County Cork (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

County Cork
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
County County Cork
18011885
Seats2
Created from County Cork
Replaced by East Cork, Mid Cork, North Cork, North East Cork, South Cork, South East Cork and West Cork

County Cork was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Contents

Area

This constituency comprised County Cork, except for the city of Cork and the boroughs of Bandon, Kinsale, Mallow and Youghal, which were separately represented. The boroughs of Baltimore, Castlemartyr, Charleville, Clonakilty, Doneraile, Midleton and Rathcormack were disfranchised by the Acts of Union 1800.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the borough constituencies in the county other than Cork City were abolished and the county constituency was replaced by the constituencies of East Cork, Mid Cork, North Cork, North East Cork, South Cork, South East Cork and West Cork, each electing one MP. These constituencies were first used at the 1885 general election.

Members of Parliament

Year1st member1st party2nd member2nd party
1801, 1 January Viscount Boyle Robert Uniacke Fitzgerald
1806, 17 November Whig Hon. George Ponsonby Whig
1807, 16 May Viscount Bernard Tory
1812, 23 October Viscount Ennismore Tory [1]
1818, 29 June Viscount Kingsborough Whig
1826, 21 June Robert King Whig [2]
1827, 4 December John Boyle Whig [3]
1830, 12 August Viscount Boyle Whig [2]
1832, 29 December Feargus O'Connor [4] Repeal Association [2] [5] Garrett Standish Barry Repeal Association [2]
1835, 5 June Richard Longfield Conservative [2] [5]
1837, 18 August Edmond Roche Repeal Association [2] [5] [6]
1841, 15 July Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association [2] [5]
1847, 2 July Maurice Power Repeal Association [5] [6]
1852, 22 March Whig [7] Vincent Scully Ind. Irish [8] [9]
1855, 23 April Rickard Deasy Whig [10] [11]
1857, 10 April Alexander McCarthy Ind. Irish [12] [13]
1859, 10 May Liberal Vincent Scully Liberal
1861, 28 February Nicholas Leader Conservative
1865, 29 July George Richard Barry Liberal
1867, 3 February Arthur Smith-Barry Liberal
1868, 30 November McCarthy Downing Liberal
1874, 9 February Home Rule William Shaw Home Rule
1879, 20 February David la Touche Colthurst Home Rule
1885 Constituency divided: see East Cork, Mid Cork, North Cork, North East Cork, South Cork, South East Cork and West Cork

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: County Cork [5] [2] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Robert King Unopposed
Whig Richard Boyle Unopposed
Registered electors 3,138
Whig hold
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1831: County Cork [5] [2] [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Robert King Unopposed
Whig Richard Boyle Unopposed
Registered electors 3,178
Whig hold
Whig hold
General election 1832: County Cork [5] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Irish Repeal Feargus O'Connor 1,837 32.0
Irish Repeal Garrett Standish Barry 1,778 30.9
Tory Francis Bernard 99417.3
Tory Abraham Morris73712.8
Whig Robert King 4017.0
Tory Richard Hedges Becher20.0
Whig Thomas Stephen Coppinger00.0
Majority78413.6
Turnout 3,02278.8
Registered electors 3,835
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
General election 1835: County Cork [5] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Feargus O'Connor 1,630 31.0 1.0
Irish Repeal (Whig) Garrett Standish Barry 1,613 30.7 0.2
Conservative Richard Longfield 1,02719.5+6.7
Conservative Francis Bernard 98418.7+1.4
Majority58611.22.4
Turnout c.2,627c.66.9c.11.9
Registered electors 3,926
Irish Repeal hold Swing 2.5
Irish Repeal hold Swing 2.1
General election 1837: County Cork [5] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Garrett Standish Barry 1,902 31.3 +0.6
Irish Repeal (Whig) Edmond Roche 1,902 31.3 +0.3
Conservative Richard Longfield 1,14818.90.6
Conservative James King1,11418.40.3
Majority75412.4+1.2
Turnout c.3,035c.62.2c.4.7
Registered electors 4,878
Irish Repeal hold Swing +0.5
Irish Repeal hold Swing +0.4

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: County Cork [5] [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell 1,274 38.5 +7.2
Irish Repeal Edmond Roche 1,274 38.5 +7.2
Conservative Nicholas Leader 40612.37.1
Conservative Robert Longfield 35710.87.1
Majority86826.2+13.8
Turnout 1,68045.316.9
Registered electors 3,706
Irish Repeal hold Swing +7.2
Irish Repeal hold Swing +7.2

O'Connell's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 2 July 1847: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal Maurice Power 833 60.5 16.5
Conservative Nicholas Leader 54439.5+16.4
Majority28921.05.2
Turnout 1,37730.814.5
Registered electors 4,474 (1847 figure)
Irish Repeal hold Swing 16.5
General election 1847: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Repeal Maurice Power Unopposed
Irish Repeal Edmond Roche Unopposed
Registered electors 4,474
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold

Elections in the 1850s

Power was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Lucia, resigning and causing a by-election.

By-election, 22 March 1852: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Irish Vincent Scully 3,956 56.0 New
Conservative Moreton Frewen3,10544.0New
Majority85112.0N/A
Turnout 7,06153.5N/A
Registered electors 13,192
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
General election 1852: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Irish Vincent Scully Unopposed
Whig Edmond Roche Unopposed
Registered electors 13,192
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal
Whig gain from Irish Repeal

Roche was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Fermoy and causing a by-election.

By-election, 23 April 1855: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Rickard Deasy 3,238 41.2 N/A
Whig William Hare [15] 3,00038.1N/A
Independent Irish Alexander McCarthy 1,62820.7N/A
Majority2383.1N/A
Turnout 7,866 (est)59.6 (est)N/A
Registered electors 13,192
Whig hold Swing N/A
General election 1857: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Rickard Deasy 6,788 42.7 N/A
Independent Irish Alexander McCarthy 6,265 39.4 N/A
Independent Irish Vincent Scully 2,85217.9N/A
Majority5233.3N/A
Turnout 7,953 (est)50.9N/A
Registered electors 15,633
Whig hold Swing N/A
Independent Irish hold Swing N/A
General election 1859: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Rickard Deasy Unopposed
Liberal Vincent Scully Unopposed
Registered electors 15,716
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Deasy was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 July 1859: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Rickard Deasy Unopposed
Registered electors 15,716
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

Deasy was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 March 1860: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Rickard Deasy 5,674 62.6 N/A
Conservative Charles Noel 3,39537.4New
Majority2,27925.2N/A
Turnout 9,06957.7N/A
Registered electors 15,716
Liberal hold

Deasy resigned after being appointed a Baron of the Exchequer, causing a by-election.

By-election, 28 February 1861: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nicholas Leader 6,441 69.3 N/A
Liberal Edmund Roche2,85230.7N/A
Majority3,58938.6N/A
Turnout 9,29359.1N/A
Registered electors 15,716
Conservative gain from Liberal
General election 1865: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal George Richard Barry 7,593 45.1 N/A
Conservative Nicholas Leader 6,958 41.3 N/A
Liberal Vincent Scully 2,29813.6N/A
Turnout 14,551 (est)93.4 (est)N/A
Registered electors 15,572
Majority6353.8N/A
Liberal hold
Majority4,66027.7N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal

Barry's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 23 February 1867: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Arthur Smith-Barry Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1868: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal McCarthy Downing 8,011 43.7 N/A
Liberal Arthur Smith-Barry 6,610 36.0 9.1
Liberal Robert Boyle3,71720.3N/A
Majority2,89315.7+11.9
Turnout 9,169 (est)56.9 (est)36.5
Registered electors 16,105
Liberal hold
Liberal gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule William Shaw Unopposed
Home Rule McCarthy Downing Unopposed
Registered electors 15,633
Home Rule gain from Liberal
Home Rule gain from Liberal

Downing's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 17 Feb 1879: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule David la Touche Colthurst 8,157 80.1 N/A
Conservative Sir George St John Colthurst 6th Baronet2,02719.9New
Majority6,13060.2N/A
Turnout 10,18466.3N/A
Registered electors 15,634
Home Rule hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: County Cork [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule William Shaw 5,354 43.3 N/A
Home Rule David la Touche Colthurst 3,584 29.0 N/A
Home Rule Andrew Kettle 3,43027.7N/A
Majority1541.3N/A
Turnout 6,184 (est)40.4 (est)N/A
Registered electors 15,321
Home Rule hold Swing N/A
Home Rule hold Swing N/A

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References

  1. Salmon, Philip. "HARE, Hon. Richard (1773-1827)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 220.
  3. Salmon, Philip. "BOYLE, Hon. John (1803-1874), of Marston, Frome, Som". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  4. O'Connor was re-elected in 1835 but unseated on petition in favour of Richard Longfield on 5 June 1835, on the grounds that O'Connor failed the property qualification required of Members of Parliament.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 206, 265–266. ISBN   0901714127.
  6. 1 2 "Ireland" . Morning Advertiser. 13 August 1847. p. 3 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Election News" . Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. 24 July 1841. p. 5 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ""Success" of Mr. Scully" . Cork Constitution. 13 March 1852. p. 2 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "County Cork Election" . Weekly Freeman's Journal. 20 March 1852. p. 3 via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Cork Election" . Newry Examiner and Louth Advertiser. 21 April 1855. p. 3 via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Undue Influence Exerted in the Irish Elections" . Belfast News-Letter. 22 April 1857. p. 2 via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "Cork County" . Dublin Evening Mail. 20 March 1857. p. 2 via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "Dublin Weekly Nation" . 4 April 1857. p. 7 via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. 1 2 Salmon, Philip. "Co. Cork". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. "Irish Business in Parliament" . Dublin Weekly Nation. 21 April 1855. pp. 8–9 via British Newspaper Archive.