1959 Irish presidential election

1959 Irish presidential election
← 1952 17 June 1959 1966 →
Turnout58.3%
 
Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland, in 1960s (43915959314).jpg
Seán Mac Eoin 1945 presidential election poster (cropped).png
Nominee Éamon de Valera Seán Mac Eoin
Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael
Popular vote 538,003 417,536
Final percentage 56.3% 43.7%
President before election

Seán T. O'Kelly
Fianna Fáil

Elected President

Éamon de Valera
Fianna Fáil

The 1959 Irish presidential election was held on Wednesday, 17 June 1959. Éamon de Valera, then Taoiseach, was elected as president of Ireland. A referendum proposed by de Valera to replace the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote with first-past-the-post voting which was held on the same day was defeated by 48.2% to 51.8%.