The 2002 Irish general election to the 29th Dáil was held on Friday,17 May,just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday,25 April by President Mary McAleese,at the request of the Taoiseach,Bertie Ahern. The general election took place in 42 Dáil constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann,the house of representatives of the Oireachtas,with a revision of constituencies since the last election under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1998. The outgoing minority Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrat administration was returned with a majority of 10.
John Paul Phelan is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2011 to 2024. He previously served as Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform from 2017 to 2020. He also served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2002 to 2011.
Mary White is an Irish former Green Party politician who served as a Minister of State from 2010 to 2011 and Deputy leader of the Green Party from 2001 to 2011. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 2007 to 2011.
South is a European Parliament constituency in Ireland. It elects 5 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
James Gibbons is an Irish former Progressive Democrats politician who served as a member of Seanad Éireann.
Martin Patrick Gibbons is an Irish former politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1987 to 1989.
Séan Francis Gibbons was an Irish politician who sat as Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála (TD) in the 1920s and as a Fianna Fáil TD in the 1930s. He later became a Senator,and was Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of the Seanad for five years.
Joseph Hughes was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1948 to 1960.
Richard Dowling was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1982 to 1987. He also served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from May to November 1982.
James Lennon was an Irish Sinn Féin politician who sat in the First Dáil. He would later become the founder of the far-right Irish Monetary Reform Association,a political organisation that obtained some strength in the midlands. Lennon's control of the organisation would be usurped by the young Oliver Flanagan,who eventually took control of the organisation from him.
Carlow–Kilkenny is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann,the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five deputies on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
Peter Cleere is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2024 general election.
Thomas Hayden was an Irish Labour Party politician. An agricultural labourer,he was elected to the 4th Seanad Éireann in 1943 by the Labour Panel,and was re-elected at the 1944 Seanad election. He did not contest the 1948 election.
Kathleen Funchion is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the South constituency since July 2024. She was previously a Teachta Dála (TD) for Carlow–Kilkenny from the 2016 general election to 2024. She was Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Children,Disabilities,Integration and Equality.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2020 general election. She previously served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 2016 to 2020.
Holly Cairns,also known as Holly McKeever Cairns,is an Irish politician who has been leader of the Social Democrats party since March 2023. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork South-West since the 2020 general election. She was a member of Cork County Council for the Bantry local electoral area from 2019 to 2020.
Malcolm Noonan is an Irish Green Party senator who has been a senator for the Agricultural Panel since January 2025. He previously served as a Minister of State from July 2020 to January 2025,and as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from February 2020 to November 2024.
The Carlow county hurling team represents Carlow in hurling and is governed by Carlow GAA,the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
Catherine Callaghan is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2024 general election.
Natasha Newsome Drennan is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency since the 2024 general election.
