The Cedar Lounge Revolution

Left Candidates from November 1982 April 2, 2011

Another in the series of looking at the Left vote in previous General Elections, Left candidates and their results from the November 1982 General Election.

The Workers Party (having changed from Sinn Fein The Workers Party the previous April) fielded 20 candidates , 3 more than in the February 1982 Election.
Their National vote increased to 3.3% from 2.2% earlier in the year. However having gone into the election with three seats, they returned with two seats (Tomas MacGiolla and Proinsias de Rossa) with Paddy Gallagher in Waterford and Joe Sherlock in Cork East both losing their seats.
They had supported the minority Fianna Fail government for a number of months and this was held against them by many voters. It was felt by many that they had not done enough to create jobs, indeed such was the frustration that in July a group of Unemployed Youth in the guise of ‘Dungarvan Unemployment Action Group’ marched from Waterford to Dublin in protest. Terry Moroney , one of the marchers stood in the election.
Regionally The Workers Party polled 2.9% in Munster , 6.5% in the Dublin Region, 1.9% in The Leinster Region (excluding Dublin) and 1.1% in Connaught Ulster.
In Limerick East, after a campaign by The Limerick Leader against Jim Kemmy based around his views on abortion, The Democratic Socialist Party TD lost his seat. The local Labour Party had also exploited the issue.
In Dublin Central, on the back of “The Gregory Deal” and local work Tony Gregory held on to the seat he had won earlier in the year.

Between them Fianna Fail and Fine Gael won 84.3% of the vote in that November 82 Election. The previous record combined FF/FG high of 84.6% was in the February 1982 Election.

The Workers Party Candidates
Sean Walsh – Carlow Kilkenny 2,189
Joe Sherlock – Cork East – 6,186
John Kelleher -Cork North Central 1836
Noel Power – Cork South Central 1,485
Seamus Rodgers Donegal South West 1,972

Michael White – Dublin Central 2,161
Padraig Yeates Dublin North Central 1,476
Pat McCartan- Dublin North East 3,056
Proinsias de Rossa – Dublin North West 6,291 ** Elected
Eric Byrne – Dublin South Central 3,774
Andy Smith – Dublin South East 1,820
Pat Rabbitte – Dublin South West 2,365
Tomas MacGiolla – Dublin West 6,844 ** Elected
Eamon Gilmore Dun Laoghaire 1,368

James Brick Galway West 1,787
Sean O’Grady Kerry South 679
Donnchadha MacRaghnaill Louth 671
Paddy Gallagher Waterford 4,577
John Roche – Wexford 920
John McManus- Wicklow 3,431

Democratic Socialist Party Candidates
Garry O’Sullivan-Cork South Central  369 votes
Philip O’Connor – Dublin North Central  224 votes
Denis O’Connor -Dublin South   479 votes
Seamus Rattigan -Dublin South Central  303 votes
Michael Conaghan -Dublin West  476 votes
John De Courcy Ireland -Dun Laoghaire 1036 votes
Jim Kemmy -Limerick East 4125 votes

CPI
John Montgomery – Dublin West  259 votes

IRSP
James Lane  -Cork South Central 398

Independents
Tony Gregory-Dublin Central  6,237 votes ** Elected
Bernadette McAliskey – Dublin North Central  1.023
Billy Keegan  -Dublin North West  198 votes
Anthony Clarke  -Dun Laoghaire 205 votes
Declan Bree – Sligo Leitrim   1,832 votes
Terence Moroney – Waterford  285 votes

*I’ve linked to candidates leaflets from that November 1982 Election that I’ve posted to date.