1961 Irish general election

1961 Irish general election

← 1957 4 October 1961 1965 →
← outgoing members elected members →
144 seats in Dáil Éireann[a] 73 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	70.6% 0.7pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Seán Lemass James Dillon Brendan Corish Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Leader since 22 June 1959 21 March 1959 2 March 1960 Leader's seat Dublin South-Central Monaghan Wexford Last election 78 seats, 48.3% 40 seats, 26.6% 12 seats, 9.1% Seats won 70 47 16 Seat change 8 7 4 Percentage 43.8% 32.0% 11.6% Swing 4.5% 5.4% 2.5%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   CnaT NPD Leader Joseph Blowick Noël Browne Seán MacBride Party Clann na Talmhan National Progressive Democrats Clann na Poblachta Leader since 5 September 1944 23 July 1958 21 January 1946 Leader's seat Mayo South Dublin South-East Dublin South-West (defeated) Last election 3 seats, 2.4% New party 1 seat, 1.7% Seats won 2 2 1 Seat change 1 2 0 Percentage 1.5% 1.0% 1.1% Swing 0.9% 1.0% 0.6%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the five biggest parties, and number of seats gained by smaller parties and independents.
Taoiseach before election Seán Lemass Fianna Fáil Taoiseach after election Seán Lemass Fianna Fáil

The 1961 Irish general election to the 17th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 4 October, following the dissolution of the 16th Dáil on 15 September by President Éamon de Valera on the request of Taoiseach Seán Lemass. The general election took place in 38 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 144 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas, which had been reduced in size by three seats from the previous election by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961. Fianna Fáil lost its majority but remained the dominant party.

The 17th Dáil met at Leinster House on 11 October to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. Lemass was re-appointed Taoiseach, forming the 10th government of Ireland, a single-party minority Fianna Fáil government.

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