The general election took place in 34 parliamentary constituencies for 138 seats in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas.

Outgoing Taoiseach Éamon de Valera was re-appointed leading a single-party Fianna Fáil government.

[4][5][6] The Act, intended to increase national security by minimising the interval during which no Dáil is in existence, subvented the requirement under the Constitution for the president to dissolve the Dáil before a general election took place, and was permitted under the state of emergency in effect during the Second World War.

Fianna Fáil fought the election on its record in government and also in the hope of securing a fresh mandate for its policies.

During the campaign Fine Gael put forward the proposal of forming a coalition government with the Labour Party and Clann na Talmhan; however, this was ridiculed by Fianna Fáil as untenable.