Dublin University (constituency)
Encyclopedia
University of Dublin is a university constituency
in Ireland
, which has been used to elect members of various legislative bodies including currently Seanad Éireann
. Alternative names are Dublin University or Trinity College, Dublin
. As it has been in existence since 1603, except for a brief period 1936–37, it could be considered the country's oldest constituency.
Note on official names: (1923) Electoral Act 1923, "Dublin University"; (1938) Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, "the University of Dublin shall be a constituency (in this Act referred to as the Dublin University constituency)."
was first enfranchised as a Parliamentary constituency in 1603. It was given two members in the Parliament of Ireland
.
The university was not represented in the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, under the Instrument of Government, after it was established in 1654. Following the restoration of the King in 1660 the Parliament of Ireland was re-established and the constituency again returned two Members of Parliament. See First Protectorate Parliament
for the list of Irish constituencies during the Protectorate.
provided for the Parliament of Ireland to be merged with the Parliament of Great Britain
, to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. The 300 seats in the Irish House of Commons
were reduced to 100 Irish members in the United Kingdom House of Commons
. As part of the reduction, the University was only to have one seat in Parliament.
The union took effect on 1 January 1801. There was no new election for the members of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom
, as the House of Commons was composed of members elected to the previous Parliaments of Ireland and Great Britain.
Irish constituencies with two members to be reduced to one, had their first United Kingdom MP selected by the drawing of lots. The Hon. George Knox was chosen to sit in the House of Commons for the University.
As a result of the Irish part of the Reform Act 1832
the University was given a second seat in Parliament.
Dublin University continued to be represented in the House of Commons until the dissolution of Parliament on 26 October 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State
became a dominion outside the United Kingdom
on 6 December 1922.
established a devolved home rule legislature, within the United Kingdom, for twenty-six Irish counties which were designated Southern Ireland
.
Dublin University was given four seats in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The seats were filled by Unionist MPs who were returned unopposed. They were the only MPs who attended the abortive first meeting of the House.
The Parliament was dissolved as part of the arrangements under the Anglo-Irish Treaty
in 1922.
Sinn Féin
contested the election on the basis that they would not take seats in the United Kingdom Parliament but would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin.
The University was, in Irish republican theory, entitled to return two Teachtaí Dála
(known in English as Deputies) in 1918 to serve in the Irish Republic
's First Dáil
. This revolutionary body assembled on 21 January 1919.
In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland, including two unionists from Dublin University, was a member of the First Dáil. In practice only Sinn Féin members participated.
The First Dáil passed a motion at its last meeting on 10 May 1921, the first three parts of which make explicit the republican view.
The Second Dáil
first met on 16 August 1921, thereby dissolving the First Dáil.
Sinn Féin had decided to use the polls for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as an election for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. No actual voting was necessary in Southern Ireland
as all the seats were filled by unopposed returns. Except for this University all other constituencies elected Sinn Féin TDs. The University elected four Independent Unionist members unopposed. As with the First Dáil, those Deputies could have joined the Dáil if they chose.
The Third Dáil
elected in 1922 was, in United Kingdom law, the constituent assembly
for the Irish Free State
. From this time the Dáil represented only the twenty-six Irish counties and not the six counties of Northern Ireland
. Non-Sinn Féin Deputies, including those from the University, began to participate in the Dáil.
In the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923), the Irish Free State defined its own Dáil constituencies. Dublin University was reduced to three seats.
The Constitution (Amendment No. 23) Act 1936 (No. 17/1936) repealed the Irish Free State constitutional provision for University representation in Dáil Éireann, with effect from the next dissolution of the Oireachtas which took place on 14 June 1937.
The Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 (No. 30/1937) gave effect to the new constitutional provision. The election to the Seanad took place in 1938. The 2nd Seanad first met on 27 April 1938.
Dublin University sends three members to the Seanad.
Recent reform proposals to the Seanad may lead to the end of university representation or to its modification to permit the graduates of other tertiary educational establishments than Dublin University and the National University of Ireland
to participate in university Seanad elections. No decision has yet been made.
of Dublin University also sometimes referred to as Trinity College, Dublin
.
When electoral registration was introduced, in 1832, there were 2,073 voters on the register. It is likely that most of them were also qualified to vote in one or more of the territorial constituencies. It was characteristic of the University constituencies in the UK Parliament that plural voting
was the norm.
In 1918, the electorate was extended to include all registered graduates of the University and some female voters were allowed for the first time. Male graduates qualified to vote if they had attained the age of 21 but female ones had to be at least 30 to acquire the franchise. There were 4,541 voters registered for the 1918 general election. Most, if not all, of those electors would have been plural voters
also entitled to vote in a territorial constituency.
In the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923), the Irish Free State abolished plural voting for University constituencies and enfranchised women on the same terms as men. Qualified voters could then decide whether to register for a University or a territorial constituency but not for both. Universal adult suffrage was not introduced in the UK until 1928. Plural voting was not abolished for UK elections until 1950.
The qualifications for an elector to be registered as a University voter were set out in Section 1(2)(c) of the 1923 Act. They were to be registered at "the University constituency comprising a university in which he or she has received a degree other than an honorary degree or, in the case of the University of Dublin, has received such degree as aforesaid, or obtained a foundation scholarship, or, if a woman, obtained a non-foundation scholarship".
The only partial exception was the tenure of the Whig MP, William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket
, in 1812-1827. It should be noted that Plunket accepted office in what in retrospect are considered Tory governments. Given the state of the party system in the early 19th century, when William Pitt the Younger
(now considered a Tory Prime Minister) called himself a Whig, it is not too surprising that Plunket was his Attorney General for Ireland. It is surprising that Plunket did not follow most of Pitt's supporters in calling himself a Tory soon after the Prime Minister's death. It is astonishing that a Whig was again Attorney General for Ireland in the Earl of Liverpool's very Tory ministry between 1822 and 1827. Plunket was perhaps more an 18th century than a 19th century Whig, so as to be acceptable to the university electorate.
Since 1922, most of the representatives of the University have been Independent members of the Oireachtas
.
In two-member elections before 1918, the bloc voting
system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The two candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.
In 1918 and for all elections since 1921, the members were elected by the single transferable vote
system of proportional representation
.
, Ind N Independent Nationalist, Ind U Independent Unionist, L Liberal
, LU Liberal Unionist, N Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party)
, T Tory
, U Unionist, W Whig
. Changes of party name in 1832 and 1886 are indicated i.e. (T,C) and (C,U).
" in September 1922
Key to parties: Ind U Independent Unionist, Ind Independent
.
Note: Robinson was an Irish Labour Party Senator 1977–1981.
House of Commons (United Kingdom)
|}
University constituency
A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. University constituencies may involve plural voting, in which eligible voters are permitted to vote in both a university constituency and a geographical...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, which has been used to elect members of various legislative bodies including currently Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
. Alternative names are Dublin University or Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. As it has been in existence since 1603, except for a brief period 1936–37, it could be considered the country's oldest constituency.
Summary
| From | To | Chamber | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1613 | 1800 | House of Commons of Ireland | 2 |
| 1801 | 1832 | House of Commons of the United Kingdom | 1 |
| 1832 | 1922 | House of Commons of the United Kingdom | 2 |
| 1921 | 1922 | House of Commons of Southern Ireland | 4 |
| 1922 | 1923 | Dáil Éireann | 4 |
| 1923 | 1937 | Dáil Éireann | 3 |
| 1938 | present | Seanad Éireann | 3 |
Note on official names: (1923) Electoral Act 1923, "Dublin University"; (1938) Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, "the University of Dublin shall be a constituency (in this Act referred to as the Dublin University constituency)."
House of Commons of Ireland
This university constituencyUniversity constituency
A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. University constituencies may involve plural voting, in which eligible voters are permitted to vote in both a university constituency and a geographical...
was first enfranchised as a Parliamentary constituency in 1603. It was given two members in the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
.
The university was not represented in the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, under the Instrument of Government, after it was established in 1654. Following the restoration of the King in 1660 the Parliament of Ireland was re-established and the constituency again returned two Members of Parliament. See First Protectorate Parliament
First Protectorate Parliament
The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House....
for the list of Irish constituencies during the Protectorate.
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
The Act of Union 1800Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
provided for the Parliament of Ireland to be merged with the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
, to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The 300 seats in the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
were reduced to 100 Irish members in the United Kingdom House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. As part of the reduction, the University was only to have one seat in Parliament.
The union took effect on 1 January 1801. There was no new election for the members of the 1st Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, as the House of Commons was composed of members elected to the previous Parliaments of Ireland and Great Britain.
Irish constituencies with two members to be reduced to one, had their first United Kingdom MP selected by the drawing of lots. The Hon. George Knox was chosen to sit in the House of Commons for the University.
As a result of the Irish part of the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
the University was given a second seat in Parliament.
Dublin University continued to be represented in the House of Commons until the dissolution of Parliament on 26 October 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
became a dominion outside the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 6 December 1922.
House of Commons of Southern Ireland
The Government of Ireland Act 1920Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned Ireland. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill or as the Fourth Home Rule Act.The Act was intended...
established a devolved home rule legislature, within the United Kingdom, for twenty-six Irish counties which were designated Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland was a short-lived autonomous region of the United Kingdom established on 3 May 1921 and dissolved on 6 December 1922.Southern Ireland was established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 together with its sister region, Northern Ireland...
.
Dublin University was given four seats in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The seats were filled by Unionist MPs who were returned unopposed. They were the only MPs who attended the abortive first meeting of the House.
The Parliament was dissolved as part of the arrangements under the Anglo-Irish Treaty
Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Anglo-Irish Treaty , officially called the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was a treaty between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and representatives of the secessionist Irish Republic that concluded the Irish War of...
in 1922.
Dáil Éireann
In the United Kingdom general election, 1918United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
contested the election on the basis that they would not take seats in the United Kingdom Parliament but would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin.
The University was, in Irish republican theory, entitled to return two Teachtaí Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(known in English as Deputies) in 1918 to serve in the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
's First Dáil
First Dáil
The First Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 1919–1921. In 1919 candidates who had been elected in the Westminster elections of 1918 refused to recognise the Parliament of the United Kingdom and instead assembled as a unicameral, revolutionary parliament called "Dáil Éireann"...
. This revolutionary body assembled on 21 January 1919.
In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland, including two unionists from Dublin University, was a member of the First Dáil. In practice only Sinn Féin members participated.
The First Dáil passed a motion at its last meeting on 10 May 1921, the first three parts of which make explicit the republican view.
- 1. That the Parliamentary elections which are to take place during the present month be regarded as elections to Dáil Éireann.
- 2. That all deputies duly returned at these elections be regarded as members of Dáil Éireann and allowed to take their seats on subscribing to the proposed Oath of Allegiance.
- 3. That the present Dáil dissolve automatically as soon as the new body has been summoned by the President and called to order.
The Second Dáil
Second Dáil
The Second Dáil was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16 August 1921 until 8 June 1922. From 1919–1922 Dáil Éireann was the revolutionary parliament of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic. The Second Dáil consisted of members elected in 1921...
first met on 16 August 1921, thereby dissolving the First Dáil.
Sinn Féin had decided to use the polls for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as an election for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. No actual voting was necessary in Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland was a short-lived autonomous region of the United Kingdom established on 3 May 1921 and dissolved on 6 December 1922.Southern Ireland was established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 together with its sister region, Northern Ireland...
as all the seats were filled by unopposed returns. Except for this University all other constituencies elected Sinn Féin TDs. The University elected four Independent Unionist members unopposed. As with the First Dáil, those Deputies could have joined the Dáil if they chose.
The Third Dáil
Third Dáil
The Third Dáil, also known as the Provisional Parliament or the Constituent Assembly, was:*the "provisional parliament" or "constituent assembly" of Southern Ireland from 9 August 1922 until 6 December 1922; and...
elected in 1922 was, in United Kingdom law, the constituent assembly
Constituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
for the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. From this time the Dáil represented only the twenty-six Irish counties and not the six counties of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Non-Sinn Féin Deputies, including those from the University, began to participate in the Dáil.
In the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923), the Irish Free State defined its own Dáil constituencies. Dublin University was reduced to three seats.
The Constitution (Amendment No. 23) Act 1936 (No. 17/1936) repealed the Irish Free State constitutional provision for University representation in Dáil Éireann, with effect from the next dissolution of the Oireachtas which took place on 14 June 1937.
Seanad Éireann
When Ireland adopted a new constitution, in 1937, this provided for the universities to be represented in a re-established Seanad Éireann (the Free State Seanad having been abolished in 1936).The Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 (No. 30/1937) gave effect to the new constitutional provision. The election to the Seanad took place in 1938. The 2nd Seanad first met on 27 April 1938.
Dublin University sends three members to the Seanad.
Recent reform proposals to the Seanad may lead to the end of university representation or to its modification to permit the graduates of other tertiary educational establishments than Dublin University and the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
to participate in university Seanad elections. No decision has yet been made.
Boundaries
This constituency was the non-territorial University constituencyUniversity constituency
A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents a university rather than a geographical area. University constituencies may involve plural voting, in which eligible voters are permitted to vote in both a university constituency and a geographical...
of Dublin University also sometimes referred to as Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
.
Electorate
A Topographical Directory of Ireland, published in 1837, describes the Parliamentary history of the university.
By charter of James I. the university returned two members to the Irish parliament till the Union; after which time it returned only one member to the Imperial parliament, till the recent Reform act, since which it has returned two. The right of election, which was originally vested solely in the provost, fellows, and scholars, has, by the same act, been extended to all members of the age of 21 years, who had obtained, or should hereafter obtain, a fellowship, scholarship, or the degree of Master of Arts, and whose names should be on the college books : members thus qualified, who had removed their names from the books, were allowed six months to restore them, on paying a fee of £2, and such as continued their names, merely to qualify them to vote, pay annually to the college the sum of £1, or a composition of £5 in lieu of annual payment. The number of names restored under this provision was 3005, and at present the constituency amounts to 3135. The provost is the returning officer.
When electoral registration was introduced, in 1832, there were 2,073 voters on the register. It is likely that most of them were also qualified to vote in one or more of the territorial constituencies. It was characteristic of the University constituencies in the UK Parliament that plural voting
Plural voting
Plural voting is the practice whereby one person might be able to vote multiple times in an election. It is not to be confused with a plurality voting system which does not necessarily involve plural voting...
was the norm.
In 1918, the electorate was extended to include all registered graduates of the University and some female voters were allowed for the first time. Male graduates qualified to vote if they had attained the age of 21 but female ones had to be at least 30 to acquire the franchise. There were 4,541 voters registered for the 1918 general election. Most, if not all, of those electors would have been plural voters
Plural voting
Plural voting is the practice whereby one person might be able to vote multiple times in an election. It is not to be confused with a plurality voting system which does not necessarily involve plural voting...
also entitled to vote in a territorial constituency.
In the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923), the Irish Free State abolished plural voting for University constituencies and enfranchised women on the same terms as men. Qualified voters could then decide whether to register for a University or a territorial constituency but not for both. Universal adult suffrage was not introduced in the UK until 1928. Plural voting was not abolished for UK elections until 1950.
The qualifications for an elector to be registered as a University voter were set out in Section 1(2)(c) of the 1923 Act. They were to be registered at "the University constituency comprising a university in which he or she has received a degree other than an honorary degree or, in the case of the University of Dublin, has received such degree as aforesaid, or obtained a foundation scholarship, or, if a woman, obtained a non-foundation scholarship".
Politics of the constituency
Throughout the history of this constituency, during the union, it supported (usually very strongly) Tory, Conservative and Unionist candidates (including the Liberal Unionist and Independent Unionist members).The only partial exception was the tenure of the Whig MP, William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket
William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket
William Conyngham Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket PC was an Irish politician and lawyer who eventually became Lord Chancellor of Ireland....
, in 1812-1827. It should be noted that Plunket accepted office in what in retrospect are considered Tory governments. Given the state of the party system in the early 19th century, when William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
(now considered a Tory Prime Minister) called himself a Whig, it is not too surprising that Plunket was his Attorney General for Ireland. It is surprising that Plunket did not follow most of Pitt's supporters in calling himself a Tory soon after the Prime Minister's death. It is astonishing that a Whig was again Attorney General for Ireland in the Earl of Liverpool's very Tory ministry between 1822 and 1827. Plunket was perhaps more an 18th century than a 19th century Whig, so as to be acceptable to the university electorate.
Since 1922, most of the representatives of the University have been Independent members of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
.
Electoral System
Until 1918 and for the 1919 by-election, in elections to fill a single seat, the first past the post system applied.In two-member elections before 1918, the bloc voting
Plurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
system was used. Voters could cast a vote for one or two candidates, as they chose. The two candidates with the largest number of votes were elected.
In 1918 and for all elections since 1921, the members were elected by the single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
system of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
.
Members of Parliament (Ireland)
Members of Parliament (United Kingdom) 1801–1922
Key to parties: C ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, Ind N Independent Nationalist, Ind U Independent Unionist, L Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, LU Liberal Unionist, N Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party)
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
, T Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
, U Unionist, W Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
. Changes of party name in 1832 and 1886 are indicated i.e. (T,C) and (C,U).
| First Seat (1801–1922) | Second Seat (1832–1922) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Name (Party) | Born | Died | From | To | Name (Party) | Born | Died |
| 1801 | 1807 | Hon. George Knox George Knox The Honourable George Knox PC, FRS , was an Irish Tory politician.Knox was the fifth son of Thomas Knox, 1st Viscount Northland. In 1790, Knox entered the Irish House of Commons for Dungannon. Subsequently he sat Dublin University until the Act of Union in 1801... (T) |
14 January 1765 | 13 June 1827 | |||||
| 1807 | 1812 | John Leslie Foster John Leslie Foster John Leslie Foster, FRS was an Irish Tory Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament.The son of Lord Bishop Foster , he was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and St John's College, Cambridge. He represented Dublin University from 1807 to 1812, having first contested the seat in 1806... (T) |
c 1781 | 10 July 1842 | |||||
| 1812 | 1827 | William Conyngham Plunket William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket William Conyngham Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket PC was an Irish politician and lawyer who eventually became Lord Chancellor of Ireland.... (W) |
1 July 1764 | 5 January 1854 | |||||
| 1827 | 1830 | John Wilson Croker John Wilson Croker John Wilson Croker was an Irish statesman and author.He was born at Galway, the only son of John Croker, the surveyor-general of customs and excise in Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated in 1800... (T) |
20 December 1780 | 10 August 1857 | |||||
| 1830 | 1841 | Thomas Langlois Lefroy Thomas Langlois Lefroy Thomas Langlois Lefroy was an Irish-Huguenot politician and judge. He served as an MP for the constituency of Dublin University 1830–1841, Privy Councillor of Ireland 1835–1869 and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland 1852–1866.... (T,C) |
8 January 1776 | 4 May 1869 | |||||
| 1832 | 1848 | Sir Frederick Shaw, 3rd Baronet (C) | 11 December 1799 | 30 June 1876 | |||||
| 1842 | 1842 | Joseph Devonsher Jackson Joseph Devonsher Jackson Joseph Devonsher Jackson PC was an Irish Conservative MP in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. He was the eldest son of Strettell Jackson of Peterborough, County Cork.... (C) |
23 June 1783 | 19 December 1857 | |||||
| 1843 | 1859 | George Alexander Hamilton George Alexander Hamilton George Alexander Hamilton was a minor British Conservative Party politician and later a prominent civil servant.-Political career:... (C) |
29 August 1802 | 17 September 1871 | |||||
| 1848 | 1858 | Joseph Napier Joseph Napier Sir Joseph Napier, 1st Baronet was an Irish Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently Lord Chancellor of Ireland.... (C) |
26 December 1804 | 9 December 1882 | |||||
| 1859 | 1866 | James Whiteside James Whiteside James Whiteside was an Irish politician and judge.-Background and education:Whiteside was the son of William Whiteside, a clergyman of the Church of Ireland, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, being called to the Irish bar in 1830.-Legal and judicial career:Whiteside very rapidly... (C) |
12 August 1804 | 25 November 1876 | 1858 | 1870 | Anthony Lefroy (C) | 1800 | 12 January 1890 |
| 1866 | 1867 | John Edward Walsh John Edward Walsh John Edward Walsh PC, QC was an Irish lawyer and Conservative politician. He served as Attorney-General for Ireland in 1865 and as Master of the Rolls in Ireland from 1866 to 1870.-Background and education:... (C) |
12 November 1816 | 20 October 1869 | |||||
| 1867 | 1867 | Hedges Eyre Chatterton Hedges Eyre Chatterton Hedges Eyre Chatterton was an Irish Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently Vice-Chancellor of Ireland.- Biography :... (C) |
5 July 1819 | 30 August 1910 | |||||
| 1867 | 1868 | Robert Warren (C) | 1817 | 24 September 1897 | |||||
| 1868 | 1875 | John Thomas Ball John Thomas Ball John Thomas Ball QC was an Irish barrister and politician in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.... (C) |
24 July 1815 | 17 March 1898 | |||||
| 1870 | 1895 | David Robert Plunket David Plunket, 1st Baron Rathmore David Robert Plunket, 1st Baron Rathmore PC, QC was an Irish lawyer and Conservative politician.-Background and education:... (C,U) |
3 December 1838 | 22 August 1919 | |||||
| 1875 | 1885 | Edward Gibson Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne PC, QC was an Irish lawyer and Lord Chancellor of Ireland.-Background and education:... (C) |
4 September 1837 | 22 May 1913 | |||||
| 1885 | 1887 | Hugh Holmes Hugh Holmes Hugh Holmes QC was an Irish Conservative Party then after 1886 a Unionist Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge.-Background and education:... (C,U) |
17 February 1840 | 19 April 1916 | |||||
| 1887 | 1892 | Dodgson Hamilton Madden Dodgson Hamilton Madden Dodgson Hamilton Madden was an Irish Unionist Party Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party. He was the only son of the Reverend Hugh Hamilton Madden of Templemore, County Tipperary... (U) |
28 March 1840 | 6 March 1928 | |||||
| 1892 | 1918 | Sir Edward Henry Carson Edward Carson, Baron Carson Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson PC, PC , Kt, QC , often known as Sir Edward Carson or Lord Carson, was a barrister, judge and politician from Ireland... (U) |
9 February 1854 | 22 October 1935 | |||||
| 1895 | 1903 | William Edward Hartpole Lecky William Edward Hartpole Lecky William Edward Hartpole Lecky, OM was an Irish historian.-Early life:Born at Newtown Park, near Dublin, he was the eldest son of John Hartpole Lecky, a landowner.... (LU) |
26 March 1838 | 22 October 1903 | |||||
| 1903 | 1917 | James Henry Mussen Campbell James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy James Henry Mussen Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy PC was an Irish lawyer, politician in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and later in the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State... (U) |
4 April 1851 | 22 March 1931 | |||||
| 1918 | 1922 | Sir Robert Henry Woods Robert Henry Woods Sir Robert Henry Woods was an Irish Independent Unionist Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament. He was born at Tullamore. He was knighted in 1913.... (Ind U) |
1865 | 8 September 1938 | |||||
| 1917 | 1919 | Arthur Warren Samuels Arthur Warren Samuels Arthur Warren Samuels was an Irish Unionist Alliance Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party.... (U) |
19 May 1852 | 11 May 1925 | |||||
| 1919 | 1922 | William Morgan Jellett William Morgan Jellett William Morgan Jellett was an Irish Unionist Member of Parliament in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party. He was the son of Rev... (U) |
19 May 1857 | 27 October 1936 | |||||
Deputies 1921–1937
Note: MPs in the House of Commons of Southern Ireland 1921–1922 are included as they were potential members of the Second Dáil Éireann. They first took their seats in the "Provisional Parliament" or "Third DáilThird Dáil
The Third Dáil, also known as the Provisional Parliament or the Constituent Assembly, was:*the "provisional parliament" or "constituent assembly" of Southern Ireland from 9 August 1922 until 6 December 1922; and...
" in September 1922
Key to parties: Ind U Independent Unionist, Ind Independent
| From | To | Name | Party | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1937 | Ernest Alton Ernest Alton Ernest Henry Alton was an Irish university professor and an independent Teachta Dála and Senator.Born in County Westmeath, Alton graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 1896 with honours in classics and philosophy... |
Ind U, Ind | 1873 | 18 February 1952 |
| 1921 | 1933 | Sir James Craig | Ind U, Ind | 12 July 1933 | |
| 1921 | 1923 | Gerald Fitzgibbon Gerald Fitzgibbon Gerald Fitzgibbon was an Irish barrister, independent Teachta Dála and one of the original judges of the Supreme Court of Ireland... |
Ind U, Ind | 6 December 1942 | |
| 1921 | 1937 | William Thrift William Thrift William Edward Thrift was an Irish university professor and an independent Teachta Dála .He was elected to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland at the 1921 elections, representing the University of Dublin constituency as an independent Unionist, he did not participate in the Second Dáil... |
Ind U, Ind | 28 February 1870 | 23 April 1942 |
| 1933 | 1937 | Robert Rowlette Robert Rowlette Robert James Rowlette , was an Irish doctor and an independent Teachta Dála in the Irish Free State. He was later a member of Seanad Éireann.-Education and career:... |
Ind | 1873 | 13 October 1944 |
Senators from 1938
Key to parties: Ind Independent, Lab Irish Labour Party, Soc Lab Socialist Labour PartySocialist Labour Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Labour Party was a minor political party in the Republic of Ireland formed under the leadership of Matt Merrigan and Noël Browne, TD in 1977. Another key figure was the radical journalist Brian Trench, now head of the Communications Department at Dublin City University along with...
.
| From | To | Name | Party | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 1943 | Ernest Alton Ernest Alton Ernest Henry Alton was an Irish university professor and an independent Teachta Dála and Senator.Born in County Westmeath, Alton graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 1896 with honours in classics and philosophy... |
Ind | 1873 | 18 February 1952 |
| 1938 | 1943 | Joseph Johnston | Ind | 1972 | |
| 1938 | 1944 | Robert Rowlette Robert Rowlette Robert James Rowlette , was an Irish doctor and an independent Teachta Dála in the Irish Free State. He was later a member of Seanad Éireann.-Education and career:... |
Ind | 1873 | 13 October 1944 |
| 1943 | 1959 | William Fearon | Ind | January 1959 | |
| 1943 | 1947 | T. C. Kingsmill Moore Theodore Conyngham Kingsmill Moore Theodore Conyngham Kingsmill Moore was an Irish judge, politician and author.T. C. Kingsmill Moore was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Dublin. Whilst Auditor of the College Historical Society, W.B. Yeats spoke at the Inaugural meeting of his session... |
Ind | 1893 | 21 January 1979 |
| 1944 | 1948 | Joseph Johnston | Ind | 1972 | |
| 1947 | 1951 | Joseph Warwick Bigger | Ind | 11 September 1891 | 17 August 1951 |
| 1948 | 1969 | William Bedell Stanford William Bedell Stanford William Bedell Stanford was an Irish classical scholar and senator. He was Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College, Dublin between 1940 and 1980 and served as the twenty-second Chancellor of the University between 1982 and 1984.He was born in Belfast, the son of a Dublin-born Church of... |
Ind | 1910 | 1984 |
| 1951 | 1951 | Frederick Budd | Ind | 11 February 1904 | 1976 |
| 1952 | 1954 | William J.E. Jessop William J.E. Jessop William J.E. Jessop was an Irish academic, medical practitioner and an independent member of Seanad Éireann.He was a Professor of Social Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.... |
Ind | 13 July 1902 | 11 June 1980 |
| 1954 | 1961 | Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Dr. Owen Lancelot Sheehy-Skeffington was an Irish university lecturer and Senator.- Early life :Sheehy-Skeffington was brought up in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, was a pacifist and nationalist whose murder by Captain J.C. Bowen-Colthurst in 1916 during the week of the... |
Ind | 19 May 1909 | 7 June 1970 |
| 1960 | 1973 | William J.E. Jessop William J.E. Jessop William J.E. Jessop was an Irish academic, medical practitioner and an independent member of Seanad Éireann.He was a Professor of Social Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.... |
Ind | 13 July 1902 | 11 June 1980 |
| 1961 | 1965 | J. N. Ross | Ind | ||
| 1965 | 1970 | Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Dr. Owen Lancelot Sheehy-Skeffington was an Irish university lecturer and Senator.- Early life :Sheehy-Skeffington was brought up in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, was a pacifist and nationalist whose murder by Captain J.C. Bowen-Colthurst in 1916 during the week of the... |
Ind | 19 May 1909 | 7 June 1970 |
| 1969 | 1989 | Mary Robinson Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate... |
Ind, Lab, Ind | 21 May 1944 | |
| 1970 | 1981 | Timothy Trevor West | Ind | ||
| 1973 | 1977 | Noël Browne Noel Browne Noël Christopher Browne was an Irish politician and doctor. He holds the distinction of being one of only five Teachtaí Dála to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. His controversial Mother and Child Scheme in effect brought down the First Inter-Party Government of John A... |
Soc Lab | 20 December 1915 | 23 May 1997 |
| 1977 | 1979 | Conor Cruise O'Brien Conor Cruise O'Brien Conor Cruise O'Brien often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish politician, writer, historian and academic. Although his opinion on the role of Britain in Northern Ireland changed over the course of the 1970s and 1980s, he always acknowledge values of, as he saw, the two irreconcilable traditions... |
Ind | 3 November 1917 | 18 December 2008 |
| 1979 | 1982 | Catherine McGuinness Catherine McGuinness Catherine McGuinness , is a former President of the Law Reform Commission and a former judge of the Circuit Court 1994-1996 , justice of the High Court 1996-2000 and Supreme Court of Ireland 2000-2006... |
Ind | 14 November 1934 | |
| 1981 | 2011 | Shane Ross Shane Ross Shane Peter Nathaniel Ross is an independent Irish politician and Business Editor of the Sunday Independent. He was the longest-serving member of Seanad Éireann , until he was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Dublin South at the 2011 general election.-Early life and career:Born in... |
Ind | 11 July 1949 | |
| 1982 | 1982 | Timothy Trevor West | Ind | ||
| 1983 | 1987 | Catherine McGuinness Catherine McGuinness Catherine McGuinness , is a former President of the Law Reform Commission and a former judge of the Circuit Court 1994-1996 , justice of the High Court 1996-2000 and Supreme Court of Ireland 2000-2006... |
Ind | 14 November 1934 | |
| 1987 | 1993 | Carmencita Hederman Carmencita Hederman Carmencita Hederman is a former Independent Irish politician. She served on Dublin City Council from 1974–99. She was Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1987–88 during the Dublin Millennium celebrations. She was elected to the Seanad in 1989 for the University of Dublin constituency... |
Ind | 23 October 1939 | |
| 1987 | Incumbent | David Norris | Ind | 1 July 1944 | |
| 1993 | 2007 | Mary Henry | Ind | 11 May 1940 | |
| 2007 | Incumbent | Ivana Bacik Ivana Bacik Ivana Catherine Bacik is an Irish politician and academic. She has been Reid Professor of Criminal Law, Criminology and Penology at Trinity College, Dublin Law School since 1996, and was a made a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin in 2005. She was elected a Senator for the University of Dublin... |
Ind, Lab | 1968 | |
| 2011 | Incumbent | Sean Barrett Sean Barrett (economist) Sean Declan Conrad Barrett is an Irish economist and politician. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics, Trinity College, Dublin, and a Fellow of the College... |
Ind | ||
Note: Robinson was an Irish Labour Party Senator 1977–1981.
Elections
From 1832 (when registers of electors were first prepared) a turnout figure is given, for the percentage of the registered electors who voted. If the number of registered electors eligible to take part in a contested election is unknown, then the last known electorate figure is used to calculate an estimated turnout. If the numbers of registered electors and electors taking part in the poll are known, an exact turnout figure is calculated. In two member bloc vote elections (in which an elector could cast one or two votes as he chose), where the exact number of electors participating is unknown, an estimated turnout figure is given. This is calculated by dividing the total number of votes cast by two. To the extent that electors used only one of their votes the estimated turnout figure is an underestimate.House of Commons (United Kingdom)
1800s – 1810s – 1820s – 1830s – 1840s – 1850s – 1860s – 1870s – 1880s – 1890s – 1900s – 1910s – |
Elections in the 1800s
- 1801 (1 January) continued from former Parliament of IrelandParliament of IrelandThe Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
(no new election)- Hon. George Knox (T)
- 1802 (14 July) general election
- Hon. George Knox (T) 39 (57.35%)
- William Conyngham Plunket (W) 29 (42.65%)
- Majority 10 (14.71%)
- Knox appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
- 1805 (28 March) by-election
- Hon. George Knox (T): Unopposed
- 1805 (6 November) general election (poll 1 day)
- Hon. George Knox (T) 35 (52.24%)
- John Leslie Foster (T) 32 (47.76%)
- Majority 3 (4.48%)
- 1807 (13 May) general election (poll 1 day)
- John Leslie Foster (T) 46 (92.00%)
- Thomas Thornton Macklin 4 (8.00%)
- Majority 42 (84.00%)
Elections in the 1810s
- 1812 (12 October) general election
- Rt Hon. William Conyngham Plunket (W): Unopposed
- 1818 (25 June) general election (poll 1 day)
- Rt Hon. William Conyngham Plunket (W) 34 (53.13%)
- John Wilson Croker (T) 30 (46.88%)
- Majority 4 (6.25%)
Elections in the 1820s
- 1820 (16 March) general election
- Rt Hon. William Conyngham Plunket (W): Unopposed
- Plunket appointed Attorney General for Ireland
- 1822 (14 February) by-election
- Rt Hon. William Conyngham Plunket (W): Unopposed
- 1826 (12 June) general election
- Rt Hon. William Conyngham Plunket (W): Unopposed
- Plunket created Baron PlunketBaron PlunketBaron Plunket, of Newtown in the County of Cork, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1827 for the prominent Irish lawyer and Whig politician William Plunket. He served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1830 and 1834 and again from 1835 to 1841. His eldest son, the...
- 1827 (15 May) by-election (poll 2 days)
- John Wilson Croker (T) 38 (42.70%)
- John Henry North (T) 29 (32.58%)
- Thomas Langlois Lefroy (T) 22 (24.72%)
- Majority 9 (10.11%)
Elections in the 1830s
- 1830 (5 August) general election (poll 1 day)
- Thomas Langlois Lefroy (T) 33 (43.42%)
- John Wilson Croker (T) 30 (39.47%)
- John Henry North (T) 13 (17.11%)
- Majority 3 (3.95%)
- 1831 (7 May) general election
- Thomas Langlois Lefroy (T) 44 (55.00%)
- Philip Cecil Crampton (W) 36 (45.00%)
- Majority 8 (10.00%)
- 1832 (18 December) general election (2 seats)
- 2,073 electors; 1,726 voted; turnout 83.26%
- Thomas Langlois Lefroy (C) 1,304 (38.27%)
- Frederick Shaw (C) 1,290 (37.86%)
- Philip Cecil Crampton (L) 423 (12.42%)
- Hon. George Ponsonby (L) 390 (11.45%)
- 1835 (8 January) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Thomas Langlois Lefroy (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Frederick Shaw (C): Unopposed
- 1837 (4 August) general election (2 seats)
- 2,100 electors; 940 voted; turnout 44.76%
- Rt Hon. Frederick Shaw (C) 852 (45.39%)
- Rt Hon. Thomas Langlois Lefroy (C) 839 (44.70%)
- Joseph Stock (L) 186 (9.91%)
Elections in the 1840s
- 1841 (1 July) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Thomas Langlois Lefroy (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Frederick Shaw (C): Unopposed
- Lefroy appointed Baron of the Court of ExchequerCourt of ExchequerCourt of Exchequer may refer to:*Exchequer of Pleas, an ancient English court, that ceased to exist independently in the late nineteenth century...
in Ireland - 1842 (11 February) by-election
- Rt Hon. Joseph Devonsher Jackson (C): Unopposed
- Jackson appointed Justice of the Court of Common PleasCourt of Common Pleas (England)The Court of Common Pleas, or Common Bench, was a common law court in the English legal system that covered "common pleas"; actions between subject and subject, which did not concern the king. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century after splitting from the Exchequer of Pleas, the Common...
in Ireland - 1843 (10 February) by-election
- George Alexander Hamilton (C): Unopposed
- 1847 (9 August) general election (2 seats) (poll 4 days)
- 2,100 (1835) electors; 1,190 voted; estimated turnout 56.67%
- George Alexander Hamilton (C) 738 (33.09%)
- Rt Hon. Frederick Shaw (C) 572 (25.65%)
- Joseph Napier (C) 540 (24.48%)
- James McCullagh (L) 374 (16.77%)
- Shaw resigned
- 1848 (19 February) by-election
- Joseph Napier (C): Unopposed
Elections in the 1850s
- Napier appointed Attorney General for Ireland
- 1852 (9 March) by-election
- Joseph Napier (C): Unopposed
- 1852 (13 July) general election (2 seats)
- George Alexander Hamilton (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Joseph Napier (C): Unopposed
- 1857 (4 April) general election (2 seats)
- 1,700 electors; 2,008 votes cast; estimated turnout 59.06%
- Rt Hon. Joseph Napier (C) 829 (41.28%)
- George Alexander Hamilton (C) 791 (39.39%)
- James Anthony Lawson (L) 272 (13.55%)
- John Wilson (L) 116 (5.78%)
- Napier appointed Lord Chancellor of IrelandLord Chancellor of IrelandThe office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
- 1858 (27 March) by-election
- 1,700 (1857) electors; 939 voted; estimated turnout 55.24%
- Anthony Lefroy (C) 589 (62.73%)
- Arthur Edward Gayer (C) 350 (37.27%)
- Majority 239 (25.45%)
- Hamilton resigned
- 1859 (11 February) by-election
- Rt Hon. James Whiteside (C): Unopposed
- 1859 (30 April) general election (2 seats)
- Anthony Lefroy (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. James Whiteside (C): Unopposed
Elections in the 1860s
- 1865 (19 July) general election (2 seats)
- 1,700 electors; 2,797 votes cast; estimated turnout 82.26%
- Rt Hon. James Whiteside (C) 1,210 (41.28%)
- Anthony Lefroy (C) 1,045 (39.39%)
- John Thomas Ball (L) 542 (13.55%)
- Whiteside appointed Lord Chief Justice of IrelandLord Chief Justice of Irelandthumb|200px|The Four CourtsThe headquarters of the Irish judicial system since 1804. The Court of King's Bench was one of the original four courts that sat there....
- 1866 (30 July) by-election
- Rt Hon. John Edward Walsh (C): Unopposed
- Walsh appointed Master of the Rolls in IrelandMaster of the Rolls in IrelandThe office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland originated in the office of the keeper of the Rolls in the Irish Chancery and became an office granted by letters patent in 1333. It was abolished in 1924....
- 1867 (12 February) by-election
- Hedge Eyre Chatterton (C): Unopposed
- Chatterton appointed Attorney-General for IrelandAttorney-General for IrelandThe Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then United Kingdom government office. The holder was senior to the Solicitor-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters...
- 1867 (30 March) by-election
- Hedge Eyre Chatterton (C): Unopposed
- Chatterton appointed Vice-Chancellor of Ireland
- 1867 (27 August) by-election
- Robert Richard Warren (C): Unopposed
- 1868 (23 November) general election (2 seats)
- 2,151 electors; 3,192 votes cast; estimated turnout 74.20%
- Anthony Lefroy (C) 1,156 (36.22%)
- John Thomas Ball (C) 1,077 (33.74%)
- Sir Edward Grogan, Bt (C) 743 (23.28%)
- Thomas Ebenezer Webb (L) 216 (6.77%)
Elections in the 1870s
- Lefroy resigned
- 1870 (14 February) by-election
- Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- 1874 (2 February) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. John Thomas Ball (C): Unopposed
- Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- Ball appointed Attorney General for Ireland
- 1874 (16 March) by-election
- Rt Hon. John Thomas Ball (C): Unopposed
- Ball appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland
- 1875 (21 January) by-election
- 2,438 electors; 2,507 voted; estimated turnout 51.42%
- Edward Gibson (C) 1,210 (48.26%)
- Alexander Edward Miller (C) 759 (30.28%)
- Anthony Traill (C) 538 (21.46%)
- Majority 451 (17.99%)
- Plunket appointed Solicitor General for Ireland
- 1875 (11 February) by-election
- Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- Gibson appointed Attorney General for Ireland
- 1877 (13 February) by-election
- Edward Gibson (C): Unopposed
Elections in the 1880s
- 1880 (30 March) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Edward Gibson (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- Gibson created Baron AshbourneBaron AshbourneBaron Ashbourne, of Ashbourne in the County of Meath, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1886 for Edward Gibson, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His grandson, the third Baron , was a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy...
and appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland; Plunket appointed First Commissioner of WorksFirst Commissioner of WorksThe First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public... - 1885 (30 June) by-election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Hugh Holmes (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- 1885 (24 November) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Hugh Holmes (C): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (C): Unopposed
- 1886 (8 July) general election (2 seats)
- 4,155 electors; 3,831 votes cast; estimated turnout 46.10%
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (U) 1,865 (48.68%)
- Rt Hon. Hugh Holmes (U) 1,855 (48.42%)
- Hugh Herbert Johnston (N) 56 (1.46%)
- Edward Patrick Sarsfield Counsell (N) 55 (1.44%)
- Holmes appointed Attorney General for Ireland; Plunket appointed First Commissioner of Works
- 1886 (13 August) by-election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Hugh Holmes (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (U): Unopposed
- Holmes appointed Judge
- 1887 (12 July) by-election
- 4,092 electors; 2,088 votes cast; turnout 51.03%
- Dodgson Hamilton Madden (U) 1,376 (65.90%)
- Hon. Richard Clare Parsons (U) 712 (34.10%)
- Majority 664 (31.80%)
- Madden appointed Solicitor General for Ireland
- 1888 (3 February) by-election
- Dodgson Hamilton Madden (U): Unopposed
Elections in the 1890s
- 1892 (8 July) general election (2 seats)
- 4,352 electors; 4,694 votes cast; estimated turnout 53.93%
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (U) 2,188 (46.61%)
- Edward Henry Carson (U) 1,609 (34.28%)
- James Corry Jones Lowry (U) 897 (19.11%)
- 1895 (13 July) general election (2 seats)
- Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. David Robert Plunket (U): Unopposed
- Plunket created Baron RathmoreDavid Plunket, 1st Baron RathmoreDavid Robert Plunket, 1st Baron Rathmore PC, QC was an Irish lawyer and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
- 1895 (6 December) by-election
- 4,506 electors; 2,768 voted; turnout 61.43%
- William Edward Hartpole Lecky (LU) 1,757 (63.48%)
- George Wright (U) 1,011 (36.52%)
- Majority 746 (26.95%)
Elections in the 1900s
- Carson appointed Solicitor General for England
- 1900 (16 May) by-election
- Rt Hon. Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
- 1900 (1 October) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. Sir Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. William Edward Hartpole Lecky (LU): Unopposed
- Lecky resigned
- 1903 (5 March) by-election
- 4,553 electors; 2,913 voted; turnout 63.98%
- James Henry Mussen Campbell (U) 1,492 (51.22%)
- Arthur Warren Samuels (U) 1,421 (48.78%)
- Majority 71 (2.44%)
- 1906 (13 January) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. James Henry Mussen Campbell (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Sir Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
Elections in the 1910s
- 1910 (15 January) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. James Henry Mussen Campbell (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Sir Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
- 1910 (3 December) general election (2 seats)
- Rt Hon. James Henry Mussen Campbell (U): Unopposed
- Rt Hon. Sir Edward Henry Carson (U): Unopposed
- Campbell appointed Attorney General for Ireland
- 1916 (15 April) by-election
- Rt Hon. James Henry Mussen Campbell (U): Unopposed
- Campbell appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
- 1917 (5 February) by-election
- 4,138 electors; 2,520 voted; turnout 60.90%
- Arthur Warren SamuelsArthur Warren SamuelsArthur Warren Samuels was an Irish Unionist Alliance Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party....
(U) 1,841 (73.06%) - Sir Robert Henry Woods (U) 679 (26.94%)
- Majority 1,162 (46.11%)
- Samuels appointed Solicitor General for Ireland
- 1917 (5 October) by-election
- Arthur Warren SamuelsArthur Warren SamuelsArthur Warren Samuels was an Irish Unionist Alliance Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party....
(U): Unopposed
- Arthur Warren Samuels
- 1918 (21 December) general election (2 seats) (polling 16–20 December)
- 4,541 electors; 2,954 voted; turnout 59.39%; quota 985
- First preference votes
- Rt Hon. Arthur Warren Samuels (U) 1,273 (43.09%) (elected)
- Sir Robert Henry Woods (Ind U) 793 (26.84%)
- William Morgan Jellett (U) 631 (21.36%)
- Stephen Gwynn (Ind N) 257 (8.70%)
- Second and third counts: Distribution of Samuels' surplus and Gwynn's votes
- Rt Hon. Arthur Warren Samuels (U) (-288) 985 (elected)
- Sir Robert Henry Woods (Ind U) (+301) 1,094 (elected)
- William Morgan Jellett (U) and non-transferable (+244) 875 (runner up)
- Stephen Lucius Gwynn (Ind N) (-257) 0 (eliminated)
- Note: The Times edition of 23 December 1918 reported that the Provost of the University, as returning officer, did not announce the figures. It was ascertained that Woods had 1,094 votes when elected. The above is the best reconstruction of the later counts which is possible with the available information.
- Samuels appointed Judge
- 1919 (28 July) by-election
- William Morgan Jellett (U): Unopposed
- This was the last UK Parliament election held in the 26 counties which became the Irish Free State
1921 general election
|}1922 general election
1923 general election
June 1927 general election
September 1927 general election
|}1932 general election
|}1933 general election
1933 by-election
Following the death of independent TD Sir James Craig, a by-election was held on 13 October 1933. The seat was won by the independent candidate Robert Rowlette.|}
1944 Seanad election
2002 Seanad election
External links
- http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1
- http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html
- http://acts.oireachtas.ie/zza12y1923.1.html
See also
- List of Irish constituencies
- List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland
- MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1918MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1918This is a list of Members of Parliament elected to the 31st Parliament of the United Kingdom in the 1918 general election. This Parliament was elected on 14 December 1918, assembled on 4 February 1919 and was dissolved on 26 October 1922....
- List of historic Dáil Éireann constituencies
- Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic)
- Members of the 1st DáilMembers of the 1st DáilThis is a list of the 105 MPs who were elected for Irish seats at the 1918 United Kingdom general election. Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, but refused to attend the British House of Commons in Westminster...