Dublin Clontarf (UK Parliament constituency)

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Dublin Clontarf
Borough constituency
Created: 1918
Abolished: 1922
Type: House of Commons
Members: one

Clontarf, a division of Dublin, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1918-1922.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries and Boundary Changes

Prior to the 1918 general election, the city of Dublin was divided into four constituencies: Dublin College Green, Dublin Harbour, Dublin St Patrick's and Dublin St Stephen's Green constituencies. In 1918, the city was allocated seven seats: Dublin Clontarf, the pre-existing four constituencies, Dublin St James's and Dublin St Michan's.

The Clontarf area was to the north of the city. The constituency included the then Municipal Wards of Clontarf East, Clontarf West and Drumcondra as well as part of Mountjoy.

Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 new Parliamentary constituency boundaries were enacted. Each new constituency was intended to function as a multi member seat for a devolved Parliament (elected in 1921) and (in most cases) as a single member district to return a member to the United Kingdom Parliament. The latter provision was due to take effect upon the dissolution of the Parliament elected in 1918. However before that dissolution took place it was agreed that the Irish Free State would become a dominion outside the United Kingdom.

The proposed change affecting this area was to combine it with the St. James's and St. Michan's divisions, to form a North West Dublin constituency. In the event, from the dissolution on 26 October 1922, the district was no longer represented in the UK Parliament.

[edit] Politics

Dublin, Clontarf was a strongly republican area. In its only election, Sinn Féin defeated the Nationalist (Irish Parliamentary Party) candidate by almost two to one.

Mulcahy, like other Sinn Féin MPs elected in 1918, did not take his seat at Westminster but became a member of the revolutionary Dáil Éireann. See First Dáil for more details.

[edit] Members of Parliament

23 December 1918: Richard James Mulcahy (Sinn Féin) (10 May 1886-16 December 1971)

[edit] Election

  • 1918 (14 December) general election
  • 14,588 electors, 9,202 voted, turnout 63.08%
  • Richard James Mulcahy (SF) 5,974 (64.92%)
  • Sir Patrick Shortall (N) 3,228 (35.08%)
  • majority 2,746 (29.84%)

[edit] References

  • Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
  • Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918, (7 & 8 Geo. 5) c. 65
  • Government of Ireland Act 1920, (10 & 11 Geo. 5) c. 67