Meath East
Dáil constituency
Location of Meath East within Ireland
Major settlements	Ashbourne Dunboyne Dunshaughlin Kells Ratoath
Current constituency
Created	2007
Seats	3 (2007–) 4 (Next–)
TDs	Thomas Byrne (FF)   Helen McEntee (FG)   Darren O'Rourke (SF)
Local government area	County Meath
EP constituency	Midlands–North-West

Meath East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

History and boundaries

It was established by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2005 when the previous 5-seat Meath constituency was divided into two 3-seat constituencies of Meath East and Meath West.^[1] It was first used at the 2007 general election to the 30th Dáil.

It spans the eastern portions of County Meath. It includes Nobber, Slane, Dunboyne, Kells and Ashbourne, the constituency's biggest town.^[2]

The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:^[3]

"In the county of Meath the electoral divisions of:

Grangegeeth, Killary, in the former Rural District of Ardee No. 2;

Culmullin, Donaghmore, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Kilbrew, Killeen, Kilmore, Rathfeigh, Ratoath, Rodanstown, Skreen, in the former Rural District of Dunshaughlin;

Ceanannas Mór Rural, Cruicetown, Maperath, Moynalty, Newcastle, Newtown, Nobber, Staholmog, in the former Rural District of Kells;

Ardcath, Duleek, Mellifont, Stamullin, in the former Rural District of Meath;

Ardmulchan, Castletown, Domhnach Phádraig, Kentstown, Painestown, Rathkenny, Slane, Stackallan, Tara, in the former Rural District of Navan;

and Ceannanas Mór Urban."

The Constituency Review Report 2023 of the Electoral Commission recommended that at the next general election, Meath East be increased to a four-seat constituency with the transfer of territory from Cavan–Monaghan and Louth.^[4]

For the next general election, the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2023 defines the constituency as:^[5]

"In the county of Meath, the electoral divisions of:

Drumcondra, Grangegeeth, Killary, in the former Rural District of Ardee No. 2;

Culmullin, Donaghmore, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Kilbrew, Killeen, Kilmore, Rathfeigh, Ratoath, Rodanstown, Skreen, in the former Rural District of Dunshaughlin;

Ardagh, Carrickleck, Ceanannas Mór Rural, Cruicetown, Kilmainham, Maperath, Moybolgue, Moynalty, Newcastle, Newtown, Nobber, Posseckstown, Staholmog, Trohanny, in the former Rural District of Kells;

Ardcath, Duleek, Julianstown, Mellifont, Stamullin, in the former Rural District of Meath;

Ardmulchan, Castletown, Domhnach Phádraig, Kentstown, Painestown, Rathkenny, Slane, Stackallan, Tara, in the former Rural District of Navan;

and Ceannanas Mór Urban."

TDs

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

Elections

2020 general election

2016 general election