North Fermanagh (UK Parliament constituency)

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North Fermanagh
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Seats1
Created from Fermanagh
Replaced by Enniskillen and Fermanagh and Tyrone

North Fermanagh was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland which returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922, using the first past the post electoral system.

Contents

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This county constituency comprised the northern part of County Fermanagh. The seat was defined under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as comprising the baronies of Lurg, Magheraboy, and Tirkenny. The seat was unchanged under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election the area was part of the Fermanagh constituency. After the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the constituency was incorporated in the new seat of Fermanagh and Tyrone

Politics

The constituency was a marginal one compared to many other seats in Northern Ireland. The Unionist candidate won in 1918, but Sinn Féin only polled 532 fewer votes.

The First Dáil

Sinn Féin contested the 1918 general election on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.

The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.

In 1921 Sinn Féin decided to use the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in an eight-member Dáil constituency of Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1885 Willie Redmond Nationalist
1892 Richard Dane Irish Unionist
1898(b) Edward Archdale Irish Unionist
1903(b) Edward Mitchell Russellite Unionist
1906 Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh Irish Unionist
1916(b) Edward Archdale Irish Unionist
1921 Ulster Unionist
1922 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Parliamentary Willie Redmond 3,255 53.6
Irish Conservative John Caldwell Bloomfield2,82246.4
Majority 4337.2
Turnout 6,07790.9
Registered electors 6,687
Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)
1886 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Parliamentary Willie Redmond 3,128 52.2 −1.4
Irish Conservative William Humphrys Archdale 2,86247.8+1.4
Majority 2664.4−2.8
Turnout 5,99089.6−1.3
Registered electors 6,687
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing −1.4

Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Richard Dane 2,879 52.9 +5.1
Irish National Federation Jeremiah Jordan 2,56247.1−5.1
Majority 3175.8N/A
Turnout 5,44191.6+2.0
Registered electors 5,937
Irish Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing +5.1
1895 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Richard Dane 2,782 53.6 +0.7
Independent Liberal George Reginald Leeper2,40646.4New
Majority 3767.2+1.4
Turnout 5,18892.1+0.5
Registered electors 5,632
Irish Unionist hold Swing
By-election, 1898: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale 2,568 55.1 +1.5
Ind. Unionist Edward Charles Thompson2,09144.9New
Majority 47710.2+3.0
Turnout 4,65981.2−10.9
Registered electors 5,735
Irish Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-election, 1903: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Russellite Unionist Edward Mitchell 2,407 51.6 New
Irish Unionist James Craig 2,25548.4N/A
Majority 1523.2N/A
Turnout 4,66289.4N/A
Registered electors 5,213
Russellite Unionist gain from Irish Unionist Swing N/A
1906 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,419 50.9 N/A
Russellite Unionist Edward Mitchell 2,33149.1N/A
Majority 881.8N/A
Turnout 4,75093.4N/A
Registered electors 5,083
Irish Unionist gain from Russellite Unionist Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,474 53.8 +2.9
Liberal Samuel Peter Kerr2,12446.2New
Majority 3507.6+5.8
Turnout 4,59893.9+0.5
Registered electors 4,895
Irish Unionist hold Swing
December 1910 general election: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,402 53.9 +0.1
Liberal Arthur Percival Tod Collum2,05546.1−0.1
Majority 3477.8+0.2
Turnout 4,45791.1−2.8
Registered electors 4,895
Irish Unionist hold Swing +0.1
By-election, 1916: North Fermanagh [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General Election 14 December 1918: North Fermanagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale 6,768 52.0 −1.9
Sinn Féin Kevin O'Shiel 6,23647.9New
Majority 5324.1−3.7
Turnout 13,00489.7−1.4
Registered electors 14,496
Irish Unionist hold Swing

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 349, 390. ISBN   0901714127.

See also

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