Belfast Duncairn (UK Parliament constituency)

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Belfast Duncairn
Borough constituency
Created: 1918
Abolished: 1922
Type: House of Commons
Members: one

Duncairn, a division of Belfast, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the British House of Commons 1918-1922.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries and boundary changes

This constituency comprised the eastern half of North Belfast, based on the then Duncairn ward of Belfast City Council.

Prior to the 1918 UK general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1922, the area was part of the Belfast North constituency.

[edit] Politics

The constituency was a strongly unionist area. There was no real chance of a republican or nationalist candidate being elected.

Carson was the Unionist leader in the House of Commons.

[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 Belfast North.

[edit] Members of Parliament

Key to parties: U Irish Unionist 1918-April 1921 and Ulster Unionist May 1921-1922.

From To Name (Party) Born Died
1918 1921 Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Henry Carson (U) 9 February 1854 22 October 1935
1921 1922 Thomas Edward McConnell (U) 7 April 1868 22 May 1938

[edit] Elections

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

General Election 14 December 1918: Belfast Duncairn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Rt Hon Sir Edward Henry Carson 11,637 81.05 N/A
Irish Parliamentary William Hamilton Davey 2,449 17.06 N/A
Sinn Féin Dr Russell McNab 271 1.89 N/A
Majority 9,188 64.00 N/A
Turnout 19,085 75.23 N/A
Irish Unionist gain from new seat Swing N/A
By-Election 23 June 1921: Belfast Duncairn
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Thomas Edward McConnell Unopposed N/A N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

[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 III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)
  • (Information about boundaries of the constituency derived from the map of Northern Ireland Parliament constituencies (in force from 1921) and the wards included in the Belfast UK Parliament seats (in force 1922) for which see Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921-1972, by Sydney Elliott {Political Reference Publications 1973) and Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885-1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig {Political Reference Publications 1972) respective

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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Electoral Wards of Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast
North Belfast
South Belfast
East Belfast
West Belfast
Nearby towns and cities