| Election Name: | 1954 Irish general election |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1951 Irish general election |
| Previous Year: | 1951 |
| Election Date: | 18 May 1954 |
| Next Election: | 1957 Irish general election |
| Next Year: | 1957 |
| Seats For Election: | 147 seats in Dáil Éireann |
| Majority Seats: | 74 |
| Turnout: | 76.5% 1.2pp |
| Previous Mps: | 14th Dáil |
| Elected Mps: | 15th Dáil |
| Leader1: | Éamon de Valera |
| Party1: | Fianna Fáil |
| Leader Since1: | 26 March 1926 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Clare |
| Last Election1: | 69 seats, 46.3% |
| Seats1: | 65 |
| Seat Change1: | 4 |
| Percentage1: | 43.4% |
| Swing1: | 2.9% |
| Leader Since2: | 1944 |
| Party2: | Fine Gael |
| Leaders Seat2: | Tipperary South |
| Last Election2: | 40 seats, 25.8% |
| Seats2: | 50 |
| Seat Change2: | 8 |
| Percentage2: | 32.0% |
| Swing2: | 6.2% |
| Leader3: | William Norton |
| Leader Since3: | 1932 |
| Party3: | Labour Party (Ireland) |
| Leaders Seat3: | Kildare |
| Last Election3: | 16 seats, 11.4% |
| Seats3: | 19 |
| Seat Change3: | 3 |
| Percentage3: | 12.1% |
| Swing3: | 0.7% |
| Image4: | CnaT |
| Leader4: | Joseph Blowick |
| Leader Since4: | 1944 |
| Party4: | Clann na Talmhan |
| Leaders Seat4: | Mayo South |
| Last Election4: | 6 seats, 2.9% |
| Seats4: | 5 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Percentage4: | 3.8% |
| Swing4: | 0.9% |
| Leader5: | Seán MacBride |
| Leader Since5: | 1946 |
| Party5: | Clann na Poblachta |
| Leaders Seat5: | Dublin South-West |
| Last Election5: | 2 seats, 4.1% |
| Seats5: | 3 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Percentage5: | 3.1% |
| Swing5: | 1.0% |
| Map Size: | 400px |
| Taoiseach | |
| Before Election: | Éamon de Valera |
| Before Party: | Fianna Fáil |
| Posttitle: | Taoiseach after election |
| After Election: | John A. Costello |
| After Party: | Fine Gael |
The 1954 Irish general election to elect the 15th Dáil was held on Tuesday, 18 May, following the dissolution of the 14th Dáil on 24 April by President Seán T. O'Kelly on the request of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera. The general election took place in 40 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 147 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas.
The 15th Dáil met at Leinster House on 2 June to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. De Valera failed to secure a majority, and John A. Costello was appointed Taoiseach, forming the second inter-party government, a minority coalition of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan.
After the 1951 general election, Fianna Fáil had formed a minority single-party government. Shortly after the Minister for Finance, Seán McEntee, had delivered the 1954 budget, Éamon de Valera called a general election.[1] [2]
Fianna Fáil had the most to lose, their campaign concentrated on providing political stability for the next five years. They also put forward strong arguments against coalition governments. However, this would not suffice when the country's economy was worsening and unemployment and emigration were increasing.
The opposition parties of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the other minor parties offered the electorate an alternative to three years of Fianna Fáil rule.
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Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan formed the second inter-party government, a minority government, dependent on the support of Clann na Poblachta.
The Dáil election was followed by an election to the 8th Seanad.