Denis Gorey Explained

Denis Gorey
Birth Date:25 May 1874
Office1:Teachta Dála
Term Start1:July 1937
Term End1:20 February 1940
Constituency1:Kilkenny
Term Start2:November 1927
Term End2:January 1933
Term Start3:June 1922
Term End3:September 1927
Constituency3:Carlow–Kilkenny
Office4:Leader of the Farmers' Party
Term Start4:1922
Term End4:1927
Successor4:Patrick Baxter

Denis John Gorey (25 May 1874 – 20 February 1940) was an Irish politician who served for nearly twenty years as Teachta Dála (TD), first as leader of the Farmers' Party, then for Cumann na nGaedheal, and finally for Fine Gael.[1]

Gorey was first elected to the 3rd Dáil at the 1922 general election for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency, taking his seat as leader of the Farmers' Party, which won seven seats.[2]

He was re-elected at the 1923 general election, leading the Farmers' Party to a new high of 15 seats in the 4th Dáil.[3] However, with the anti-Treaty TDs abstaining from Dáil Éireann, the party remained in opposition to the Cumann na nGaedheal government of W. T. Cosgrave.

Gorey left the Farmers' Party and fought the June 1927 general election as a Cumann na nGaedheal candidate, winning election to the 5th Dáil. He lost his seat at the September 1927 general election. However, he was re-elected at the by-election on 3 November 1927 after W. T. Cosgrave, who had been elected both for Carlow–Kilkenny and Cork Borough, chose to represent Cork Borough.

At the 1932 general election, he was re-elected with a share of the first-preference vote below 6%, relying on transfers for other candidates to reach the quota as the last of five TDs to be elected.[4] He lost his seat again at the 1933 general election, but was returned at the 1937 general election to the 9th Dáil, for the new Kilkenny constituency, where he was returned again at the 1938 general election.

After his death on 20 February 1940 at the age of 65, no by-election was held for his seat, which remained vacant until the 1943 general election.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Denis Gorey. Oireachtas Members Database. 12 April 2012.
  2. The sources differ on which party Denis Gorey represented at the 1922 election: the ElectionsIreland.org website records him as a Labour Party candidate http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=1109, while the Oireachtas members' database lists him as a Farmers' Party TD http://oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=3&MemberID=470&ConstID=20. However, the matter is clarified by the Dáil debates: Gorey's contribution to the debate on 9 September 1922 about the appointment of a Committee on Standing Orders makes it clear that he speaks for the Farmers' Party http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie:80/D/0001/D.0001.192209090015.html .
  3. Web site: Denis J. Gorey. ElectionsIreland.org. 12 April 2012.
  4. Web site: 7th Dail: Carlow–Kilkenny First preference votes. ElectionsIreland.org. 12 April 2012.