1973 Irish general election

The 1973 Irish general election to the 20th Dáil was held on Wednesday, 28 February 1973, following the dissolution of the 19th Dáil on 5 February by President Éamon de Valera on the request of Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The general election took place in 42 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 144 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas.

Fianna Fáil, led by Taoiseach Jack Lynch, had won the previous three elections and maintained a dominant position in Irish politics since 1957. However, the 1973 election saw the first successful challenge to their power in over a decade. A pre-election pact between Fine Gael and the Labour Party formed the National Coalition, which presented a united front to the electorate for the first time in 16 years.

The election campaign was highly competitive, focusing on issues like national security, social welfare, and rising living costs. Despite Fianna Fáil increasing its share of the vote, it lost seats, leaving them with 69 seats. In contrast, the National Coalition gained a narrow majority, with Fine Gael securing 54 seats and Labour 19, giving the coalition a combined total of 73 seats.

Afterwards, the 20th Dáil met at Leinster House on 4 March to nominate the Taoiseach for appointment by the president and to approve the appointment of a new government of Ireland. Liam Cosgrave was appointed Taoiseach, forming the 14th government of Ireland, a coalition government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party.