| Galway West | |
| Type: | Dáil |
| Year: | 1937 |
| Map4: | Galway West (Dáil constituency) 2024.svg |
| Map Entity: | Ireland |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Members Label: | TDs |
| Local Council Label: | Local government areas |
| Blank1 Name: | EP constituency |
| Blank1 Info: | Midlands–North-West |
| Previous: | Galway |
Galway West is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
The constituency was created under the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935 and first used at the 1937 general election, when the former Galway constituency was split into Galway East and Galway West.
It currently spans the western half of County Galway, taking in Galway city, the Galway Gaeltacht, and Clifden, as well as part of southern County Mayo.[1]
The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:[2]
The Constituency Review Report 2023 of the Electoral Commission recommended that at the next general election, the portion of the constituency in County Mayo be transferred to the constituency of Mayo.[3]
For the 2024 general election, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:[4]
| + Changes to the Galway West constituency | ||||
| Years | TDs | Boundaries | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937–1948 | 3 | Created from Galway | ||
| 1948–1961 | 3 | |||
| 1961–1969 | 3 | |||
| 1969–1977 | 3 | |||
| 1977–1981 | 4 | |||
| 1981–1987 | 5 | County Galway, except the parts in the constituencies of Galway East and Roscommon[5] | ||
| 1987–1992 | 5 | County Borough of Galway; and County Galway, except the parts in the constituencies of Galway East and Roscommon[6] [7] [8] | Galway City became a separate local government area in 1986 | |
| 1992–1997 | 5 | County Borough of Galway; and County Galway, except the parts in the constituencies of Galway East, Mayo East and Mayo West[9] | Transfer of Headford area to Mayo West[10] | |
| 1997–2002 | 5 | County Borough of Galway; and County Galway, except the parts in the constituency of Galway East[11] | Transfer of Headford Area from Mayo West[12] | |
| 2002–2016 | 5 | Galway City; and County Galway, except the parts in the constituency of Galway East.[13] [14] [15] | Transfer to Galway East of territory in the former Rural District of Tuam[16] [17] [18] | |
| 2016–2020 | 5 | Galway City | ||
| 2020– | 5 | Galway City |
Fianna Fáil TD Johnny Geoghegan died on 5 January 1975. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 4 March 1975. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, daughter of the deceased TD.
Fianna Fáil TD Seán Tubridy died on 15 July 1939. A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 30 May 1940.