Dublin Central Bye-Election 2026 — Four-Seat Constituency Profile
The Dublin Central bye-election on 22 May 2026 fills one Dáil seat in a four-seat constituency — one of the capital's most densely populated and highest-renting areas. Phibsborough to the North Wall, Cabra to the Liffey: this page sets out the administrative facts of the vacancy and a Census 2022 demographic picture of the area. No candidates, no polls — the data, and an interactive map you can move through the constituency place by place.
The vacancy — what triggered the bye-election
The bye-election follows the resignation of Paschal Donohoe from his Dáil seat in the Dublin Central constituency on 18 November 2025, following his appointment as Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group. Dublin Central is a four-seat constituency under the post-2023 review boundaries used for the 2024 general election. Polling day is Friday 22 May 2026.
Source: Electoral Commission Ireland · Houses of the Oireachtas
Dublin Central area profile — Census 2022
Every figure below is aggregated from the Census 2022 electoral divisions whose centroid falls inside the Dublin Central constituency boundary, shown against the national average. They are grouped into four reading sections rather than a single block. Constituency and ED boundaries do not align perfectly, so figures are close approximations; household income is a population-weighted modelled estimate and the deprivation score is a population-weighted index.
Population & community
Dublin Central is home to 127,302 residents on a modelled median household income of €49,837; disability (19.6%) and general health broadly track the national average.
Work & education
Employment here is well above the national average (61.4%) and third-level attainment above it (55.1%), while professional and managerial roles sit well below (31.8%).
Housing & tenure
Tenure here inverts the national pattern: 44.2% rent privately and just 32.4% own their home, against 11.0% and 76.2% nationally — and 53.9% live in apartments.
Commute & mobility
Car commuting (17.5%) is a fraction of the 71.1% national figure; 41.8% of households have no car, and public transport and active travel together account for 51.5% of commuters.
County Dublin — housing market context
Dublin Central on the map
IrelandInsights maps Census 2022 demographics for every electoral division in the Dublin Central area — population, employment, education, and housing tenure — at a resolution well below county level.
The constituency spans a tight cluster of north-city neighbourhoods — Phibsborough, Stoneybatter, Cabra, Smithfield, North Inner City, Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Mountjoy / North Circular Road, East Wall and Grangegorman. Each is a distinct census patchwork of electoral divisions; select any place to fly the map there and read its Census 2022 figures in place.
→ Explore the Dublin Central area on the live map
Related Ireland data
For the wider electoral and demographic context: the Electoral Commission Ireland page covers all 43 constituencies and the 2024 boundary review, and the County Dublin census profile sets out the full demographic picture.
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