South Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)

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

South Armagh was a former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This constituency comprised the southern part of County Armagh.

In 1885-1918 to the north and north-west was Mid Armagh, to the south-west was South Monaghan, to the south was North Louth, to the south-east was the Borough of Newry and to the east was South Down. In 1918-1922 the neighbouring seats were the same except that Louth was an undivided county constituency and Newry had been absorbed into South Down.

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 Armagh constituency.

[edit] Politics

The constituency was a predominantly Nationalist area. In 1918 the Nationalists heavily defeated Sinn Féin.

[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 constituency, in republican theory, was incorporated in a four-member Dáil constituency of Armagh.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Key to parties: APN Anti-Parnellite Nationalist, HN Healyite Nationalist, N Nationalist.

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1885 1892 Alexander Blaine (N)
1892 1900 Edward McHugh (APN) 1846 28 August 1900
1900 1906 John Campbell (HN) 1870
1906 1909 William McKillop (N) 1860 25 August 1909
1909 1918 Dr Charles O'Neill (N) 1849 14 January 1918
1918 1922 Patrick Donnelly (N) 1878 13 August 1947

Notes: Blaine became a Parnellite Nationalist in 1891.

[edit] Elections

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

General Election 27 November 1885: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Alexander Blaine Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Parliamentary gain from new seat Swing N/A
General Election 7 July 1886: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Alexander Blaine Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General Election 8 July 1892: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Anti-Parnellite Nationalist Edward McHugh 3,439 59.91 N/A
Irish Unionist Caesar Litton Falkiner 2,242 39.06 N/A
Parnellite Nationalist Alexander Blaine 59 1.03 N/A
Majority 1,197 20.85 N/A
Turnout 7,523 76.30 N/A
Anti-Parnellite Nationalist gain from Parnellite Nationalist Swing N/A
General Election 25 July 1895: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Anti-Parnellite Nationalist Edward McHugh 3,378 62.87 +2.96
Irish Unionist Walter McMurrough Kavanagh 1,995 37.13 -1.93
Majority 1,383 25.74 +4.89
Turnout 7,254 74.07 -2.23
Anti-Parnellite Nationalist hold Swing +2.49
  • Butler Swing from Irish Unionist to Anti-Parnellite Nationalist
  • Seat vacant on dissolution due to the death of McHugh
General Election 9 October 1900: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Healyite Nationalist John Campbell 1,646 56.62 +56.62
Irish Parliamentary Dr Charles O'Neill 1,261 43.38 +43.38
Majority 385 13.24 N/A
Turnout 7,152 40.65 -33.42
Healyite Nationalist gain from Anti-Parnellite Nationalist Swing N/A
General Election 19 January 1906: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary William McKillop Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Parliamentary gain from Healyite Nationalist Swing N/A
  • Death of McKillop
By-Election 5 November 1909: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Dr Charles O'Neill 3,160 66.00 N/A
Irish Unionist Richard B. Best 1,628 34.00 N/A
Majority 1,532 32.00 N/A
Turnout 7,024 68.17 N/A
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General Election 22 January 1910: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Dr Charles O'Neill Unopposed N/A N/A
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General Election 6 December 1910: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Dr Charles O'Neill 2,890 74.24 N/A
All-for-Ireland Stephen Hugh Moynagh 1,003 25.76 N/A
Majority 1,887 48.47 N/A
Turnout 6,810 57.17 N/A
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
  • Death of O'Neill
By-Election 2 February 1918: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Patrick Donnelly 2,324 63.34 -10.90
Sinn Féin Dr Patrick Macartan 1,305 35.57 +35.57
Independent Unionist Thomas Wakefield Richardson 40 1.09 +1.09
Majority 1,019 27.77 -20.70
Turnout 6,345 57.83 +0.66
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General Election 14 December 1918: South Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Patrick Donnelly 4,345 98.21 +34.87
Sinn Féin Dr James Thomas McKee 79 1.79 -33.78
Majority 4,266 96.43 +68.66
Turnout 15,905 27.82 -30.01
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing +34.33
  • Butler Swing from Sinn Féin to Irish Nationalist

[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

[edit] See also

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