| Sligo–Leitrim | |
| Type: | Dáil |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Map4: | Sligo–Leitrim (Dáil constituency) 2025.svg |
| Map Entity: | Ireland |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Members Label: | TDs |
| Seats: | 4 |
| Local Council Label: | Local government areas |
| Blank1 Name: | EP constituency |
| Blank1 Info: | Midlands–North-West |
| Sligo–Leitrim | |
| Type: | Dáil |
| Year: | 1948 |
| Abolished: | 2007 |
| Map Entity: | Ireland |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Local Council Label: | Local government areas |
Sligo–Leitrim is a parliamentary constituency that has been represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, from the 2016 general election. The constituency elects 4 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). Another constituency of the same name existed from 1948 to 2007.
The Sligo–Leitrim constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947, and first used at the 1948 general election. It replaced the two previous constituencies of Sligo and Leitrim, which had been created at the 1937 general election to replace the 1923–1937 Leitrim–Sligo constituency.
The constituency was abolished at the 2007 general election, and replaced by two new constituencies: Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim.
The constituency was re-created for the 2016 general election. The change was implemented by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, following a recommendation of the Constituency Commission its 2012 report.[1] [2] It replaced the constituencies of Roscommon–South Leitrim and Sligo–North Leitrim, and comprises all of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; nine electoral divisions of southern County Donegal, and thirty-six electoral divisions of western County Cavan.[1]
This change proved controversial, and created an unusual cross-province constituency, incorporating all or parts of four counties. Some Cavan and Donegal voters felt unrepresented. One man shared a picture online of his spoiled ballot in the 2016 election, which read "I LIVE IN CAVAN!"[3] Local newspaper The Anglo-Celt reported that several people had similarly spoiled their ballots, using the column of boxes to spell out the same message.[4]
At the 2020 general election, the electoral divisions in County Cavan were transferred to the Cavan–Monaghan constituency, and parts of County Roscommon were added to Sligo–Leitrim instead. The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:[5]
In the Constituency Review Report 2023, the Electoral Commission recommended that the electoral divisions of Roscommon in the constituency should be transferred to the Roscommon–Galway constituency, while keeping the nine electoral divisions ofsouthern Donegal.[6]
For the next general election, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:[7]
| +Changes to the Sligo–Leitrim constituency | ||||
| Years | TDs | Boundaries | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923–1937 | 7 | The full territory of both counties.[8] | Named Leitrim–Sligo | |
| 1937–1948 | — | Constituency abolished[9] | Divided into Leitrim (3 seats) and Sligo (3 seats) | |
| 1948–1961 | 5 | The full territory of both counties.[10] | Constituency recreated, now called Sligo–Leitrim | |
| 1961–1969 | 4 | All of County Sligo, and all of County Leitrim except for those areas in the constituency of Roscommon.[11] | Adjustments to maintain voter-to-seat ratio at near national average. Most of the Carrick-on-Shannon and Mohill areas now in the Roscommon constituency. | |
| 1969–1977 | 3 | All of County Sligo; and all of Leitrim, except the parts in the constituencies of Donegal–Leitrim and Roscommon–Leitrim.[12] | Large parts of County Leitrim moved to the two new neighbouring constituencies | |
| 1977–1981 | 3 | All of County Sligo; in County Donegal, all of the Bundoran area and part of Ballyshannon; in County Leitrim, parts of the Kinlough and Manorhamilton districts.[13] | Major revision as part of the "Tullymander". Constituency is now effectively Sligo – Southmost Donegal and the small area of North Leitrim which was in the old Donegal–Leitrim constituency | |
| 1981–2007 | 4 | The full territory of both counties.[14] [15] [16] [17] [18] | District electoral divisions in County Leitrim transferred from Roscommon–Leitrim; district electoral divisions in County Donegal transferred to Donegal South-West | |
| 2007–2016 | — | Constituency abolished.[19] [20] | Divided into Sligo–North Leitrim (3 seats) and Roscommon–South Leitrim (3 seats) | |
| 2016–2020 | 4 | All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; western parts of County Cavan.[21] | Constituency recreated, with electoral divisions transferred from Cavan–Monaghan and Donegal South-West | |
| 2020– | 4 | All of County Sligo; all of County Leitrim; in County Donegal, the Bundoran and Ballyshannon areas; northern parts of County Roscommon. | Electoral divisions in County Cavan transferred to Cavan–Monaghan; electoral divisions in County Roscommon transferred from Roscommon–Galway |
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Flynn on 24 November 1960, a by-election was held on 1 March 1961.