Antrim South (constituency)

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For the modern (1950-date) UK Parliament and devolved institutions (1973-date) constituency see South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Antrim South, (otherwise known as South Antrim) was a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency and a former Northern Ireland Parliament division.

Contents

[edit] Summary

From To Chamber Members
1885 1922 House of Commons of the United Kingdom 1
1929 1973 House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1
1950 date House of Commons of the United Kingdom* 1
1973 1974 Northern Ireland Assembly* 8
1975 1975 Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention* 8
1982 1986 Northern Ireland Assembly* 10
1996 1998 Northern Ireland Forum* 5
1998 date Northern Ireland Assembly* 6

Notes: (1) This was a potential Dáil Éireann constituency 1918-1921 (see below for more details). (2) Institutions marked * are not dealt with in this article for the indicated periods.

[edit] Representation

[edit] House of Commons of the United Kingdom

South Antrim
County constituency
Created: 1885
Abolished: 1922
Type: House of Commons

South Antrim was a single-member constituency.

[edit] House of Commons of Northern Ireland

The House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland), 1929 introduced first past the post elections for 48 single-member constituencies (including Antrim South).

[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] Boundaries and boundary changes

Antrim South has always been a county constituency comprising the southern part of County Antrim in the province of Ulster (excluding the part in Belfast). Larger versions of the constituency have has the sea and Belfast (including 1969-1973 the surburbun Northern Ireland Parliament Larkfield division) to the north-east, County Down to the south-east and south and Lough Neagh and the borders with County Londonderry to the west. How far north the constituency extended and whether it reached the sea and a land border with County Londonderry depended on the number of divisions into which Antrim was split.

UK Parliament 1885-1922: This constituency was one of four county divisions in Antrim. From 1885, tt comprised the baronies of Massereene Upper, Massereene Lower, and Antrim Upper, and parts of the Baronies of Upper Toome and Belfast Upper, and so much of the Parliamentary Borough of Belfast as is in the County of Antrim.

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.

Northern Ireland Parliament 1929-1973: This constituency was one of seven county divisions in Antrim from 1929, so it was smaller than the UK Parliament seat. From 1969 there were nine county divisions in Antrim. The changes in the vicinity of Belfast affected the boundaries of this division.

It comprised (in terms of then local government units) part of the Rural District of Lisburn and the whole of the Urban District 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 Northern Ireland Parliament was prorogued in 1972 and formally abolished 1973.

The area was represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly under the Sunningdale Agreement, as part of a larger Antrim South, corresponding to the 1974-1983 UK Parliament constituency (which was one of two divisions of Antrim).

[edit] Politics

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

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

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.

[edit] Members of Parliament

[edit] House of Commons (United Kingdom)

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

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1885 1903 Rt Hon William Grey Ellison Macartney (C,U) 1852 4 December 1924
1903 1922 Charles Curtis Craig (U) 18 February 1869 28 January 1960

[edit] House of Commons (Northern Ireland)

Key to parties: PUP Protestant Unionist Party, U Ulster Unionist.

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1929 1951 Rt Hon. Sir John Milne Barbour, Bt (U) 1868 3 October 1951
1951 1968 Rt Hon. Robert William Brian McConnell (U) 25 November 1922 24 October 2000
1968 1970 Richard Ferguson (U) 22 August 1935
1970 1973 Rev. William John Beattie (PUP) 21 September 1942

Note: Beattie joined the Democratic Unionist Party in 1971.

[edit] Elections

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

[edit] House of Commons (United Kingdom)

General Election 7 December 1885: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Grey Ellison Macartney 5,047 57.83 N/A
Liberal John Doherty Barbour 3,680 42.17 N/A
Majority 1,367 15.66 N/A
Turnout 10,824 80.63 N/A
Conservative gain from new seat Swing N/A
General Election 6 July 1886: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Grey Ellison Macartney Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General Election 6 July 1892: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Grey Ellison Macartney Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 15 July 1895: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Grey Ellison Macartney Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 8 October 1900: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Grey Ellison Macartney 3,674 54.39 N/A
Independent Unionist Samuel Lawther 3,081 45.61 N/A
Majority 593 8.78 N/A
Turnout 10,381 65.07 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Resignation of Ellison Macartney
By-Election 5 February 1903: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig 4,464 55.25 +0.86
Russellite Unionist Samuel Robert Keightley 3,615 44.75 +44.75
Majority 849 10.51 +1.73
Turnout 10,236 78.93 +13.86
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 17 January 1906: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 28 January 1910: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig 5,310 69.41 N/A
Liberal William Moffat Clow 2,340 30.59 N/A
Majority 2,970 38.82 N/A
Turnout 9,900 77.27 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 6 December 1910: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 14 December 1918: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig 13,270 85.13 N/A
Sinn Féin Kevin Roantree O'Shiel 2,318 14.87 N/A
Majority 10,952 70.26 N/A
Turnout 23,235 67.09 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Constituency abolished in the redistribution of 1922

[edit] House of Commons (Northern Ireland)

General Election 22 May 1929: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. John Milne Barbour Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist gain from new seat Swing N/A
General Election 30 November 1933: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. John Milne Barbour Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 9 February 1938: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. John Milne Barbour Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 14 June 1945: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. Sir John Milne Barbour Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 10 February 1949: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. Sir John Milne Barbour Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Barbour
By-Election 10 December 1945: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert William Brian McConnell Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 22 October 1953: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert William Brian McConnell Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 20 March 1958: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert William Brian McConnell Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 31 May 1962: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert William Brian McConnell Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 25 November 1965: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rt Hon. Robert William Brian McConnell 14,491 77.89 N/A
Labour (NI) S.A. Stewart 4,113 22.11 N/A
Majority 10,378 55.78 N/A
Turnout 34,419 54.05 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Resignation of McConnell
By-Election 6 November 1968: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Richard Ferguson 16,288 85.12 +7.23
Labour (NI) J. Coulthard 2,848 14.88 -7.23
Majority 13,440 70.23 +14.45
Turnout 38,672 49.48 -4.57
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Boundary change
General Election 24 February 1969: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Richard Ferguson 10,761 66.74 -18.38
Protestant Unionist Rev. William John Beattie 5,362 33.26 +33.26
Majority 5,399 33.49 -36.74
Turnout 24,693 65.29 +15.81
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
  • Resignation of Ferguson
By-Election 16 April 1970: Antrim South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Protestant Unionist Rev. William John Beattie 7,137 35.16 +1.90
Ulster Unionist W.J. Morgan 6,179 30.44 -36.30
Independent D. Corkey 5,212 25.67 +25.67
Labour (NI) A. Whitby 1,773 8.73 +8.73
Majority 958 4.72 N/A
Turnout 28,633 70.90 +5.61
Protestant Unionist gain from Ulster Unionist Swing N/A

[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)
  • Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921-1972, compiled and edited by Sydney Elliott (Political Reference Publications 1973)

[edit] External links

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