Irish elections, 1921
Encyclopedia
Two elections in Ireland
took place in 1921, as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920
to establish the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The election was used by Irish Republic
ans as the basis of membership of the Second Dáil
. Where contested, the elections used Single transferable vote
.
as all 128 candidates were returned unopposed. Of these, 124 were won by Sinn Féin and four by independent Unionists representing the University of Dublin (Trinity College).
Only Sinn Féin candidates recognised the Dáil and five of these had been elected in two constituencies (Michael Collins
, Éamon de Valera
, Arthur Griffith
, Seán Milroy
and Eoin MacNeill
) one in each part of Ireland. The total number of members who assembled in the Second Dáil was 125: 119 elected solely in Southern Ireland, 1 solely in Northern Ireland (Seán O'Mahony
), and 5 in both.
In Southern Ireland, there were fresh elections in 1922
as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
.
House of Commons occurred on 24 May. Of 52 seats, including Queen's University of Belfast, 40 were won by Unionists
, 6 by moderate nationalists and 6 by Sinn Féin
.
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...
took place in 1921, as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920
Government 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...
to establish the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
House of Commons of Northern Ireland
The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act...
and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The election was used by 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...
ans as the basis of membership of 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...
. Where contested, the elections used 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...
.
Southern Ireland result
No actual polling took place in Southern IrelandSouthern 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 128 candidates were returned unopposed. Of these, 124 were won by Sinn Féin and four by independent Unionists representing the University of Dublin (Trinity College).
| Southern Ireland general election, 1921 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Leader | No. of seats | % of seats | |
| 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... |
Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... |
124 (unopposed) | 96.9 | |
| Independent Unionist | 4 (unopposed) | 3.1 | ||
| Totals | 128 | 100 | ||
Only Sinn Féin candidates recognised the Dáil and five of these had been elected in two constituencies (Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
, Seán Milroy
Seán Milroy
Seán Milroy was an Irish politician. He was born in Maryport in Cumberland. He was a journalist by profession.He contested a by-election for Sinn Féin in Tyrone North East unsuccessfully. He was elected a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála at the 1921 elections for both the Cavan constituency and for the...
and Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill was an Irish scholar, nationalist, revolutionary and politician. MacNeill is regarded as the father of the modern study of early Irish medieval history. He was a co-founder of the Gaelic League, to preserve Irish language and culture, going on to establish the Irish Volunteers...
) one in each part of Ireland. The total number of members who assembled in the Second Dáil was 125: 119 elected solely in Southern Ireland, 1 solely in Northern Ireland (Seán O'Mahony
Seán O'Mahony
Seán O'Μahony was an Irish Sinn Féin politician and member of the First and Second Dáil.He was born in Thomastown, County Kilkenny. A successful businessman he was a tea merchant and a commercial traveller. His company, John O'Mahoney & Co., was located on Middle Abbey St., and was destroyed...
), and 5 in both.
In Southern Ireland, there were fresh elections in 1922
Irish general election, 1922
The Irish general election of 1922 took place in Southern Ireland on 16 June 1922, under the provisions of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to elect a constituent assembly paving the way for the formal establishment of the Irish Free State...
as a result of 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...
.
Northern Ireland result
The general election to the Northern IrelandNorthern 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...
House of Commons occurred on 24 May. Of 52 seats, including Queen's University of Belfast, 40 were won by Unionists
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
, 6 by moderate nationalists and 6 by 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...
.
| Northern Ireland general election, 1921 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Leader | Seats | % of seats | Votes | % of votes | |
| Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... |
James Craig James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, PC, PC , was a prominent Irish unionist politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland... |
40 | 76.9 | 343,347 | 66.9 | |
| 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... |
Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... |
6 | 11.5 | 104,917 | 20.5 | |
| Nationalist Party (NI) Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland) The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP.... |
Joe Devlin Joseph Devlin Joseph Devlin, also known as Joe Devlin, was an Irish journalist and influential nationalist politician... |
6 | 11.5 | 60,577 | 11.8 | |
| Belfast Labour Party Belfast Labour Party The Belfast Labour Party was a political party in Belfast, Ireland from 1892 until 1924.The first socialist party in Ireland, it was founded in 1892, affiliated to the British Labour Representation Committee in 1900 and remained attached to the UK Labour Party which subsequently evolved.Labour ran... |
0 | 0 | 3,075 | 0.6 | ||
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... s |
0 | 0 | 926 | 0.2 | ||
| Totals | 52 | 100 | 512,842 | 100 | ||
See also
- Members of the 2nd DáilMembers of the 2nd DáilThere were two elections in Ireland on 24 May 1921, as a result of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 to establish the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. The election was used by Irish republicans as the basis of membership of the 2nd Dáil. The 2nd...
- Government of the 2nd DáilGovernment of the 2nd DáilThe Second Dáil was elected at the 1921 Irish elections on 24 May 1921 and lasted 388 days.-Third Ministry:The Third Ministry was the Ministry of the Irish Republic that held office from 26 August 1921 – 9 January 1922...
- Irish general election, 1918