Dublin Harbour (UK Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dublin Harbour
Borough constituency
Created: 1885
Abolished: 1922
Type: House of Commons
Members: one

Dublin Harbour, a division of Dublin, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the British House of Commons 1885-1922.

Prior to the 1885 general election, the city was the undivided two member Dublin City constituency. In 1885, Dublin was divided into four constituencies: the Harbour, Dublin College Green, Dublin St Patrick's and Dublin St Stephen's Green constituencies.

In 1918, the city was allocated seven seats: in addition to the four existing constituencies, the new divisions were Dublin Clontarf, Dublin St James's and Dublin St Michan's.

From the dissolution of 1922, the area was no longer represented in the UK Parliament.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

This constituency comprised part of the city of Dublin. It included the port and red light district of Dublin and was one of the poorest constituencies in Ireland.

[edit] Politics of the constituency

Dublin Harbour was a very heavily Nationalist area. The Irish Parliamentary Party only lost political control of the district following the Easter Rising in 1916. The area was a hotbed of Sinn Féin and Irish Republican Army activity. Local publican Phil Shanahan, who had participated in the Rising, was elected MP in 1918.

In common with other Sinn Féiners, elected in 1918, Shanahan did not take his seat at Westminster but instead participated in the revolutionary Dáil Éireann.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Key to parties: APN Anti-Parnellite Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party), Ind N Independent Nationalist (All-for-Ireland League), L Liberal Party, LU Liberal Unionist, N Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party), PN Parnellite Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party), SF Sinn Féin.

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1885 1910 Timothy Charles Harrington (N) 1851 12 March 1910
1910 1915 William Abraham (N) 1840 2 August 1915
1915 1918 Alfred Byrne (N) 17 March 1882 13 March 1956
1918 1922 Philip Shanahan (SF)

Harrington changed his allegiance between different factions of Irish Nationalism several times. In 1891 he became a Parnellite Nationalist, in 1897 an Independent Nationalist and from 1900 (when the Irish Parliamentary Party re-united) he stood for election as a Nationalist again.

[edit] Elections

  • 1885 (30 November) general election
  • 11,282 electors; 8,345 voted; turnout 73.97%
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (N) 6,717 (80.49%)
  • Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, Bt (L) 1,628 (19.51%)
  • Majority 5,089 (60.98%)
  • 1886 (1 July) general election
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (N): Unopposed
  • 1892 (7 July) general election
  • 11,370 electors; 5,858 voted; turnout 51.52%
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (PN) 4,482 (76.51%)
  • James McDonnell (APN) 1,376 (23.49%)
  • Majority 3,106 (53.02%)
  • 1895 (12 July) general election
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (PN): Unopposed
  • 1900 (29 September) general election
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (N): Unopposed
  • 1906 (17 January) general election
  • 8,813 electors; 4,510 voted; turnout 51.17%
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (N) 3,638 (80.67%)
  • J.L. Mahon (LU) 872 (19.33%)
  • Majority 2,766 (61.33%)
  • 1910 (15 January) general election
  • Timothy Charles Harrington (N): Unopposed
  • Death of Harrington
  • 1910 (14 June) by-election
  • William Abraham (N): Unopposed
  • 1910 (7 December) general election
  • 9,038 electors; 3,875 voted; turnout 42.87%
  • William Abraham (N) 3,244 (83.72%)
  • James Brady (Ind N) 631 (16.28%)
  • Majority 2,613 (67.43%)
  • Death of Abraham
  • 1915 (1 October) by-election
  • 8,780 electors; 3,798 voted; turnout 43.26%
  • Alfred Byrne (N) 2,208 (58.14%)
  • The O'Mahony (Pierce O'Mahony) (N) 913 (24.04%)
  • John Joseph Farrell (N) 677 (17.83%)
  • Majority 1,295 (34.10%)
  • 1918 (14 December) general election
  • 19,520 electors; 13,094 voted; turnout 67.08%
  • Philip Shanahan (SF) 7,708 (58.87%)
  • Alfred Byrne (N) 5,386 (41.13%)
  • Majority 2,322 (17.73%)

[edit] Reference

  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)

[edit] See also