County Louth (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

County Louth
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
County County Louth
1801–1885
Seats2
Created from Louth County
Replaced by North Louth and South Louth
1918–1922
Seats1
Created from North Louth and South Louth
Replaced by Louth–Meath

County Louth, otherwise known as Louth County or Louth, is a former parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1801 to 1885 it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), and one from 1918 to 1922.

Contents

Boundaries

From 1801 to 1885, the constituency comprised the whole of County Louth, except for the parliamentary boroughs of Drogheda and Dundalk. Between 1885 and 1918 the county was divided into the county division constituencies North Louth and South Louth. In 1918, the reunited constituency covered the entire county of Louth plus a small part of County Meath near Drogheda.

History

Louth was a constituency in the first Dáil election in December 1918 when Sinn Féin won by 255 votes, its narrowest margin of victory in that election. John J. O'Kelly, a native of Kerry, resident in Glasnevin (Dublin), was Louth's first TD. The constituency was merged with Meath to form the 5 seat Louth–Meath constituency for the 2nd and 3rd Dála. In 1923 Louth became a new 3 seat constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1801–85

Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party
1801, 1 January John Foster William Fortescue
1806, 18 November Tory Richard Jocelyn Tory
1807, 19 May John Jocelyn
1810, 10 February Richard Jocelyn Tory
1820, 10 August John Jocelyn
1821, 27 September Thomas Skeffington
1824, 21 February John Leslie Foster Tory [1]
1826, 21 June Alexander Dawson Radical [1] [2]
1830, 13 August John McClintock Tory [1]
1831, 18 May Richard Lalor Sheil Repeal Association [1]
1831, 28 September Sir Patrick Bellew, Bt Whig [1]
1832, 21 December Thomas FitzGerald Repeal Association Richard Bellew Repeal Association
1834, 24 December Sir Patrick Bellew, Bt Whig [1]
1837, 5 August Henry Chester Whig [1]
1840, 31 July Thomas Fortescue Whig [1] [3]
1841, 15 July Thomas Vesey Dawson Whig [1] [4] Whig [1] [5] [6] [7]
1847, 10 August Chichester Fortescue Whig [7] [8] [9]
1852, 22 July Tristram Kennedy Ind. Irish [10]
1857, 10 April John McClintock Conservative [10] [8]
1859, 16 May Liberal [10] Richard Bellew Liberal [10]
1865, 15 April Tristram Kennedy Liberal [10]
1868, 24 November Matthew Dease Liberal [10]
1874, 14 February Alexander Martin Sullivan Home Rule League [10] Philip Callan [11] Home Rule League [10]
1874, 9 April George Kirk Home Rule League [10]
1880, 9 April Philip Callan Home Rule League [10]
1880, 31 May Henry Bellingham Home Rule League [10]
1885 Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth

MPs 1918–22

ElectionMemberParty
1918 John J. O'Kelly Sinn Féin
1922Constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [1] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Radical Alexander Dawson (MP) 294 32.9
Tory John McClintock 256 28.6
Irish Repeal Richard Lalor Sheil 21323.8
Irish Repeal Richard Bellew 13114.7
Turnout 56981.6
Registered electors 697
Majority384.3
Radical hold Swing
Majority434.8
Tory hold Swing
General election 1831: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [1] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Radical Alexander Dawson (MP)Unopposed
Irish Repeal Richard Lalor Sheil Unopposed
Registered electors 697
Radical hold
Irish Repeal gain from Tory

Dawson's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 28 September 1831: County Louth [10] [1] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Patrick Bellew Unopposed
Registered electors 697
Whig gain from Radical
General election 1832: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Irish Repeal Thomas FitzGerald (MP for County Louth)Unopposed
Irish Repeal Richard Bellew Unopposed
Registered electors 863
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal gain from Radical

FitzGerald's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 24 December 1834: County Louth [10] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Patrick Bellew Unopposed
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
General election 1835: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Patrick Bellew 497 40.8
Irish Repeal (Whig) Richard Bellew 45637.4
Conservative Chichester Thomas Skeffington Foster26521.8
Turnout c. 609c. 67.4
Registered electors 904
Majority413.4
Whig gain from Irish Repeal
Majority19115.6
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1837: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Whig Henry Chester (MP)Unopposed
Irish Repeal (Whig) Richard Bellew Unopposed
Registered electors 995
Whig hold
Irish Repeal hold

Elections in the 1840s

Chester resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 31 July 1840: County Louth [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Thomas Fortescue Unopposed
Whig hold
General election 1841: County Louth (2 seats) [10] [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Richard Bellew 447 36.1 N/A
Whig Thomas Vesey Dawson 430 34.7 N/A
Conservative Matthew Fortescue35828.9New
Conservative John McClintock 40.3New
Majority725.8N/A
Turnout 83286.6N/A
Registered electors 961
Whig hold Swing
Whig gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
General election 1847: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Richard Bellew Unopposed
Whig Chichester Fortescue Unopposed
Registered electors 1,410
Whig hold
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Chichester Fortescue 1,152 38.0 N/A
Independent Irish Tristram Kennedy 999 32.9 N/A
Conservative John McClintock 88429.1New
Turnout 1,518 (est)73.1 (est)N/A
Registered electors 2,078
Majority1535.1N/A
Whig hold Swing N/A
Majority1153.8N/A
Independent Irish gain from Whig Swing N/A

Fortescue was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 27 February 1854: County Louth [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Chichester Fortescue 916 54.5 +16.5
Independent Irish John MacNamara Cantwell76645.5+12.6
Majority1509.0+3.9
Turnout 1,68280.9+7.8
Registered electors 2,078
Whig hold Swing +2.0
General election 1857: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Whig Chichester Fortescue 1,376 36.8 −1.2
Conservative John McClintock 1,059 28.4 −0.7
Whig Richard Bellew 89423.9N/A
Independent Irish Tristram Kennedy 40610.9−22.0
Turnout 1,868 (est)77.3 (est)+4.2
Registered electors 2,418
Majority3178.5+3.5
Whig hold Swing −0.4
Majority1654.4N/A
Conservative gain from Independent Irish Swing +5.2
General election 1859: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Chichester Fortescue 1,379 36.8 —
Liberal Richard Bellew 1,208 32.2 +8.3
Conservative John McClintock 1,13830.4+2.0
Conservative Frederick John Foster230.6N/A
Majority701.8−6.7
Turnout 1,874 (est)76.8 (est)−0.5
Registered electors 2,439
Liberal hold Swing −0.5
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +3.7

Elections in the 1860s

Bellew resigned after he was appointed a law commissioner, causing a by-election.

By-election, 15 April 1865 (1 seat) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Tristram Kennedy 1,002 52.1 −16.9
Conservative John McClintock 92347.9+16.9
Majority794.2+2.4
Turnout 1,92578.9+2.1
Registered electors 2441
Liberal hold Swing −16.9
General election 1865: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue 628 50.3 +13.5
Liberal Tristram Kennedy 607 48.6 +16.4
Conservative Frederick John Foster80.6—
Conservative John McClintock 60.5−29.9
Majority59948.0+46.2
Turnout 625 (est)25.6 (est)−51.2
Registered electors 2,441
Liberal hold Swing +14.2
Liberal hold Swing +15.7

Parkinson-Fortescue was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

1866 County Louth by-election (1 seat) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue Unopposed
Registered electors 2,441
Liberal hold
General election 1868: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue Unopposed
Liberal Matthew Dease Unopposed
Registered electors 2,443
Liberal hold
Liberal hold

Parkinson-Fortescue was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

1869 County Louth by-election (1 seat) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue Unopposed
Registered electors 2,443
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Alexander Martin Sullivan 1,250 37.6 New
Home Rule Philip Callan 1,202 36.2 New
Liberal Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue 60818.3N/A
Liberal Matthew Dease 2658.0N/A
Majority59417.9N/A
Turnout 1,834 (est)79.2 (est)N/A
Registered electors 2,316
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Callan was also elected MP for Dundalk and opted to sit there.

1874 County Louth by-election (1 seat) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule George Kirk 997 66.3 -7.5
Home Rule Bernard Charles Molloy 50733.7+7.4
Majority49032.6+14.7
Turnout 1,50464.9-14.3
Registered electors 2,316
Home Rule hold Swing -7.5

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: County Louth (2 seats) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Philip Callan 902 37.6 +1.4
Home Rule Alexander Martin Sullivan 830 34.6 −3.0
Home Rule George Kirk 66827.8N/A
Majority1626.8−11.1
Turnout 1,570 (est)75.1 (est)−4.1
Registered electors 2,091
Home Rule hold Swing N/A
Home Rule hold Swing N/A

Sullivan declined to take the seat, causing a by-election.

1880 County Louth by-election (1 seat) [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Home Rule Henry Bellingham Unopposed
Registered electors 2,091
Home Rule hold

Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: County Louth [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Sinn Féin John J. O'Kelly 10,770 50.6 New
Irish Parliamentary Richard Hazleton 10,51549.4N/A
Majority2551.2N/A
Turnout 21,28573.0N/A
Registered electors 29,176
Sinn Féin win (new seat)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 235. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Salmon, Philip. "DAWSON, Alexander (1771-1831), of Riverstown and Ardee, co. Louth". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Louth Election" . Wexford Independent. 5 August 1840. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2019– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Freeman's Journal" . 13 July 1847. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Election Movements" . Kings County Chronicle. 7 July 1847. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Vindicator" . 24 July 1847. p. 1. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. 1 2 "The Irish Members" . Dublin Weekly Nation. 14 August 1847. p. 4. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 1 2 "County Louth Election" . Dublin Weekly Nation. 17 July 1852. p. 12. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Louth Election" . The Evening Freeman. 20 July 1852. p. 2. Retrieved 6 October 2018– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. 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 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 229–230, 299–300, 393. ISBN   0901714127.
  11. ↑ Philip Callan was also returned for Dundalk, for which he chose to sit
  12. 1 2 3 Salmon, Philip. "Co. Louth". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Volume 50. 1843. Retrieved 25 August 2019– via Google Books.
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