New Book by Trinity Academics Analyses Ireland’s Most Shocking General Election

Posted on: 04 November 2011

A new book, entitled How Ireland Voted 2011: the Full story of Ireland’s Earthquake Election, provides a definitive analysis of one of Ireland’s most historic general elections which resulted in a catastrophic fall from power for the leading political party.   Edited by political scientists at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Professors Michael Gallagher and Michael Marsh, the book aims to document the transformation of the political landscape that occurred on February 25th 2011.

Launched recently by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, the book outlines the background to the election and provides a chronology of the election campaign, detailing the manifestos, the candidates, the parties’ campaign strategies and the results.  The book also analyses the role of women in the campaign, the Seanad election, the formation of the new government, and the wider implications of the election.  In addition, candidates from the main parties give their account of the campaign trail.

How Ireland Voted 2011 marks the seventh in a series of How Ireland Voted books dating back to 1987, all of which were edited by past and current members of Trinity’s Department of Political Science.  Further details of the book can be found online.