# Galway South (Dáil constituency)

Galway South was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1948 to 1961. The constituency elected 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) to the Dáil, on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

## History

The constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 for the 1948 general election to Dáil Éireann. It was abolished under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961, when it was partially replaced by the new constituency of Galway East.

## Boundaries

The constituency comprised the district electoral divisions of:

## TDs

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Galway South 1948–1961 :
| Key to parties  FF = Fianna Fáil  FG = Fine Gael ||||||||
| Dáil | Election | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) |
| 13th | 1948 | | Frank Fahy (FF) | | Patrick Beegan (FF) | | Robert Lahiffe (FF) |
| 14th | 1951 | | Frank Fahy (FF) | | Patrick Beegan (FF) | | Patrick Cawley (FG) |
| 14th | 1953 by-election | | Robert Lahiffe (FF) | | Patrick Beegan (FF) | | Patrick Cawley (FG) |
| 15th | 1954 | | Robert Lahiffe (FF) | | Patrick Beegan (FF) | | Brendan Glynn (FG) |
| 16th | 1957 | | Michael Carty (FF) | | Patrick Beegan (FF) | | Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins (FG) |
| 16th | 1958 by-election | | Michael Carty (FF) | | Anthony Millar (FF) | | Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins (FG) |
| 17th | 1961 | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West | Constituency abolished. See Galway East and Galway West |
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.
* ↑ As Ceann Comhairle, Frank Fahy was returned automatically in each of the two elections held in Galway South in 1948 and 1951. He rejoined the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party in 1951.

## Elections
### 1958 by-election

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Patrick Beegan, a by-election was held on 30 May 1958. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Anthony Millar.
1958 by-election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Anthony Millar | 53.5 | 11,552 |
| | Fine Gael | Frank Clarke | 29.1 | 6,268 |
| | Sinn Féin | Murchadh Mac Ualtair | 17.4 | 3,758 |
| Electorate: 28,546 Valid: 21,578 Quota: 10,790 Turnout: 75.59% |||||

### 1957 general election

1957 general election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Beegan | 29.1 | 6,537 | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Brigid Hogan | 20.1 | 4,530 | 4,570 | 5,691 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Michael Carty | 17.5 | 3,944 | 4,555 | 4,641 | 4,649 | 5,045 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Robert Lahiffe | 17.1 | 3,856 | 4,091 | 4,279 | 4,288 | 4,577 |
| | Sinn Féin | Murchadh MacUaltair (Murt Qualter) | 9.3 | 2,086 | 2,103 | 2,197 | 2,246 | |
| | Fine Gael | Joseph Lambert | 6.9 | 1,545 | 1,554 | | | |
| Electorate: 29,329 Valid: 22,498 Quota: 5,625 Turnout: 76.7% |||||||||

### 1954 general election

1954 general election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Beegan | 34.9 | 8,291 | | |
| | Fine Gael | Brendan Glynn | 23.1 | 5,476 | 5,560 | 5,634 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Robert Lahiffe | 22.6 | 5,373 | 7,499 | |
| | Fine Gael | Patrick Cawley | 11.3 | 2,692 | 2,804 | 2,855 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Vincent Shields | 8.0 | 1,904 | 1,938 | 2,018 |
| Electorate: 30,053 Valid: 23,736 Quota: 5,935 Turnout: 79.0% |||||||

### 1953 by-election

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Frank Fahy, a by-election was held on 21 August 1953. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Robert Lahiffe.
1953 by-election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Robert Lahiffe | 54.5 | 13,714 |
| | Fine Gael | Brendan Glynn | 33.2 | 8,345 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Vincent Shields | 9.8 | 2,474 |
| | Clann na Talmhan | Thomas McNamara | 2.5 | 629 |
| Electorate: 30,209 Valid: 25,162 Quota: 12,582 Turnout: 83.29% |||||

### 1951 general election

1951 general election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Frank Fahy | N/A | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Beegan | 30.7 | 7,367 | 7,581 | 7,842 |
| | Fine Gael | Patrick Cawley | 28.9 | 6,952 | 9,685 | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Robert Lahiffe | 26.1 | 6,268 | 6,486 | 6,609 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Vincent Shields | 14.3 | 3,437 | | |
| Electorate: 30,369 Valid: 24,024 Quota: 8,009 Turnout: 79.11% |||||||
* ↑ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Fahy was returned automatically under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral (Chairman of Dáil Éireann) Act 1937.

### 1948 general election

1948 general election: Galway South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Frank Fahy | N/A | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Beegan | 48.4 | 11,080 | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Patrick Cawley | 17.0 | 3,886 | 4,248 | 4,343 | 6,069 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Robert Lahiffe | 15.9 | 3,651 | 6,549 | 6,588 | 6,893 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Vincent Shields | 13.9 | 3,176 | 3,302 | 4,266 | |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Martin Newell | 4.8 | 1,108 | 1,168 | | |
| Electorate: 30,852 Valid: 22,901 Quota: 7,634 Turnout: 74.23% ||||||||
* ↑ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Fahy was returned automatically under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral (Chairman of Dáil Éireann) Act 1937, as adapted by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947. He was elected again as Ceann Comhairle on 18 February 1948, leaving the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.