Antrim East (constituency)

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For the modern UK Parliament constituency and devolved institutions constituency see East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
East Antrim
County constituency
Created: 1885
Abolished: 1922
Type: House of Commons

Antrim East (otherwise known as East Antrim) was a former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries and boundary changes

This county constituency comprised the eastern part of County Antrim. From 1885 it consisted of the baronies of Belfast Lower and Glenarm Upper, and parts of the baronies of Antrim Upper, Antrim Lower and Belfast Upper, and the town of Carrickfergus.

It returned one Member of Parliament 1885-1922.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 and from the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Antrim constituency.

[edit] Politics

The constituency was a strongly conservative then unionist area. There was not the slightest chance of a republican or nationalist candidate being elected.

From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

From 1905 there was an Ulster Unionist organisation, but MPs sponsored by it are classified as Irish Unionists until the Northern Ireland general election, 1921 made the partition of Ireland effective so that Irish Unionism ceased to be a realistic objective.

A victory for the Unionist candidate in 1918 by 15,206 votes to Sinn Féin's 861 votes demonstrated the virtual unanimity of the unionist support.

Not surprisingly Sinn Féin did not bother to contest the 1919 by-election in the constituency.

[edit] The First Dáil

Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.

The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.

In 1921 Sinn Féin decided to use the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in a seven-member Dáil constituency of Antrim.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Key to parties: C Conservative, Ind U Independent Unionist, U Irish Unionist (1886-April 1921) and Ulster Unionist (May 1921-1922).

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1885 1913 James Martin McCalmont (C,U) 1847 2 February 1913
1913 1919 Robert Chaine Alexander McCalmont (U) 29 August 1881 4 November 1953
1919 1922 George Boyle Hanna (Ind U) 17 December 1887 30 October 1938

[edit] Elections

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

General Election 4 December 1885: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Martin McCalmont 4,180 66.51 N/A
Liberal Marriott Robert Dalway 2,105 33.49 N/A
Majority 2,075 33.02 N/A
Turnout 8,773 71.64 N/A
Conservative gain from new seat Swing N/A
General Election 6 July 1886: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General Election 9 July 1892: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 17 July 1895: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 10 October 1900: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont 3,582 57.45 N/A
Independent Unionist Dr James King-Kerr 2,653 42.55 N/A
Majority 929 14.90 N/A
Turnout 8,886 70.17 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 19 January 1906: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont 4,496 67.70 +10.25
Russellite Unionist Henry Rosere Beddoes 2,145 32.30 +32.30
Majority 2,351 35.40 +20.50
Turnout 8,606 77.17 +7.00
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 19 January 1910: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 5 December 1910: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist James Martin McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Death of McCalmont
By-Election 19 February 1913: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist R.C.A. McCalmont Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 14 December 1918: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist R.C.A. McCalmont 15,206 94.64 N/A
Sinn Féin Daniel Dumigan 861 5.36 N/A
Majority 14,345 89.28 N/A
Turnout 24,798 64.79 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
By-Election 27 May 1919: East Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Unionist George Boyle Hanna 8,714 48.30 +48.30
Irish Unionist William Agnew Moore 7,549 41.84 -52.80
Independent Charles McFerran Legg 1,778 9.86 +9.86
Majority 1,165 6.46 N/A
Turnout 24,798 72.75 N/A
Independent Unionist gain from Irish Unionist Swing N/A
  • Constituency abolished in the redistribution of 1922

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978)
  • Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)

[edit] External links

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