Mid Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Antrim 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.

Mid Antrim
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Replaced byAntrim
Created fromAntrim

Boundaries and boundary changes

This county constituency comprised the central part of County Antrim, specifically the baronies of Glenarm Lower, Toome Lower, part of the barony of Antrim Lower (those parts in the parishes of Ahoghill, Ballyclug, Glenwhirry, Racavan and Skerry, and the townlands of Appletree, Ballee, Ballycowan, Carnaghts, Crevilly Valley, Cromkill, Slaght, Tullaghgarley and Tullynamullan in the parish of Connor), and that part of the barony of Antrim Upper in the parish of Ahoghill. It was bounded to the north by Antrim North, to the west by Londonderry South, to the south by Antrim South and Antrim East and to the east by the sea.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and from the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Antrim constituency.

In terms of the then local government areas the constituency in 1929 comprised parts of the Rural Districts of Ballymena, Ballymoney and Larne. The division also included the whole of the Urban District of Ballymena.

Politics

The constituency was a predominantly Unionist area. It was also a safe seat for the O'Neill family. All three of the MPs who represented the constituency were related. In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by about 4 to 1.

From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

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. Elections to both assemblies were conducted not under the first past the post system, but instead under the Single Transferable Vote. Mid Antrim was incorporated in a seven-member constituency of Antrim.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill Conservative
1886 Irish Unionist
Jan 1910 Hon. Arthur Edward Bruce O'Neill Irish Unionist
1915 (b) Hon. (Robert William) Hugh O'Neill Irish Unionist
May 1921 Ulster Unionist
1922 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1910s
General Election 1918: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Hugh O'Neill 10,711 79.3 N/A
Sinn Féin Joseph Connolly 2,791 20.7 New
Majority 7,920 58.6 N/A
Turnout 13,502 74.9 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
By-Election 17 February 1915: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Hugh O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 8 December 1910: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Arthur O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 18 January 1910: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Arthur O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold

Elections in the 1900s
General election 22 January 1906: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Robert Torrens O'Neill 3,367 56.6 N/A
Russellite Unionist John Hamilton Verschoyle 2,577 43.4 New
Majority 790 13.2 N/A
Turnout 5,944 81.0 N/A
Registered electors 7,337
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 5 October 1900: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Robert Torrens O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold

Elections in the 1890s
General election 19 July 1895: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Robert Torrens O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 8 July 1892: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Robert Torrens O'Neill Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold

Elections in the 1880s
General election 10 July 1886: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Robert Torrens O'Neill 4,631 83.2 +24.7
Liberal James Hamilton McKelvey 933 16.8 −24.7
Majority 3,698 66.4 +49.4
Turnout 5,564 67.0 −11.8
Registered electors 8,307
Irish Unionist hold Swing +24.7
General election 2 December 1885: Mid Antrim[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Conservative Robert Torrens O'Neill 3,832 58.5 N/A
Liberal Thomas Alexander Dickson 2,713 41.5 N/A
Majority 1,119 17.0 N/A
Turnout 6,545 78.8 N/A
Registered electors 8,307
Irish Conservative win (new seat)

See also
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References
  1. 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)
  • 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)
  • Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921–1972, compiled and edited by Sydney Elliott (Political Reference Publications 1973)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
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