West Cork (UK Parliament constituency)

For the 1923–1961 constituency, see Cork West (Dáil Éireann constituency).
West Cork
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Number of members One
Created from County Cork

West Cork, a division of County Cork, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 to 1922 it returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Until the 1885 general election the area was part of the Cork County constituency. From 1922 it was not represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom UK Parliament, as it was no longer in the UK.

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the baronies of Bantry, Bear and West Carbery (West Division) and part of the barony of West Carbery (East Division).[1]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 James Gilhooly Irish Parliamentary Party
1891 Anti-Parnellite
1900 Irish Parliamentary Party
1910 All-for-Ireland League
1916 by-election Daniel O'Leary Irish Parliamentary Party
1918 Seán Hayes Sinn Féin
1922 constituency abolished

Elections

1885–1910

1916

During World War I the major political parties observed an electoral truce and most elections were uncontested with the incumbent party nominating a successor who was returned unopposed. Unusually, when Gilhooly died, the seat was contested by three candidates none of whom had official recognition from the Irish Nationalist political organisations but all of whom supported the broad Nationalist agenda. The by-election has its place in history as the first after the Easter Rising, the last in which the Irish Parliamentary Party captured a seat, the effective self-inflicted demise of the All-for-Ireland League and, in general, a pivotal point in the transition from one era to another. It was also the last great clash between the political rivals William O'Brien's All-for-Ireland League and John Redmond's Irish Parliamentary Party.

15 November 1916 (by-election)
CandidatePartyVotes
Daniel O'Leary Redmondite1 1806
Frank J. Healy O'Brienite2 1750
Dr. Michael B. Shipsey Independent Nationalist3 370

1O'Leary had pledged to join the Irish Parliamentary Party and was a supporter of John Redmond. However, the official Nationalists' organisation (the United Irish League) had withheld approval of his candidacy.

2Healy was imprisoned in Frongoch internment camp for supposedly being associated with Sinn Féin, but Sinn Féin repudiated his candidacy for not revoking to take his seat at Westminster, instead had been supported by William O'Brien, who was leader of the All-for-Ireland League.

3Shipsey was a local member of the All-for-Ireland League who stood in protest against William O'Brien's adoption of an unofficial candidate.[2]

The 1916 by-election, which contrasted so obviously with Gilhooly's long tenure of the seat, was viewed as a farce by Unionist opinion.[3]

1918

Notes

  1. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/debrettshouseo1886londuoft#page/178/mode/2up
  2. ↑ A bitter by-election in 1916: West Cork pivotal point in transition to new era; Southern Star Centenery Edition – 1889–1989
    Article pp 89–90 by George D. Kelleher, Inniscarra, co. Cork
  3. ↑ West Cork Election. Candidates And Sinn Féin Prisoners. In: The Times (London), Tuesday, November 14, 1916 p. 5 col. C

Sources

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