          6. 1 2 "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019, Section 6". Irish Statute Book. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
          7. ↑ Census 2016
          8. ↑ McGee, Harry (28 April 2014). "New European Parliament constituencies have Wonderland logic". The Irish Times.
          9. ↑ Burns, Sarah (20 November 2023). "Extra European Parliament seat recommended for Midlands-North West". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
          10. ↑ "Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009, Section 8". Irish Statute Book. 24 February 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
          11. ↑ "European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2014, Section 3". Irish Statute Book database. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
          12. 1 2 "2004 European Parliament election – South". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
          13. 1 2 "2009 European Parliament election – South". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
          14. 1 2 "2014 European Parliament election – South". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
          15. ↑ "Liadh Ní Riada concedes defeat in Ireland South elections". www.irishexaminer.com. 4 June 2019.
          16. ↑ McMorrow, Conor (2 February 2019). "Runners and riders line up for Euro election race" – via www.rte.ie.
          17. ↑ McGee, Harry (23 March 2019). "Fianna Fáil adds Kelleher to European ticket in Ireland South". The Irish Times.
          18. ↑ Cork City Returning Officer. "Candidates for European Election 2019".
          19. ↑ "South". RTÉ.
          20. ↑ O'Sullivan, Jennie (30 May 2019). "Full recount in Ireland South could cost up to €1m". RTÉ News.
          21. ↑ "Tuesday's Evening Round-Up: Ní Riada concedes, Rainfall warning and Taylor's homecoming". www.irishexaminer.com. 4 June 2019.
          22. ↑ "Nominations close for Europe elections". RTÉ News. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2009.

          This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.