Breaking the Mould or Fiddling at the Edges? Ireland’s Minor Parties in Comparative and Systemic Perspective

Abstract

This article attempts to place the discussion of minor parties and independents in Ireland in comparative and systemic perspective. Extending previous classifications of party systems in Western Europe to recent elections, the analysis highlights Ireland’s continuing classification as a ‘large party system’. Minor parties and independents are nevertheless shown to have made a range of contributions to Irish political life, from offering an additional choice to dealigned voters and encouraging political participation to offering new policy platforms. The article goes on to argue that discussion, in this volume, of minor parties and independents in Ireland considerably illuminates analysts’ understanding of the phenomenon in both Irish and comparative perspective.