South Antrim was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...

.

The House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929

House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929

The House of Commons Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland; its major provision was to abolish proportional representation for all future elections in Northern Ireland....

 introduced first-past-the-post elections for 48 single-member constituencies (including Antrim South).

Boundaries and boundary changes

This constituency was one of seven county divisions in County Antrim

County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

 from 1929, and, after 1969, one of nine. The changes in the vicinity of Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 affected the boundaries of this division.

It comprised (in terms of then local government units) part of the rural district

Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...

 of Lisburn

Lisburn

DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...

 and the whole of the urban district

Urban district

In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....

 of Lisburn. In 1969, the part of the rural district closest to Belfast became the new seat of Antrim, Larkfield.

Antrim South returned one member of Parliament from 1929 until the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...

 was temporarily suspended

Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972

The Northern Ireland Act 1972 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced direct rule in Northern Ireland with effect from 30 March 1972....

 in 1972, and then formally abolished

Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973

The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on 18 July 1973...

 in 1973.

Politics

County Antrim (except for parts of Belfast) is a strongly unionist area. There was never the slightest chance of a republican or nationalist candidate being elected in a single-member Antrim county constituency. Antrim South was not an exception.

From the Northern Ireland general election of 1929, the Antrim South division was an extremely safe Unionist seat for the rest of the existence of the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Members of Parliament

Elected	Party		Name
1929	John Milne Barbour
1951	Brian McConnell Brian McConnell, Baron McConnell Robert William Brian McConnell, Baron McConnell was an Ulster Unionist MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons....
1968	Richard Ferguson Richard Ferguson (politician) Richard Ferguson QC, SC was a barrister and politician from Northern Ireland.Born in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh, the son of a sergeant in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Ferguson attended Rainey Endowed School and Methodist College. He later studied Law at Trinity College, Dublin and Queen's...
1970	Rev. William Beattie

Note: Beattie joined the Democratic Unionist Party

Democratic Unionist Party

The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...

 in 1971.

Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

• Death of Barbour

• Resignation of McConnell

• Boundary change

• Resignation of Ferguson

• Parliament prorogued 30 March 1972 and abolished 18 July 1973

External links

• http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0
• http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html
• For more information about the Northern Ireland House of Commons see http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/stormont.html