1997 Irish general election

1997 Irish general election

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166 seats in Dáil Éireann 84 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	65.9% 2.6pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Bertie Ahern John Bruton Dick Spring Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Leader since 19 December 1994 20 November 1990 November 1982 Leader's seat Dublin Central Meath Kerry North Last election 68 seats, 39.1% 45 seats, 24.5% 33 seats, 19.9% Seats before 67 47 32 Seats won 77 54 17 Seat change 9 9 16 Popular vote 703,700 499,900 186,000 Percentage 39.3% 27.9% 10.4% Swing 0.2% 3.4% 8.9%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Green Leader Mary Harney Proinsias De Rossa — Party Progressive Democrats Democratic Left Green Leader since 12 October 1993 1992 — Leader's seat Dublin South-West Dublin North-West — Last election 10 seats, 4.7% 4 seats, 2.8% 1 seat, 1.4% Seats before 8 6 1 Seats won 4 4 2 Seat change 6 0 1 Popular vote 83,800 44,900 49,300 Percentage 4.7% 2.5% 2.8% Swing 0.0% 0.3% 1.4%   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Gerry Adams Joe Higgins Party Sinn Féin Socialist Party Leader since 13 November 1983 Leader's seat Did not stand[a] Dublin West Last election 0 Did not exist Seats before 0 0 Seats won 1 1 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 45,614 12,445 Percentage 2.5% 0.7% Swing 0.9% New
Election results and first-preference votes in each constituency. Number of seats gained by each party in each constituency.
Taoiseach before election John Bruton Fine Gael Taoiseach after election Bertie Ahern Fianna Fáil

The 1997 Irish general election to the 28th Dáil was held on Friday, 6 June, following the dissolution of the 27th Dáil on 15 May by President Mary Robinson, on the request of Taoiseach John Bruton. The general election took place in 41 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, under a revision in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1995.

The two largest parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, increased both their vote totals and representation, while both the junior parties in the Dáil, the Labour Party and the Progressive Democrats, had disastrous campaigns that saw their representation in the Dáil slashed by 50% or greater. However, some of the other minor parties in the Dáil saw improvements: for the first time in 75 years a Sinn Féin TD took their seat in the Dáil after Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin was elected, while the Green party added a second TD and the Socialist Party gained their first ever national representative in Joe Higgins.

Following the election, the 28th Dáil met at Leinster House on 26 June to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. Bertie Ahern was appointed Taoiseach, forming the 25th government of Ireland, a minority coalition government of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats.

The election has been described by Irish Independent journalist Shane Coleman as a prelude to the "golden years" of the Celtic Tiger, and thus one of the most significant general elections in Irish history.^[1]

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