1920 Dublin Corporation election

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1920 Dublin Corporation election
IRL Dublin flag.svg
  1914 15 January 19201925 

All 80 seats to Dublin Corporation
41 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Leader Thomas Kelly James Hubbard Clark
Party Sinn Féin Labour Municipal Reform
Seats won42149

1920 Dublin Corporation election (most voted party by electoral area).svg
Map showing the largest party, and affiliation of councillors, by electoral area.

Sinn Féin received a majority of the vote in wards 1, 3, 6, and 7, and a plurality in 2, 5, 9, and 10. Independent Nationalists received a majority of the vote in ward 8, and Official Nationalists won a plurality in ward 4.

Whilst Sinn Féin was the single largest party in ward 2, Municipal Reform and Unionist candidates together won more votes.

Contents


Lord Mayor of Dublin before election

Laurence O'Neill
Independent Nationalist

Elected Lord Mayor of Dublin

Thomas Kelly (de jure)
Laurence O'Neill (de facto)
Sinn Féin

An election to Dublin Corporation took place on Thursday, 15 January 1920 as part of the 1920 Irish local elections. Dublin was divided into ten borough electoral areas to elect 80 councillors for a five-year term of office on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

Sinn Féin won a slight majority in the council, with 42 seats. Whilst the Sinn Féin majority was small, they emerged from the election as by far the largest party on the Dublin Corporation council. [1]

Following the election Thomas Kelly, the Sinn Féin MP for Dublin St Stephen's Green, was unanimously elected by the council as the new Lord Mayor of Dublin. Kelly was elected despite being held at the time as a political prisoner in Wormwood Scrubs prison in England. Kelly was nominated for the position by the outgoing Lord Mayor Laurence O'Neill. Due to Kelly's imprisonment O'Neill continued as effective Lord Mayor.

Boundaries

These were the first elections under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919, which introduced a form of proportional representation. Under the old ward system, each of 20 wards had elected one alderman and three additional councillors. In 1919, the Local Government Board of Ireland created 10 borough electoral areas (BEAs), taking a greater account of population in the city, which took effect at these elections. Two councillors from each BEA were designated as aldermen. [2]

Revised boundaries
BEASeatsWardsFormer
representation
No. 19Arran Quay4
No. 28Clontarf East, Clontarf West, Drumcondra and Glasnevin16
No. 39Fitzwilliam, Mansion House, Royal Exchange, South City16
No. 410Inns Quay and Rotunda8
No. 57Merchant's Quay4
No. 67Mountjoy4
No. 79New Kilmainham and Usher's Quay8
No. 88North City and North Dock8
No. 96Wood Quay4
No. 107Trinity and South Dock8

Results by party

PartySeats±1st prefFPv%±%
Sinn Féin 42Increase2.svg3828,06945.92
Labour 14Increase2.svg57,69312.58
Municipal Reform 9Increase2.svg97,01111.47New
Independent Nationalist 79,60715.72
Irish Nationalist 4Decrease2.svg523,3025.40
Independent 24,0876.69
Irish Unionist 1Decrease2.svg47021.49
Painters Society1Increase2.svg12650.43New
Ind. Republican 02750.45
Independent Socialist 01820.30
Independent Labour 080.01
Totals8061,131100.00

Results by borough electoral area

^  *: Incumbent councillor.

No. 1 Electoral Area

Arran Quay Ward.

No. 1 Electoral Area: 9 seats [3]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12
Sinn Féin Michael Staines 30.831,675 
Labour Thomas P. O'Reilly (ITGWU)13.62740 
Labour John Farren10.84519589
Sinn Féin William Paul6.87373741
Irish Nationalist J. Keogh5.71310 
Irish Nationalist T. Rooney5.14279 
Municipal Reform E. McGeogh5.04274 
Sinn Féin Patrick McIntyre4.90266 
Labour D. Logue4.66253 
Sinn Féin Annie Eliza Ashton4.38238 
Sinn Féin Ml. McHugh2.87156 
Sinn Féin Francis Nolan2.37129 
Irish Nationalist Thomas Kavanagh2.12115 
Electorate: 9,741  Valid: 5,433  Spoilt: 145  Quota: 544  Turnout: 5,578  

    No. 2 Electoral Area

    Clontarf East Ward, Clontarf West Ward, Drumcondra Ward and Glasnevin Ward

    The count was particularly long, with no candidates meeting the quota from counts 2 to 14. [3]

    No. 2 Electoral Area: 8 seats [3]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    1
    Sinn Féin Seán McGarry 16.641,058
    Municipal Reform James Hubbard Clark12.08768
    Irish Unionist W. McCarthy [*] 9.15582
    Municipal Reform James Moran [*] 7.04448
    Independent David A. Quaid [*] 6.97443
    Municipal Reform Michael Moran [*] 6.93441
    Sinn Féin Thomas Loughlin6.07386
    Sinn Féin Robert Rooney5.82370
    Independent J. P. MacAvin [*] 4.06258
    Municipal Reform John Foley [*] 3.93250
    Sinn Féin S. Macaoilte3.35213
    Sinn Féin Gifford Wilson2.70172
    Sinn Féin Mary J. McKean2.28145
    Independent Michael Maher [*] 2.09133
    Irish Unionist W. P. Dinnage [*] 1.89120
    Sinn Féin Sean O'Shea1.64104
    Independent James Brady1.64104
    Independent Daniel Daly [*] 1.1271
    Independent C. Monks [*] 1.0768
    Independent Patrick Ring1.0466
    Independent Labour J. Manning [lower-alpha 1] 0.138
    Electorate: 9,680  Valid: 6,360  Spoilt: 86  Quota: 717  Turnout: 6,446  

      No. 3 Electoral Area

      Fitzwilliam Ward, Mansion House Ward, Royal Exchange Ward and South City Ward.

      No. 3 Electoral Area: 9 seats [3]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567891011
      Sinn Féin Thomas Kelly [*] 41.703,438          
      Municipal Reform Andrew Beattie [*] 12.831,058          
      Municipal Reform Sir James Gallagher [*] 8.65713- 907        
      Municipal Reform J. R. Stritch7.95655- - - - - - - 846  
      Labour O. Hynes (Bricklayers' Union)5.46450- - - - - - - - 892 
      Sinn Féin Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington 4.123401,551         
      Sinn Féin T. Adkins3.64300- - - - - - - - - 830
      Independent William Corrigan [*] 3.46285          
      Sinn Féin Joe Clarke 3.40280- - 876       
      Independent J. J. Higgins [*] 2.55210          
      Socialist Walter Carpenter 2.21182          
      Sinn Féin M. J. White1.64135          
      Sinn Féin Robinsou Raul1.1595- - - - - - - - - 713
      Independent C. Perkins0.9377          
      Independent P. J. Giles0.3226          
      Electorate: 12,638  Valid: 8,244  Spoilt: -  Quota: ~825  Turnout: -  

        No. 4 Electoral Area

        Inns Quay Ward and Rotunda Ward.

        No. 4 Electoral Area: 10 seats [3]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        12345678910111213
        Independent Nationalist Laurence O'Neill [*] 48.953,672            
        Sinn Féin Seán T. O'Kelly [*] 17.481,311            
        Sinn Féin J. Brennan498801           
        Sinn Féin M. Flanagan298- - 683         
        Irish Nationalist William P. Delaney280- - - - - - - 821    
        Painters' SocietyJos Farrell265- - - - - - - - - - 690 
        Labour John Lawlor 229795           
        Municipal Reform James Grierson185            
        Sinn Féin M. Dowling143- - - - - - - - - - - 620
        Sinn Féin Seán O'Mahony 136- - - - - - - - - - 737 
        Irish Nationalist P. J. Duffy [*] 121- - - - - - - - - - - 599
        Sinn Féin Jennie Wyse Power 110- - - - - - - - - - 761 
        Sinn Féin Kathleen O'Doherty [*] 106            
        Irish Nationalist M. J. O'Hara [*] 73            
        Municipal Reform Anne Egan43            
        Sinn Féin Joseph C. Larkin41            
        Electorate: 12,856  Valid: 7,501  Spoilt: 185  Quota: 682  Turnout: 7,686  

          No. 5 Electoral Area

          Merchant's Quay Ward.

          No. 5 Electoral Area: 7 seats [3]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1
          Sinn Féin Joseph MacDonagh 1,067
          Labour J. Bohan (ITGWU)616
          Irish Nationalist William O'Connor [*] 596
          Sinn Féin J. P. Mooney552
          Sinn Féin Patrick Gordon375
          Municipal Reform R. H. White374
          Labour T.D. Herbert307
          Ind. Republican Arnold Lowe275
          Independent H. C. Neill Watson275
          Independent Sarah Harrison223
          Independent J. Vaughan [*] 194
          Sinn Féin Mrs. McGarry190
          Sinn Féin Patrick Walsh178
          Irish Nationalist E. Brooks55
          Independent J. Reed30
          Electorate: 8,032  Valid: 5,307  Spoilt: 94  Quota: 664  Turnout: 5,401 (67.24%)  

            No. 6 Electoral Area

            Mountjoy Ward.

            No. 6 Electoral Area: 7 seats [4]
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count
            123456789
            Independent Nationalist L. G. Sherlock1,507        
            Sinn Féin Kathleen Clarke 937        
            Sinn Féin P. Mahon [*] 568751       
            Sinn Féin James Malinn486- 769      
            Independent Nationalist J. M. C. Briscoe [*] 290799       
            Sinn Féin John Byrne222- - - - - - - 493
            Independent Nationalist William Chase [*] 173- - - - - - - 591
            Sinn Féin Joseph Toomey143        
            Sinn Féin Ml. Slater116- - - - - - - 456
            Municipal Reform Miss Weldrick93- - - - - - -  
            Sinn Féin Mrs O'Shea Leamy78        
            Electorate: 8,784  Valid: 4,613  Spoilt: 113  Quota: 577  Turnout: 4,726  

              No. 7 Electoral Area

              New Kilmainham Ward and Usher's Quay Ward.

              No. 7 Electoral Area: 9 seats [4]
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count
              12345678910111213
              Sinn Féin W. T. Cosgrave [*] 2,033            
              Municipal Reform B.F. Shields679            
              Sinn Féin P. S. Doyle [*] 625765           
              Labour D. Magee578- - - - - - 814     
              Sinn Féin James McGrath 5311,059           
              Labour J. O'Connor (ITGWU)409- - - - - - - - - - - 686
              Irish Nationalist P. Medlar314- - - - - - - - - - - 624
              Irish Nationalist J. S. Kelly284            
              Labour L. Keegan249            
              Sinn Féin A. Fitzpatrick231- - - - - - - - - 759  
              Irish Nationalist J. Groome221            
              Sinn Féin John Doran163- - - - - - 666     
              Irish Nationalist C. Donaghy117            
              Sinn Féin Michael Lynch111            
              Labour Mary C. Kelly14            
              Electorate: 9,985  Valid: 6,428  Spoilt: 131  Quota: 650  Turnout: 6,559 (%)  

                No. 8 Electoral Area

                North City Ward and North Dock Ward.

                No. 8 Electoral Area: 8 seats [4]
                PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                12
                Independent Nationalist Alfie Byrne 3,180 
                Sinn Féin Francis Cahill 826 
                Labour P. T. Daly [*] 4991,344
                Independent Nationalist James Gately [*] 438879
                Sinn Féin Patrick McDonnell413704
                Sinn Féin James V. Lawless393780
                Sinn Féin Joseph M. Stanley299 
                Labour Michael Brohoon (ITGWU)231606
                Municipal Reform Dr. MacWalter [*] 1921,078
                Municipal Reform T.D. Lambert146 
                Sinn Féin James Mallon126 
                Sinn Féin Mary Walker122 
                Sinn Féin Thomas Leahy96 
                Irish Nationalist J. O'Doherty45 
                Labour R. Graham34 
                Sinn Féin Thomas O'Reilly27 
                Irish Nationalist J. J. Fox18 
                Irish Nationalist James Higgins7 
                Labour Michael Mullen7 
                Independent T. Healy1 
                Electorate: 11,488  Valid: 6,898  Spoilt: 196  Quota: 789  Turnout: 7,094 (%)  

                  No. 9 Electoral Area

                  Wood Quay Ward.

                  No. 9 Electoral Area: 6 seats [4]
                  PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                  12345678910
                  Sinn Féin Kathleen Clarke 1,374         
                  Labour Thomas Lawlor 1,187         
                  Labour Thomas Kennedy (ITGWU)422468 582 - - 614    
                  Independent Nationalist T. Byrne [*] 347- 409 - - - - - - 501
                  Irish Nationalist William McCabe [*] 321         
                  Sinn Féin John J. Murphy256- - - - - - - 636 
                  Sinn Féin John Grace150635        
                  Sinn Féin Patrick McGuirk105         
                  Labour M. C. Scully51- 315        
                  Labour M. Keavey15         
                  Irish Nationalist M. J. Creagh12         
                  Electorate: 6,959  Valid: 4,250  Spoilt: 106  Quota: 606  Turnout: 4,356 (%)  

                    No. 10 Electoral Area

                    Trinity Ward and South Dock Ward.

                    No. 10 Electoral Area: 7 seats [4]
                    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                    1
                    Sinn Féin Cathal Ó Murchadha 1,173
                    Labour William O'Brien (ITGWU)883
                    Sinn Féin Thomas Cassidy665
                    Independent L. O'Toole [*] 639
                    Independent Myles Keogh [*] 634
                    Sinn Féin G. A. Lyons433
                    Independent T. M. O'Beirne350
                    Municipal Reform W. J. Maxwell-Lemon317
                    Municipal Reform Sir John Irwin274
                    Sinn Féin John Farrell259
                    Sinn Féin Patrick Power169
                    Irish Nationalist Jeremiah Looney134
                    Municipal Reform Frederick T. Rainford101
                    Sinn Féin William Murray61
                    Electorate: 9,075  Valid: 6,097  Spoilt: 146  Quota: 763  Turnout: 6,243 (68.79%)  

                      Notes

                      1. While still appearing on the ballot, Manning withdrew from the election campaign after nominations had closed.

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                      References

                      1. "Irish Elections". Mariposa Gazette. 24 January 1920.
                      2. "The Municipal Elections" . The Irish Times . 31 December 1919. p. 4.
                      3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sinn Fein leading in the municipal elections". Dublin Evening Telegraph. Dublin. 17 January 1920. pp. 1–6.(subscription required)
                      4. 1 2 3 4 5 "How the people voted: Sinn Fein dominates the Dublin, Cork and Limerick city councils". Dublin Evening Telegraph. 19 January 1920. p. 1 of 6.(subscription required)