1925 Seanad election

1925 Seanad election

17 September 1925

19 of 60 seats in Seanad Éireann
31 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout23.4%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader W. T. Cosgrave Thomas Johnson Denis Gorey
Party Cumann na nGaedheal Labour Farmers' Party
Leader since April 1923 1922 1922
Last election 14 seats, 23.3% 6 seats, 10% 1 seats, 1.7%
Seats before 14 6 1
Seats won 15 5 3
Seat change 1 1 2
Popular vote 126,218 46,776 42,785
Percentage 41.3% 15.3% 8.9%

An election for 19 of the 60 seats in Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Irish Free State, was held on 17 September 1925. The election was by single transferable vote, with the entire state being used as a 19-seat constituency.

The election saw eight Cumann na nGaedheal members elected (an advance of one compared to its pre-election representation), as well as three Labour Party (a drop of one seat), three Farmers' Party (an advance of two seats), and five others (a drop from seven previous to the election).

There were 76 candidates on the ballot paper, of whom voters ranked by preference at least a few but did not have to rank all of them. Of the two main political parties, the larger (Cumann na nGaedheal) did not formally endorse any candidates, while the other (Sinn Féin, whose TDs were abstentionist) boycotted the election. Voter turnout was low and the outcome was considered unsatisfactory. Subsequently, senators were selected by the Oireachtas rather than the electorate.