Birr (UK Parliament constituency)

Birr, a division of King's County, was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1918.

King's County Birr
Former County constituency for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Number of members	one
Replaced by	King's County
Created from	King's County

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1918 the area was part of the King's County constituency.

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the south-western part of King's County now known as County Offaly. It consisted of the baronies of Ballycowan, Ballyboy and Eglish, Ballybritt, Clonlisk and Garrycastle.[1]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1885	Bernard Charles Molloy	Irish Parliamentary Party
	1892		Anti-Parnellite Nationalist
	1900	Michael Reddy	Irish Parliamentary Party
1918		Constituency merged into King's County

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1885: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Bernard Charles Molloy	3,408	81.8	N/A
	Irish Conservative	Thomas Scroope Wellesley Bernard	760	18.2	N/A
Majority			2,648	63.6	N/A
Turnout			4,168	79.6	N/A
Registered electors			5,236
	Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)

General election 1886: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Bernard Charles Molloy	3,266	82.1	+0.3
	Irish Unionist	Thomas Scroope Wellesley Bernard	711	17.9	−0.3
Majority			2,555	64.2	+0.6
Turnout			3,977	76.0	−3.6
Registered electors			5,236
	Irish Parliamentary hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish National Federation	Bernard Charles Molloy	3,279	83.0	+0.9
	Irish Unionist	William Thomas Trench	670	17.0	−0.9
Majority			2,609	66.0	N/A
Turnout			3,949	75.2	−0.8
Registered electors			5,253
	Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary		Swing	+0.9

General election 1895: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish National Federation	Bernard Charles Molloy	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,003
	Irish National Federation hold

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Michael Reddy	1,451	55.1	N/A
	Healyite Nationalist	Bernard Charles Molloy	1,181	44.9	N/A
Majority			270	10.2	N/A
Turnout			2,632	54.9	N/A
Registered electors			4,792
	Irish Parliamentary hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1906: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Michael Reddy	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,512
	Irish Parliamentary hold

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Michael Reddy	Unopposed
Registered electors			4,410
	Irish Parliamentary hold

General election December 1910: Birr[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Irish Parliamentary	Michael Reddy	2,123	77.3	N/A
	Independent Nationalist	Frederick Ryan	624	22.7	New
Majority			1,499	54.6	N/A
Turnout			2,747	62.3	N/A
Registered electors			4,410
	Irish Parliamentary hold		Swing	N/A

References

1. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Branch (Dean and Son, 1896) page 217.
2. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.

• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 3)