Midlands–North-West (European Parliament constituency) Constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland
Midlands–North-West Location among the current constituencies
Midlands–North-West shown within Ireland (2014–2019, 2024– boundaries)
Member state Ireland Electorate 1,224,888 Created 2014 MEPs [1]
Midlands–North-West is a European Parliament constituency in Ireland . It elects 5 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote .
History and boundaries
Midlands–North-West was created for the 2014 European Parliament election when Ireland's allocation of seats was reduced from 12 to 11 due to the accession of Croatia to the European Union . It followed a recommendation of a 2013 Constituency Commission report on European Parliament constituencies in Ireland . It consisted of the old North-West constituency, except for County Clare which was moved to the South constituency; as well the northern and central Leinster part of the East constituency.[ 1] [ 2] The Irish Times criticised the wide geographic spread of the constituency, calling it "a heterogeneous mish-mash of counties with little historic or cultural connection to each other". It was nicknamed "Malin M50 " for its wide spread, from the suburbs of Dublin to the Atlantic seaboard.[ 3]
For the 2019 European Parliament election , a reapportionment following Brexit and the loss of 73 MEPs from the United Kingdom gave two additional seats to Ireland. Following a recommendation of the Constituency Commission, counties Laois and Offaly were moved to the South constituency, with Midlands–North-West maintaining its 4 seats.[ 4] [ 5]
At the 2024 European Parliament election , Midlands–North-West increased to 5 seats, with the transfer of County Laois and County Offaly from South .[ 6] This followed a recommendation of the Electoral Commission , where Ireland had been allocated one additional MEP. This gives the new constituency a population of 1,831,741, as of the 2022 census [ 7] [ 8]
The constituency comprises the counties of Cavan , Donegal , Galway , Kildare , Laois , Leitrim , Longford , Louth , Mayo , Meath , Monaghan , Offaly , Roscommon , Sligo and Westmeath ; and the city of Galway .[ 9]
The main urban areas of Midlands–North-West (by population size) are Galway , Drogheda , Dundalk , Navan , Newbridge , Naas , Portlaoise , Athlone , Mullingar , Letterkenny , Celbridge , Sligo , Maynooth , Leixlip , Ashbourne and Tullamore .
Election
Area
Seats
2014
Counties of Cavan , Donegal , Galway , Kildare , Laois , Leitrim , Longford , Louth , Mayo , Meath , Monaghan , Offaly , Roscommon , Sligo and Westmeath ; and the city of Galway .[ 10]
4
2019
Loss of Laois and Offaly to South [ 9]
2024
Transfer of Laois and Offaly from South[ 6]
5
MEPs
2019–2024 boundaries
Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.
Elections
^ *: Outgoing MEP elected at the previous election.
^ †: Outgoing MEP coopted subsequent to the previous election.
2024 election
2024 European Parliament election : Midlands–North-West (5 seats)[ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Independent
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan [*]
11.50
78,214
78,551
78,700
78,855
79,019
79,582
79,842
80,484
81,122
81,663
82,856
84,665
88,033
89,660
95,314
103,653
106,461
110,533
118,754
Fianna Fáil
Barry Cowen
10.87
73,908
73,995
74,041
74,110
74,204
74,237
74,326
74,488
74,603
74,830
75,328
75,594
76,326
76,545
78,208
78,841
84,965
85,592
89,449
115,977
Fine Gael
Nina Carberry
10.87
73,888
74,000
74,110
74,193
74,286
74,349
74,592
74,955
75,090
75,672
76,946
77,205
78,474
78,717
80,364
82,086
86,268
86,865
90,842
98,118
98,872
Fine Gael
Maria Walsh [*]
10.51
71,476
71,580
71,693
71,780
71,879
72,027
72,067
72,174
72,415
73,096
75,834
76,491
78,048
78,204
79,310
83,060
84,935
86,401
90,015
100,454
100,781
Independent Ireland
Ciaran Mullooly
8.42
57,297
57,419
57,530
57,809
58,260
58,396
58,513
58,802
59,606
59,931
60,409
61,888
62,598
65,619
68,663
71,107
71,933
73,101
83,194
86,689
88,177
Sinn Féin
Michelle Gildernew
6.74
45,807
45,917
45,957
46,050
46,093
46,383
46,485
46,826
47,032
47,345
47,833
48,074
49,584
50,151
51,254
53,129
54,103
74,795
79,398
81,639
82,723
Fianna Fáil
Lisa Chambers
6.48
44,069
44,135
44,183
44,242
44,297
44,355
44,474
44,753
44,900
45,212
46,200
46,424
47,296
47,416
48,578
50,648
59,664
60,537
62,818
Aontú
Peadar Tóibín
5.99
40,742
40,814
41,018
41,223
41,564
41,696
41,878
42,089
42,839
43,046
43,641
46,447
47,057
50,735
53,222
54,531
55,399
56,633
Fianna Fáil
Niall Blaney
4.47
30,387
30,418
30,439
30,465
30,492
30,523
31,118
31,281
31,356
31,484
31,696
31,850
32,085
32,205
33,598
34,074
Sinn Féin
Chris MacManus [†]
4.33
29,427
29,491
29,527
29,606
29,667
30,053
30,107
30,212
30,408
30,663
31,045
31,387
32,333
32,889
33,616
35,235
36,157
Independent
Peter Casey
3.10
21,102
21,219
21,309
21,433
21,586
21,654
22,014
22,994
23,437
23,535
23,643
25,054
25,275
28,497
Independent
Saoirse McHugh
2.79
18,976
19,343
19,464
19,744
19,802
20,360
20,414
20,546
21,049
21,547
23,848
24,801
29,234
29,928
31,519
Social Democrats
Rory Hearne
2.21
15,023
15,102
15,172
15,201
15,210
15,825
15,852
15,942
15,977
16,926
19,202
19,279
Irish Freedom
Hermann Kelly
2.04
13,904
13,967
14,084
14,562
14,950
15,003
15,550
16,543
17,210
17,273
17,313
20,885
21,029
Green
Pauline O'Reilly
2.02
13,710
13,777
13,816
13,889
13,917
14,157
14,170
14,220
14,253
15,283
Independent
John Waters
2.01
13,692
13,746
14,806
15,033
15,384
15,498
15,768
16,009
17,019
17,088
17,206
Labour
Fergal Landy
1.03
6,970
7,024
7,041
7,070
7,078
7,238
7,246
7,321
7,350
Independent
Michelle Smith
0.99
6,713
6,784
6,889
6,938
7,000
7,032
7,050
7,102
The Irish People
Anthony Cahill
0.67
4,535
4,574
4,623
4,802
4,910
4,978
6,124
National Party
Justin Barrett
0.60
4,086
4,132
4,164
4,267
4,769
4,791
PBP–Solidarity
Brian O'Boyle
0.59
3,982
4,037
4,083
4,138
4,170
National Party
James Reynolds
0.47
3,201
3,234
3,294
3,479
Ireland First
Margaret Maguire
0.46
3,117
3,231
3,284
Independent
Gerry Waters
0.44
3,015
3,056
Independent
Charlotte Keenan
0.16
1,102
Independent
Stephen Garland
0.16
1,079
Independent
Daniel Pocock
0.08
524
Electorate: 1,318,190 Valid: 679,946 Spoilt: 20,754 Quota: 113,325 Turnout: 700,700 (53.10%)
2019 election
2019 European Parliament election : Midlands–North-West (4 seats)[ 15]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Fine Gael
Mairead McGuinness [*]
22.6%
134,630
Independent
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan [*]
14.3%
85,034
86,906
87,008
87,188
87,333
87,964
88,543
90,187
91,747
94,353
97,319
112,760
121,824
Sinn Féin
Matt Carthy [*]
13.0%
77,619
78,487
78,513
78,612
78,653
79,028
79,437
81,544
82,921
83,851
84,825
91,396
98,732
Fine Gael
Maria Walsh
10.8%
64,500
70,536
70,619
70,660
70,731
71,425
71,793
72,265
74,116
76,056
80,338
96,163
107,192
Independent
Peter Casey
9.5%
56,650
57,848
57,892
58,034
58,212
58,602
59,635
60,769
61,616
64,690
66,565
69,923
78,362
Green
Saoirse McHugh
8.6%
51,019
52,731
52,821
52,976
53,068
53,966
54,548
55,455
58,642
60,778
61,957
Fianna Fáil
Brendan Smith
7.2%
42,814
44,040
44,059
44,076
44,130
44,255
44,692
44,836
45,235
46,820
64,532
68,677
Fianna Fáil
Anne Rabbitte
5.1%
30,220
31,084
31,122
31,143
31,198
31,471
31,893
32,041
32,714
34,610
Independent
Fidelma Healy Eames
2.7%
15,991
16,468
16,515
16,621
16,764
17,590
19,312
19,694
20,410
Labour
Dominic Hannigan
2.1%
12,378
13,031
13,065
13,150
13,197
13,408
13,723
14,089
Solidarity–PBP
Cyril Brennan
1.4%
8,130
8,226
8,246
8,337
8,365
8,553
8,699
Renua
Michael O'Dowd
1.2%
6,897
7,200
7,220
7,304
7,445
7,677
Independent
Olive O'Connor
0.5%
3,132
3,236
3,313
3,326
3,477
Independent
Dilip Mahapatra
0.4%
2,450
2,562
2,577
2,654
2,694
Direct Democracy
Patrick Greene
0.2%
1,352
1,400
1,412
Independent
James Miller
0.2%
1,322
1,375
1,446
1,490
Independent
Diarmuid Mulcahy
0.1%
789
811
Electorate: 1,224,888 Valid: 594,927 Spoilt: 21,628 (3.5%) Quota: 118,986 Turnout: 616,555 (50.3%)
2014 election
2014 European Parliament election : Midlands–North-West (4 seats)[ 16] [ 11]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Independent
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan
19.2
124,063
129,561
Sinn Féin
Matt Carthy
17.7
114,727
117,670
120,723
124,976
126,492
127,135
135,046
Fine Gael
Mairead McGuinness [*]
14.2
92,080
94,019
102,025
107,689
135,698
Independent
Marian Harkin [*]
10.7
68,986
72,045
77,798
89,611
95,577
99,843
105,501
106,520
Fianna Fáil
Pat "the Cope" Gallagher
9.2
59,562
60,466
62,071
65,725
67,606
68,440
102,915
106,245
Fianna Fáil
Thomas Byrne
8.6
55,384
56,528
58,505
62,335
63,392
64,057
Fine Gael
Jim Higgins [*]
6.2
39,908
40,462
43,292
45,060
Independent
Rónán Mullen
5.6
36,326
38,260
41,164
Labour
Lorraine Higgins
4.9
31,951
33,744
Green
Mark Dearey
1.5
9,520
Direct Democracy
Ben Gilroy
1.2
7,683
Independent
Mark Fitzsimons
0.4
2,424
Independent
T. J. Fay
0.3
2,002
Fís Nua
Cordelia Níc Fhearraigh
0.3
1,829
Electorate: 1,202,997 Valid: 646,445 Spoilt: 17,258 (1.4%) Quota: 129,290 Turnout: 663,703 (55.2%)
References
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^ "New Irish MEP constituencies announced" . RTÉ News . 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013 .
^ McGee, Harry (3 March 2014). "Illogical constituencies to make for unpredictable Euro election" . The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014 .
^ Cunningham, Paul (24 September 2018). "Dublin and Ireland South to gain extra European Parliament seats" . RTÉ News . Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2018 .
^ "Report on European Parliament Constituencies 2018" (PDF) . Constituency Commission . 24 September 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019 .
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^ "Review of European Parliament Constituencies Report 2023" (PDF) . Electoral Commission . 20 November 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023 .
^ Burns, Sarah (20 November 2023). "Extra European Parliament seat recommended for Midlands-North West" . The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023 .
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^ European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2014, s. 3 (No. 2 of 2014, s. 3 ). Enacted on 5 February 2014. Act of the Oireachtas . Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 23 March 2019.
^ a b "2014 European Parliament election – Midlands–North-West" . ElectionsIreland.org . Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014 .
^ "RTÉ 2024 Elections" . RTÉ . Retrieved 9 June 2024 .
^ "EU Elections Information Hub" . European Movement Ireland . Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024 .
^ "EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Meet the Candidates" . Ireland Votes . Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024 .
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^ "European Parliament Election Results 2014" (PDF) . Government of Ireland . Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government .