County Waterford (UK Parliament constituency)
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
Waterford | |
---|---|
Former county constituency for the House of Commons | |
1801–1885 | |
Replaced by | East Waterford and West Waterford |
1918–1922 | |
Created from | East Waterford and West Waterford |
Waterford was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the British House of Commons.
Boundaries and boundary changes
This constituency once comprised the whole of County Waterford, except for the Parliamentary boroughs of Dungarvan (1801–1885) and Waterford City (1801–1885 and 1918–1922). It returned two Members of Parliament 1801–1885 and one 1918–1922.
It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.
Between 1885 and 1918 the area had been divided between the constituencies of East Waterford and West Waterford. From 1922 it was no longer represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Politics
In the 1918 election Sinn Féin defeated by 3 to 1 the Nationalist candidate J. J. O'Shee representing the Irish Parliamentary Party.
The newly elected Sinn Féin MP for the constituency was Cathal Brugha. Like other Sinn Féin MPs elected that year, he did not take his seat at Westminster but instead, took a seat in the revolutionary First Dáil which assembled in Dublin on 21 January 1919. As better known figures were under arrest, Brugha became the first presiding officer (with the title of Ceann Comhairle) and a day later the first head of government (with the title of President of Dáil Éireann), of the Irish Republic.
The First Dáil
Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 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 the five member Dáil constituency of Waterford–Tipperary East.
Members of Parliament
MPs 1801–1885
MPs 1918–1922
Election | Member | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
style="background-color: Template:Sinn Féin/meta/color" | | 1918 | Cathal Brugha | Sinn Féin |
1922 | Constituency abolished |
Elections
The single-member elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system. Multi-member elections used the plurality-at-large voting system.
Elections in the 1850s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Irish | Nicholas Mahon Power | 1,404 | 36.1 | N/A | |
Independent Irish | John Esmonde | 1,261 | 32.4 | N/A | |
Conservative | Richard Hely-Hutchinson | 1,228 | 31.5 | N/A | |
Majority | 33 | 0.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,561 (est) | 78.8 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 3,248 | ||||
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |||
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radical | Nicholas Mahon Power | Unopposed | |||
Whig | John Esmonde | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,293 | ||||
Radical gain from Independent Irish | |||||
Whig gain from Independent Irish |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Esmonde | Unopposed | |||
Conservative | Walter Talbot | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,384 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Conservative gain from Liberal |
Elections in the 1860s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | John Beresford | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John Esmonde | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,477 | ||||
Conservative hold | |||||
Liberal hold |
Esmonde was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | John Esmonde | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,477 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Beresford succeeded as 5th Marquess of Waterford, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edmond de la Poer | 1,481 | 60.1 | N/A | |
Conservative | Walter Talbot | 984 | 39.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 497 | 20.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,465 | 70.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 3,477 | ||||
Liberal gain from Conservative |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Edmond de la Poer | Unopposed | |||
Liberal | John Esmonde | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,445 | ||||
Liberal hold | |||||
Liberal gain from Conservative |
Elections in the 1870s
de la Poer resigned, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Henry Villiers-Stuart | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,407 | ||||
Liberal hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Charles Beresford | 1,767 | 49.0 | N/A | |
Home Rule | John Esmonde | 1,390 | 38.6 | N/A | |
Home Rule | Abraham Pearson Longbottom[5] | 446 | 12.4 | N/A | |
Majority | 377 | 10.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 3,157 (est) | 95.2 (est) | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 3,317 | ||||
Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |||
Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A |
Esmonde's death caused a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Home Rule | James Delahunty | 1,799 | 77.1 | +26.1 | |
Liberal | Frederick Lehmann | 534 | 22.9 | N/A | |
Majority | 1,265 | 54.2 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 2,333 | 71.2 | −24.0 | ||
Registered electors | 3,276 | ||||
Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A |
Elections in the 1880s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Henry Villiers-Stuart | 1,751 | 41.2 | N/A | |
Home Rule | John Aloysius Blake | 1,625 | 38.3 | −12.7 | |
Conservative | Charles Beresford | 870 | 20.5 | −28.5 | |
Turnout | 2,558 (est) | 81.6 (est) | −13.6 | ||
Registered electors | 3,135 | ||||
Majority | 126 | 3.0 | N/A | ||
Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |||
Majority | 755 | 17.8 | N/A | ||
Home Rule hold | Swing | +0.8 |
Blake resigned, causing a by-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irish Parliamentary | Patrick Joseph Power | Unopposed | |||
Registered electors | 3,060 | ||||
Irish Parliamentary hold |
Elections in the 1910s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sinn Féin | Cathal Brugha | 12,890 | 75.3 | N/A | |
Irish Parliamentary | J. J. O'Shee | 4,217 | 24.7 | N/A | |
Majority | 8,673 | 50.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 17,107 | 70.0 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 24,439 | ||||
Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 241–242. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
- ^ "The Irish Elections". Globe. 6 August 1847. p. 2. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|subscription=
ignored (|url-access=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Morning Advertiser". 27 July 1852. p. 5. Retrieved 14 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|subscription=
ignored (|url-access=
suggested) (help) - ^ "New Parliament". Western Times. 10 February 1874. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|subscription=
ignored (|url-access=
suggested) (help)
- The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
- Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978)
- Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)
External links
- http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060423011521/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html
See also
- Westminster constituencies in County Waterford (historic)
- Dáil Éireann constituencies in the Republic of Ireland (historic)
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1801
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in 1885
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies established in 1918
- United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies disestablished in 1922