The 1979 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1979 European Parliament election. These were the first direct elections to the European Parliament, and the first election to be held simultaneously across the entire Island of Ireland since the 1921 Irish elections. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.

Quick Facts 15 Irish seats to the European Parliament, Turnout ...

1979 European Parliament election in Ireland

7 June 1979 1984 →
elected members →
15 Irish seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	1,392,285 (63.6%)
First party Second party Third party   Labour Leader Jack Lynch Garret FitzGerald Frank Cluskey Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Labour Alliance EPD EPP SOC Leader since 9 November 1966 1977 1977 Seats won 5 / 15 4 / 15 4 / 15 Popular vote 464,451 443,652 193,898 Percentage 34.7% 33.1% 14.5%   Fourth party Fifth party   IFF Leader Neil Blaney Tomás Mac Giolla Party Independent Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin - The Workers' Party Alliance CDI NI Leader since 1972 14 October 1962 Seats won 1 / 15 0 / 15 Popular vote 81,522 43,942 Percentage 6.1% 3.3%

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Although the election was held simultaneously across the entire island of Ireland, Provisional Sinn Féin did not to contest the election. However, the relative success of Bernadette McAliskey in Northern Ireland helped prompt Sinn Féin to stand in subsequent European elections.^[1]

• List of members of the European Parliament for Ireland, 1979–84 – List ordered by constituency