Louth is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). Boundaries The constituency was created by the Electoral Act 1923, and first used at the 1923 general election. It currently spans the entire area of County Louth, the smallest county in Ireland, and East Meath, taking in Dundalk, Drogheda, Laytown, Bettystown, Mornington and Ardee. The boundaries enlarged at the 2011 general election to include an area of County Meath adjacent to the town of Drogheda. This followed a recommendation of the Report of the Constituency Commission on Dáil and European Parliament Constituencies 2007 outlined "by extending the constituency southwards from, and in the environs of, Drogheda and taking in electoral divisions which have extensive linkages with the town. This will allow the inclusion of the town of Drogheda and hinterland areas in a single constituency." This revision also increased the number of seats to 5. The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as: TDs Electoral division Louth population as per electoral division, for the Dáil constituency of Louth. This population count includes those within the county of Louth, as well as the electoral divisions of Julianstown, and St. Mary's (part) in the county of Meath, as per the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017. Elections 2020 general election 2016 general election 2011 general election Séamus Kirk was Ceann Comhairle at the dissolution of the 30th Dáil and therefore deemed to be returned automatically. The constituency was treated as a four-seater for the purposes of calculating the quota. 2007 general election 2002 general election 1997 general election 1992 general election 1989 general election 1987 general election November 1982 general election February 1982 general election 1981 general election Pádraig Faulkner was Ceann Comhairle at the dissolution of the 21st Dáil and therefore deemed to be returned automatically. The constituency was treated as a three-seater for the purposes of calculating the quota. 1977 general election 1973 general election 1969 general election 1965 general election 1961 general election 1957 general election 1954 general election 1954 by-election Following the death of Fine Gael TD James Coburn, a by-election was held on 3 March 1954. The seat was won by the Fine Gael candidate George Coburn, son of the deceased