Queen's University of Belfast (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

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Queen's University of Belfast
Former University constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast QUB Constituency 1929-1969.svg
Queen's University of Belfast Constituency
Former constituency
Created1921
Abolished1969
Election method Single transferable vote

Queen's University of Belfast was a university constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 until 1969. It returned four MPs, using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. In 1969 the constituency was abolished under the reforms carried out by the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Terence O'Neill.

Contents

Franchise

The constituency was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and its four MPs were elected by the graduates of Queen's University of Belfast.

Second Dáil

In May 1921, Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the self-declared Irish Republic run by Sinn Féin, passed a resolution declaring that elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for the Second Dáil. [1] All those elected were on the roll of the Second Dáil, but as no Sinn Féin MP was elected for Queen's University, it was not represented there. [2]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberPartyMemberPartyMemberPartyMemberParty
MPs
(1921)
John Campbell UUP John Hanna Robb UUP Robert James Johnstone UUP Hugh Morrison UUP
MPs
(1929)
Robert Corkey UUP Robert McNeill Ind. Unionist
MPs
(1935)
Arthur Brownlow Mitchell UUP
MPs
(1938)
John MacDermott UUP
MPs
(1938)
Howard Stevenson UUP
MPs
(1942)
William Lyle UUP
MPs
(1943)
John W. Renshaw UUP
MPs
(1944)
Herbert Quin UUP
MPs
(1945)
Frederick McSorley Independent Irene Calvert Independent
MPs
1948
Samuel Irwin UUP
MPs
(1949)
Eileen M. Hickey Independent William Lyle UUP
MPs
(1949)
Frederick Lloyd-Dodd UUP
MPs
(1953)
Elizabeth Maconachie UUP
MPs
(1958)
Charles Stewart Independent
MPs
(1961)
Sheelagh Murnaghan Ulster Liberal
MPs
(1962)
Ian McClure UUP
MPs
(1966)
Robert Porter UUP

Election results

Elections in the 1920s

1921 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123
UUP John Campbell 43.35835  
UUP John Hanna Robb 19.11368438 
UUP Professor Robert James Johnstone 14.49279602 
UUP Hugh Smith Morrison 12.62243296 564
Sinn Féin Sean B. Dolan10.44201204 204
Electorate: 2,528  Valid: 1,926  Quota: 386  Turnout: 76.19%  
    At the 1925 Northern Ireland general election, John Campbell, Robert James Johnstone, Hugh Morrison and John Hanna Robb were elected unopposed.
    1929 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    123
    UUP John Hanna Robb 24.9528  
    UUP Robert Corkey 24.0510  
    Ind. Unionist Robert McNeill 20.8441  
    UUP Robert James Johnstone 16.0340397 438
    UUP Arthur Brownlow Mitchell14.2302348 392
    Electorate: 3,324  Valid: 2,121  Quota: 425  Turnout: 63.8%  

      Elections in the 1930s

      1933 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12
      UUP Robert James Johnstone 29.5695 
      UUP Robert Corkey 21.7512 
      UUP John Hanna Robb 19.1451472
      Ind. Unionist Robert McNeill 15.6368604
      Independent Frederick McSorley14.0331337
      Electorate: 3,800  Valid: 2,357  Quota: 472  Turnout: 62.0%  
        At the 1935 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, Arthur Brownlow Mitchell was elected unopposed.
        1938 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        UUP Robert Corkey 60824.811
        UUP Robert James Johnstone 60024.521
        UUP Arthur Brownlow Mitchell 36914.735
        Independent Frederick McSorley 3595
        Ind. Unionist S. Sims25910.63
        UUP John MacDermott 25310.345
        Turnout 2,44861.1– 0.9
        At the 1938 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, Howard Stevenson was elected unopposed.

        Elections in the 1940s

        At the 1942 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, William Lyle was elected unopposed.
        At the 1943 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, John W. Renshaw was elected unopposed.
        1944 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
        PartyCandidateVotes%±%
        UUP Herbert Quin 1,178 53.6 −20.7
        Independent Irene Calvert 1,02046.4N/A
        Majority15871.8
        Turnout 2,19846.7– 14.4
        UUP hold Swing N/A
        1945 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        Independent Frederick McSorley 64921.611
        UUP Howard Stevenson 58019.321
        Independent Irene Calvert 57018.931
        UUP Herbert Quin 53517.843
        UUP E. B. Wallace2869.53
        UUP William Lyle 2799.33
        Ind. Unionist S. Sims1093.62
        Turnout 3,00859.1– 2.0
        1948 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
        PartyCandidateVotes%±%
        UUP Samuel Irwin 2,735 70.8 +13.9
        Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,12629.2N/A
        Majority1,60941.7
        Turnout 3,86157.4– 1.7
        UUP hold Swing N/A
        1949 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        UUP Samuel Irwin 1,66231.711
        Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,07320.521
        Independent Irene Calvert 95518.233
        UUP E. B. Wallace62011.83
        UUP William Lyle 58811.243
        UUP Howard Stevenson 3396.52
        Turnout 5,23775.0+ 15.9
        1949 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
        PartyCandidateVotes%±%
        UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 2,100 54.0 −7.2
        Ind. Unionist N. S. Dickson1,31233.7New
        Independent E. Reid47912.3New
        Majority74919.2
        Turnout 3,89154.2– 20.8
        UUP hold Swing N/A

        Elections in the 1950s

        1953 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        UUP Samuel Irwin 1,84032.911
        Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,20621.621
        UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 94016.842
        UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 70612.632
        Independent R. Appleton5399.62
        NI Labour Sam Napier 2975.32
        Turnout 5,58663.7– 11.3
        1958 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        UUP Samuel Irwin 1,64028.311
        Independent Charles Stewart 1,21821.021
        UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 1,13119.532
        Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 75913.14
        UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 70612.244
        NI Labour S. J. Watt3455.92
        Turnout 5,79952.9– 10.8

        Elections in the 1960s

        1961 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
        PartyCandidateVotes%±%
        Ulster Liberal Sheelagh Murnaghan 2,622 52.5 +39.4
        UUP Samuel Rodgers 2,37047.5−12.5
        Majority2525.0N/A
        Turnout 4,99245.1– 7.8
        Ulster Liberal gain from UUP Swing N/A
        1962 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
        PartyCandidate1st Pref %SeatCount
        UUP Ian McClure 2,04030.011
        Ulster Liberal Sheelagh Murnaghan 1,69824.921
        UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 1,25218.432
        Independent Charles Stewart 1,22017.943
        UUP H. R. Brown5978.83
        Turnout 6,80753.8+ 0.9
        At the 1965 Northern Ireland general election, Harold McClure, Elizabeth Maconachie, Sheelagh Murnaghan and Charles Stewart were elected unopposed.
        1966 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
        PartyCandidateVotes%±%
        UUP Robert Porter 3,717 55.6 N/A
        Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 2,96844.4N/A
        Majority74911.2N/A
        Turnout 6,68548.7N/A
        UUP gain from Independent Swing N/A

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        References

        1. "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 May 1921 - PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
        2. "APPENDIX 19 DÁIL ÉIREANN". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 August 1921. Retrieved 20 February 2019.