1920 Londonderry Borough Council election

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1920 Londonderry Borough Council election
Londonderry COA.svg
 1914Thursday 15 January 19201925 

All 40 seats on Londonderry Borough Council
21 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Party Ulster Unionist Sinn Féin Nationalist
Seats won191010

1920 Londonderry Borough Council election (most voted party by electoral area).svg

Mayor before election

Robert Newton Anderson
Irish Unionist

Mayor after election

Hugh O'Doherty
Independent Nationalist

An election to Londonderry Borough Council took place on Thursday 15 January 1920 as part of that year's Irish local elections.

Contents

As a result, Unionists lost control over Londonderry borough council, which for the first time passed into the control of the city's Catholic majority. The various Nationalist parties in the city contested the election on a pan-nationalist front, emphasizing the national question of Irish self-government, as well as issues over housing. [1]

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 had seen the introduction of a PR electoral system for local government elections in Ireland. Turnout was high, at 93.5%. Despite the new electoral system only 2.8% of ballots were spoiled. [2] Whilst Unionists won nearly 60% of the popular vote, this was connected to the Nationalist dominated West Ward going uncontested.

Nationalist control of the council would not last however, and following the partition of Ireland the Northern Irish Government restored the older, and less representative ward based system. [2]

Results by party

PartySeats±First Pref. votesFPv%±%
Sinn Féin-Nationalist front21
(10 SF, 10 N, 1 Ind N)
4,06641.78
Ulster Unionist 195,66658.22
Totals409,732100.00

North Ward

The Unionists put forward 7 candidates, and Nationalists 5. The Unionists gave instructions that their candidates should be voted for in alphabetical order. In the first round Unionist candidates 1,923 votes (59.72%), and Nationalists 1,297 (40.28%). [3] [4]

North Ward - 11 seats [3]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567891011
Ulster Unionist James Ballantine52.041,687
Nationalist Richard Doherty499
Independent Nationalist Hugh C. O'Doherty 461
Ulster Unionist R. A. Deane201407
Nationalist Edward McCafferty216217
Ulster Unionist Sir John McFarland 8587
Nationalist Daniel O'Donnell8181
Ulster Unionist H. N. Greenway7836
Ulster Unionist S. W. Kennedy6775
Ulster Unionist H. S. Robinson6063 63 63 64 64 64 65 65 69 312
Nationalist William Joseph O'Donnell4040 58 81 81 205 218 218 218 218 218
Ulster Unionist B. K. Gilliland2135
Electorate: 3,586  Valid: 3,220  Spoilt: 22  Quota: 269  Turnout: 3,242  

    Waterside Ward

    In Waterside ward 6 Unionists and 3 Nationalists were returned. Anderson and Bradley, topping the poll, were appointed as Aldermen. Unionists were advised to vote and allocate their preferences for Unionist candidates alphabetically. [5]

    Waterside Ward - 9 seats [5]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123456789
    Ulster Unionist Alexander Anderson37.85974
    Sinn Féin Cathal Bradley15.51399
    Ulster Unionist William H. Elliot10.61273
    Ulster Unionist James Blair7.15184880
    Nationalist F. O'Sullivan9.83252252 260
    Ulster Unionist Thomas McCully3.89100113 113 121 721
    Ulster Unionist J. H. Pollock0.541417 17 21 32 32 487
    Ulster Unionist D. P. Thompson2.646870 70 73 77 77 84 313
    Nationalist Margaret Morris7.54194196 226 226 227 228 228 228 228
    Nationalist Robert J. Donaghey4.47115115 218 218 224 225 226 226 226
    Electorate: ~  Valid: 2573  Spoilt: 28  Quota: 258  Turnout: 2601  

      South-East Ward

      South-East Ward - 12 seats [6]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567891011
      Ulster Unionist H. Babington50.441939
      Irish Nationalist James Bonner24.56944
      Irish Nationalist W. J. Barclay5.98230232 830
      Irish Nationalist Robert McAnaney5.54213214 217 217 225 226 230 231 235 235 348
      Irish Nationalist Michael Cosgrove4.29165166 196 198 696
      Sinn Féin James Gallagher3.67141141 146 148 152 158 172 172 409
      Irish Nationalist Cou Doherty3.02116117 128 129 153 156 537
      Ulster Unionist John Burns1.013945 46 1358
      Ulster Unionist John G. Magee0.421617 17 19 19 21 22 29 29 514
      Ulster Unionist T.G. Blair0.36141631
      Ulster Unionist David Mitchell0.311214 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 22
      Ulster Unionist James Hamilton0.21814 14 28 28 1071
      Ulster Unionist Henry G. McCay0.18713 13 14 14 20 20 786
      Electorate: -  Valid: 3844 (98.94%)  Spoilt: 41 (1.06%)  Quota: 296 (7.70%)  Turnout: 3885  

        West Ward

        The combined Sinn-Fein/Nationalist ticket put up 8 candidates for the 8 seats in the West Ward. The Unionist grouping in the city did not put up any candidates, resulting in there being no contest and the Sinn-Fein/Nationalist candidates being all successful. [7]

        West Ward - 8 seats [7] [8]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        1
        Sinn Féin Con BradleyNo contest
        Sinn Féin Anthony CarlinNo contest
        Sinn Féin P. HogartyNo contest
        Sinn Féin W. LogueNo contest
        Sinn Féin Patrick MeenanNo contest
        Sinn Féin James McLeanNo contest
        Sinn Féin Joseph McKernanNo contest
        Sinn Féin D. J. ShielNo contest
        Electorate: -  Valid: Quota: 

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          References

          1. McCabe, Conor (2010). "The Irish Labour Party and the 1920 local elections". Saothar. 35: 7–20. JSTOR   23200073 via JSTOR.
          2. 1 2 Laffan, Michael (1999). The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923. Cambridge University Press. p. 327. ISBN   9781139426299.
          3. 1 2 "Keen party voting in Derry". The Irish Times. 20 January 1920. p. 6.
          4. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200120/063/0003 via British Newspaper Archive.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
          5. 1 2 "Results | From 17th Jan 1920 | Londonderry Sentinel | Publication | Londonderry, Northern Ireland | Location | British Newspaper Archive" via British Newspaper Archive.
          6. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200122/068/0003 via British Newspaper Archive.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
          7. 1 2 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200106/032/0003 via British Newspaper Archive.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
          8. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001123/19200121/011/0003 via British Newspaper Archive.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)