Wikipedia

2026 Dublin Central by-election

A Dáil by-election was held in the constituency of Dublin Central in Ireland on 22 May 2026,[2] to fill the vacancy in the 34th Dáil left by the resignation of Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) Paschal Donohoe on 21 November 2025.[3][4][5] It was held on the same as the 2026 Galway West by-election.

2026 Dublin Central by-election
← 2024
22 May 2026
Turnout43.5% Decrease 8.8 pp
 
Ennis
Nominee Daniel Ennis Janice Boylan Janet Horner
Party Social Democrats Sinn Féin Green
First preferences 4,903 4,348 2,907
Percentage 19.7% 17.5% 11.7%
Final count 12,050 7,787 –
The winner by electoral division using tally data[1]
TD before election

Paschal Donohoe
Fine Gael

 TD after election

Daniel Ennis
Social Democrats

The by-election was won by Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats,[6] leading to the party having two TDs in the same constituency for the first time in their history.[7] The by-election was also marked by Fianna Fáil's worst by-election performance ever, surpassing the poor performance the party had in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election.[8]

Timing

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Under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, the writ of election for the by-election must be issued within six months of the vacancy.[9] The writ to fill the vacancy was agreed by the Dáil on 22 April.[10] On the following day, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage set the election date for 22 May.[11][12][13][14]

Constituency profile

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The Dáil constituency of Dublin Central elects four TDs. Dublin Central is regarded as one of the most social and ethnically diverse constituencies in Ireland.[15] In 2020, the constituency's population was 65.7% Irish, versus 87% for the country as a whole.[16] The constituency consists of largely traditional working class areas such as East Wall, North Strand, Summerhill, Ballybough, Sheriff Street and Cabra with more suburban middle class Stoneybatter, Phibsborough, Glasnevin and Lower Drumcondra on the northern fringes of the constituency.[17] It contains O'Connell Street, the Four Courts and the IFSC. Dublin Central was the location of the 2023 Dublin riot, and anti-immigration candidates have a presence here.[18] At the 2024 general election, Dublin Central elected one Sinn Féin, one Social Democrat, one Fine Gael and one Labour TD.[19]

Candidates

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On 19 November 2025, independent Dublin City councillor Malachy Steenson confirmed his intention to stand.[20] Alleged crime boss Gerry Hutch confirmed his intention to stand on 23 November 2025.[21] Musician and activist Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin was announced as the candidate for People Before Profit on 10 December 2025.[22] On 16 December 2025, councillor Daniel Ennis was selected as the Social Democrats candidate.[23][24]

Aontú announced Ian Noel Smyth as their candidate on 15 January 2026.[25] On 4 February 2026, the Green Party announced that the party's Cathaoirleach, Dublin City Councillor Janet Horner would be the party's candidate in the by-election.[26] On 25 February, Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan, who was Mary Lou McDonald's running mate in Dublin Central at the 2024 general election, was chosen as the party's candidate at a selection convention.[27] In February 2026, Colm Flood, a former People Before Profit member announced that he would run as an independent candidate.

On 2 March 2026, Ruth O'Dea was selected as the Labour Party candidate.[28] On 23 March 2026, councillor Ray McAdam, the current Lord Mayor of Dublin was announced as the Fine Gael candidate.[29] On 30 March 2026, councillor John Stephens was selected as the Fianna Fáil candidate.[30]

Campaign

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In online comments on 3 May, Gerry Hutch said undocumented immigrants, including Somalis, should be "interned" in the Curragh Camp rather than housed in hotels or given state payments. He claimed immigrants were coming to Ireland from Britain and France "because it's a freebie and they're getting paid". Hutch appeared to single out Somali migrants in particular, saying they were in Ireland illegally and should "be put back on the boat". He later rejected accusations of racism, saying he had friends of different racial backgrounds and insisted he was "certainly not racist".[31]

On 13 May, while canvassing on behalf of Fianna Fáil for the by-election, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was secretly filmed during a conversation about immigration in which he said that "the ones I worry about are the Africans", that he has concerns about the level of immigration, and that Ireland "can't be taking in people" coming from "the Congo". He also singled out people from "the next generation of Muslims". The Green Party candidate in the by-election, Janet Horner, described the comments as "not only harmful, but hurtful to the people who live in the constituency he once represented. They are untrue and ill-informed", while Labour leader, Ivana Bacik, called for a full apology. Ahern later stood over the views expressed but added that he was wrong to single out a particular group of people.[32][33]

On 19 May, A few days after Ahern's comments were reported in the media, a Congolese man, Yves Sakila, died while being restrained by private security guards on Henry Street, part of the Dublin Central consitutency.[34] Sakila's death was linked to Ahern's comments by Social Democrats TD, Gary Gannon and by People Before Profit by-election candidate Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin.[35][36][non-primary source needed] Separately, Donnah Vuma, a Social Democrat candidate in the 2024 Limerick City and County Council election who works for the migrant rights organisation Doras, said that she would "refuse to be silent about the connection between [Bertie Ahern's] rhetoric and what happened to Yves Sakila", claiming that "Anti-Black racism runs through assumptions, institutions, and the mouths of respected elder statesmen who face no real consequence for what they say".[37][non-primary source needed]

Research by Hope and Courage Collective published in the weeks after the election found that both Janice Boylan and Daniel Ennis were primary targets of sustained harmful online activity which sought to damage their reputations. Boylan faced misogynistic attacks immediately upon announcing her candidacy.[38]

Debates

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RTÉ were forced to defend not inviting Gerry Hutch to the first television debate on 3 May 2026 saying that parties that won seats in the constituency in the last general election would receive preference. This meant that only Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil were represented at the debate.[39] Hutch was subsequently invited to attend a debate on RTÉ News: Six One on 15 May 2026 but declined, claiming that RTÉ had "snubbed" his previous campaign in the general election. Green Party candidate, Janet Horner was invited in his place.[40] Also on 15 May, RTÉ Radio 1's Today with David McCullagh held two separate debates with four participants in each debate. It also provided the opportunity for lower polling candidates to provide a short audio clip outlining their election platform.[41][42] The Six One debate was also split into two separate debates, the first with Boylan, Ennis and McAdam, and the second with Horner, O'Dea and Stephens.

2026 Dublin Central by-election debates
Date BroadcasterModerator Programme Participants
 P  Participant    A  Absent invitee    – Not invited   Boylan Corrigan Ennis Flynn Flood Horner Hutch McAdam Ó  Ceannabháin O'Dea O'Leary Smyth Steenson Stephens
3 May RTÉ One Sarah McInerney The Week in Politics P – P – – – – P – P – – – –
15 May RTÉ Radio 1 David McCullagh Today with David McCullagh P – – – – – – P P P – – – –
15 May RTÉ Radio 1 David McCullagh Today with David McCullagh – – P – – P – – – – – – P P
15 May RTÉ One Sharon Tobin RTÉ News: Six One P – P – – – – P – – – – – –
15 May RTÉ One Sharon Tobin RTÉ News: Six One – – – – – P A – – P – – – P

Opinion polling

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Last date of polling Commissioner Polling firm Sample size Sources Boylan Corrigan Ennis Flynn Flood Horner Hutch McAdam Ó Ceannabháin O'Dea O'Leary Smyth Steenson Stephens
14 May 2026 TG4
The Irish Times		 Ipsos B&A 659 21 1 18 1 1 8 14 13 3 6 1 1 7 4

Results

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2026 Dublin Central by-election[43][44]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456789
Social Democrats Daniel Ennis 19.7 4,903 4,954 5,049 5,512 6,383 6,509 7,681 8,306 12,050
Sinn Féin Janice Boylan 17.5 4,348 4,416 4,484 4,587 5,017 5,373 5,569 7,210 7,787
Green Janet Horner 11.7 2,907 2,958 3,052 3,632 4,010 4,058 5,272 5,452  
Independent Gerry Hutch 11.3 2,817 2,872 2,907 2,923 2,959 4,349 4,466    
Fine Gael Ray McAdam 10.7 2,659 2,724 3,277 3,475 3,500 3,614      
Independent Malachy Steenson 9.4 2,342 2,542 2,596 2,614 2,641        
PBP–Solidarity Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin 6.8 1,681 1,719 1,744 1,853          
Labour Ruth O'Dea 5.8 1,454 1,481 1,568            
Fianna Fáil John Stephens 4.2 1,049 1,120              
Aontú Ian Noel Smyth 2.0 505                
Independent Mannix Flynn 0.6 157                
Independent Tony Corrigan 0.1 30                
Independent Colm Flood 0.0 10                
Independent John O'Leary 0.0 7                
Electorate: 57,619   Valid: 24,869   Spoilt: 176   Quota: 12,435   Turnout: 25,045 (43.5%)  

The by-election was won by Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats,[6] the first time the party has had two TDs in the same constituency.[7]

The Times characterised the Dublin Central by-election as a significant victory for Daniel Ennis and the Social Democrats, driven by strong performances in gentrifying parts of the constituency such as Glasnevin, Stoneybatter and Grangegorman, while Sinn Féin's Janice Boylan faced pressure both from Ennis and from independent candidates Gerard Hutch and Malachy Steenson in parts of the inner city. The Green Party's candidate, Janet Horner, regained much of the vote share, and the transfer-friendliness, that had been lost in the 2024 general election. The Times stated that transfer patterns were expected to favour Ennis through support from Green and Labour voters, while Hutch's transfers were seen as more likely to benefit Boylan, although Hutch's candidacy did not generate the scale of new turnout some observers anticipated.

The Times also described disappointing results for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with both parties attributing weak performances partly to the difficulties of incumbency and organisational weaknesses, while commentators at the count highlighted widening class and political divisions across Dublin Central.[45] It was Fianna Fáil's worst by-election performance ever, surpassing the poor performance the party had in the 2021 Dublin Bay South by-election.[8]

References

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  1. ↑ "Dublin Central By-Election 2026". Ireland Votes. Archived from the original on 23 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Notice of Dáil Election". Dublin City Returning Officer. 24 April 2026.
  3. ↑ Murphy, David (18 November 2025). "Paschal Donohoe resigns as Minister for Finance for role at World Bank". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  4. ↑ Leahy, Pat (18 November 2025). "Paschal Donohoe to resign from Government and take up position at World Bank". The Irish Times.
  5. ↑ "Resignation of Member". Dáil Debates. 1076 (2). 25 November 2025.
  6. 1 2 Libreri, Samantha (24 May 2026). "Ennis wins Dublin Central bye-election for Social Democrats". RTÉ News. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 "'The hard work has paid off,' Social Democrats' Daniel Ennis elected in Dublin Central". Irish Examiner. 24 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Fine Gael and Social Democrats land morale-boosting byelection wins". The Irish Times. 24 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026. Fianna Fáil suffered a humiliating defeat in Dublin, where it recorded its worst-ever byelection performance.
  9. ↑ Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011, s. 2 (No. 14 of 2011, s. 2). Enacted on 25 July 2011. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 29 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Dublin Central By-election: Issue of Writ". Dáil Debates. 1084 (3). 22 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Dublin Central and Galway West By-Elections to take place on Friday 22 May 2026". Government of Ireland (gov.ie). Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 23 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Dáil Éireann (Bye-Elections) Order 2026" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2026 (33): 592. 24 April 2026.
  13. ↑ McGrath, Pat (5 February 2026). "Galway and Dublin by-elections in May - Taoiseach". RTÉ News.
  14. ↑ Lehane, Mícheál (22 April 2026). "Bye-election writs moved, voting set to take place 22 May". RTÉ News.
  15. ↑ "Dublin Central". RTÉ News. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011.
  16. ↑ "Dáil Éireann Constituency Profile: Dublin Central" (PDF). Oireachtas Library and Research Service. January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  17. ↑ "Dáil Constituency Map Dublin City 2024" (PDF). Government of Ireland. Tailte Éireann.
  18. ↑ Specia, Megan (29 November 2024). "A Dublin Neighborhood at the Sharp End of Ireland's Election Issues". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  19. ↑ "General Election 2024 Results – Dublin Central". RTÉ News. December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  20. ↑ Horgan-Jones, Jack (19 November 2025). "Who will run for Paschal Donohoe's vacant Dáil seat in the Dublin Central byelection?". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 19 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  21. ↑ "Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch '100pc' committed to contesting Dublin Central by-election". Irish Independent. 23 November 2025.
  22. ↑ Finnerty, Mike (10 December 2025). "People Before Profit to run candidate in Dublin Central by-election". Dublin People. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  23. ↑ "Councillor Daniel Ennis selected as Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Central by-election". Social Democrats. 16 December 2025. Archived from the original on 19 December 2025. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Finnerty, Mike (17 December 2025). "Soc Dems pick Ennis as Dublin Central by-election candidate". Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  25. ↑ "Aontú Selects Ian Noel Smyth to Contest By-Election in Dublin Central". Aontú. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "Green Party Chairperson Janet Horner selected to contest Dublin Central By-Election". Green Party.
  27. ↑ Coyne, Ellen (25 February 2026). "Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan selected to contest Dublin Central byelection". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  28. ↑ "Labour selects Ruth O'Dea to fight for Dublin Central". Labour Party. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  29. ↑ Raollaigh, Joe Mag (23 March 2026). "Lord Mayor of Dublin to contest by-election for Fine Gael". RTÉ News.
  30. ↑ Moloney, Aisling (30 March 2026). "Fianna Fail selects first time councillor John Stephens to contest Dublin Central By-Election". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  31. ↑ McGee, Harry (7 May 2026). "Gerry Hutch rejects racism accusation: 'I have friends – Indians, blacks, whites'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  32. ↑ O'Sullivan, Colman (13 May 2026). "Ahern migrant comments 'disturbing' - Muslim body chair". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  33. ↑ Lenihan, Barry (15 May 2026). "Comments on immigration 'not careful or polished' - Ahern". RTÉ News.
  34. ↑ O'Donnell, Dimitri (19 May 2026). "Investigation under way into Sakila death, says minister". RTÉ News.
  35. ↑ "Investigation into death of Congolese man in Dublin must be comprehensive and transparent". Social Democrats. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin Expresses Serious Concern about the Circumstances of the Death of Yves Sakila on Friday". People Before Profit. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "Yves Sakila was 35 years old. He was an IT professional. He had called Ireland home since he was a teenager. He was a member of a community, a son, a colleague, a person whose life had value and… | Donnah Vuma". LinkedIn. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Snapshot Series #6 Galway and Dublin By-election 2026 - Smears, Harassment and Threats to Election Integrity". H&CC. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "RTÉ defends its by-election panel debate without Hutch". 1 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "'RTÉ can stay on their own' — Green candidate steps in as Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch boycotts 'Six One' debate". Irish Independent. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Dublin Central bye-election debate– part 1". RTE Radio. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  42. ↑ "Dublin Central bye-election debate – part 2". RTE Radio. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "Nominations - Dublin Central Bye-Election". Dublin City Returning Officer. 2 May 2026.
  44. ↑ Libreri, Samantha (8 May 2026). "Dublin Central constituency profile". RTÉ News.
  45. ↑ Bray, Jennifer (23 May 2024). "Ireland by-election results: Winners and losers as counts finish". The Times. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
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