| Election Name: | 1973 Irish presidential election |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1966 Irish presidential election |
| Previous Year: | 1966 |
| Next Election: | 1974 Irish presidential election |
| Next Year: | 1974 |
| Turnout: | 62.2% (3.1%) |
| 1Blank: | Popular vote |
| 2Blank: | Final percentage |
| Election Date: | 30 May 1973 |
| Party1: | Fianna Fáil |
| 1Data1: | 635,867 |
| 2Data1: | 52.0% |
| Party2: | Fine Gael |
| 1Data2: | 587,771 |
| 2Data2: | 48.0% |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Éamon de Valera |
| Before Party: | Fianna Fáil |
| After Election: | Erskine H. Childers |
| After Party: | Fianna Fáil |
The 1973 Irish presidential election was held on Wednesday, 30 May 1973. The outgoing president Éamon de Valera was ineligible for re-election after serving two terms in office. Former Tánaiste Erskine H. Childers, nominated by Fianna Fáil, was elected as president of Ireland, defeating Fine Gael deputy leader, Tom O'Higgins, who had come within 1% of defeating Éamon de Valera in the 1966 presidential election.
Under Article 12 of the Constitution of Ireland, a candidate for president could be nominated by:
On 25 April, the Minister for Local Government made the order for the presidential election, with noon on 8 May as the date for nominations, and 30 May as the date of polling.[1]
O'Higgins was approved as the Fine Gael candidate on 31 January.[2] Childers was approved as the Fianna Fáil candidate on 6 April.[3] George Colley was director of elections for Childers.[4] O'Higgins was the early favourite to win, with odds of 1/2, against 6/4 for Childers.[5]
| Childers | O'Higgins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Carlow–Kilkenny | 23,231 | 52.0 | 21,458 | 48.0 | |
| Cavan | 14,001 | 51.1 | 13,399 | 48.9 | |
| Clare | 16,412 | 61.4 | 10,335 | 38.6 | |
| Clare–South Galway | 14,470 | 56.9 | 10,946 | 43.1 | |
| Cork City North-West | 15,589 | 62.9 | 9,196 | 37.1 | |
| Cork City South-East | 15,918 | 60.0 | 10,625 | 40.0 | |
| Cork Mid | 21,603 | 53.2 | 19,011 | 46.8 | |
| Cork North-East | 20,887 | 54.8 | 17,253 | 45.2 | |
| Cork South-West | 13,745 | 47.6 | 15,102 | 52.4 | |
| Donegal North-East | 12,253 | 56.8 | 9,329 | 43.2 | |
| Donegal–Leitrim | 14,326 | 55.1 | 11,689 | 44.9 | |
| Dublin Central | 12,081 | 47.4 | 13,385 | 52.6 | |
| Dublin County North | 18,625 | 49.5 | 18,993 | 50.5 | |
| Dublin County South | 15,561 | 48.4 | 16,586 | 51.6 | |
| Dublin North-Central | 14,012 | 48.0 | 15,162 | 52.0 | |
| Dublin North-East | 16,613 | 47.9 | 18,081 | 52.1 | |
| Dublin North-West | 12,102 | 48.2 | 12,981 | 51.8 | |
| Dublin South-Central | 15,117 | 49.5 | 15,399 | 50.5 | |
| Dublin South-East | 11,540 | 49.7 | 11,698 | 50.3 | |
| Dublin South-West | 10,924 | 46.4 | 12,641 | 53.6 | |
| Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown | 18,037 | 47.9 | 19,655 | 52.1 | |
| Galway North-East | 12,005 | 50.5 | 11,756 | 49.5 | |
| Galway West | 12,920 | 55.3 | 10,458 | 44.7 | |
| Kerry North | 12,206 | 52.5 | 11,038 | 47.5 | |
| Kerry South | 12,280 | 52.6 | 11,071 | 47.4 | |
| Kildare | 15,689 | 54.1 | 13,291 | 45.9 | |
| Laois–Offaly | 21,078 | 50.4 | 20,740 | 49.6 | |
| Limerick East | 17,897 | 51.4 | 16,952 | 48.6 | |
| Limerick West | 16,013 | 55.6 | 12,772 | 44.4 | |
| Longford–Westmeath | 17,324 | 51.9 | 16,050 | 48.1 | |
| Louth | 14,556 | 55.7 | 11,575 | 44.3 | |
| Mayo East | 11,290 | 48.2 | 12,141 | 51.8 | |
| Mayo West | 10,983 | 48.7 | 11,558 | 51.3 | |
| Meath | 14,542 | 53.7 | 12,534 | 46.3 | |
| Monaghan | 13,706 | 52.8 | 12,261 | 47.2 | |
| Roscommon–Leitrim | 12,884 | 47.7 | 14,127 | 52.3 | |
| Sligo–Leitrim | 12,832 | 50.0 | 12,829 | 50.0 | |
| Tipperary North | 14,723 | 53.6 | 12,748 | 46.4 | |
| Tipperary South | 20,002 | 55.0 | 16,339 | 45.0 | |
| Waterford | 15,785 | 54.6 | 13,116 | 45.4 | |
| Wexford | 16,279 | 46.3 | 18,878 | 53.7 | |
| Wicklow | 13,826 | 52.3 | 12,613 | 47.7 | |
| Total | 635,867 | 52.0 | 587,771 | 48.0 | |