Mid Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Armagh was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act for the 1885 general election and returned one Member of Parliament (MP) until it was abolished with effect from the 1922 general election.

Mid Armagh
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Number of membersOne
Replaced byArmagh
Created fromArmagh and Armagh City

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This county constituency comprised the central part of County Armagh. To the north was North Armagh, to the west were South Tyrone and North Monaghan, to the south were South Monaghan and South Armagh and to the east was West Down.

1885–1922: The baronies of Armagh and Tiranny, that part of the barony of Oneilland West not contained within the constituency of North Armagh, that part of the barony of Fews Lower contained within the parishes of Kildarton and Mullaghbrack, the parish of Lisnadill excluding the townlands of Ballymacnab, Cashel, Foley and Seagahan, and the townlands of Corhammock and Edenykennedy in the parish of Kilclooney, that part of the barony of Orior Lower consisting of that part of the parish of Kilmore not contained within the constituency of North Armagh and the townlands of Aughlish, Ballymore, Ballysheil Beg, Ballysheil More, Cargans, Clare, Cloghoge, Coolyhill, Derryallen, Drumnaleg, Druminure, Drumnaglontagh, Lisbane, Lisnakea, Mavemacullen, Monclone, Moodoge, Mullantur, Mullaghglass, Terryhoogan, Tullyhugh and Tullymacann in the parish of Ballymore, and that part of the barony of Fews Upper consisting of the townland of Lisnadill.

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

Politics

The constituency was a predominantly Conservative then Unionist area, although not as strongly so as some other parts of Northern Ireland. There were few contested elections and no instance of the same two parties contending against each other more than once.

In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by a solid margin. This was the first contested election for the seat since a 1900 by-election.

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. Armagh Mid, in republican theory, was incorporated in a four-member Dáil constituency of Armagh.

Members of Parliament
  • Constituency created (1885)
ElectionMemberParty
1885 John McKane Conservative
February 1886 (by) Sir James Corry, Bt. Conservative
July 1886 Irish Unionist
1891 Sir Dunbar Barton Irish Unionist
1900 (by) John Lonsdale Irish Unionist
1918 (by) James Rolston Lonsdale Irish Unionist
1921 Henry Armstrong Ulster Unionist
  • Constituency abolished (1922)

Elections

1920s
By-Election, 23 June 1921: Mid Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±
UUP Henry Bruce Armstrong Unopposed
UUP hold

1910s
General Election 1918: Mid Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist James Rolston Lonsdale 8,431 59.7 N/A
Sinn Féin Liam O'Brien 5,688 40.3 New
Majority 2,743 19.4 N/A
Turnout 14,119 81.4 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
By-Election, 23 January 1918: Mid Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist James Rolston Lonsdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 1910: Mid Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist John Lonsdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 1910: Mid Armagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist John Lonsdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold

1900s
General election 1906: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist John Lonsdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 1900: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist John Lonsdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-Election 1900: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist John Lonsdale 3,212 64.0 N/A
Liberal Unionist John Gordon 1,811 36.0 New
Majority 1,401 28.0 N/A
Turnout 5,023 68.2 N/A
Registered electors 7,363
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

1890s
By-Election 1898: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Dunbar Barton Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 1895: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Dunbar Barton Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General election 1892: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Dunbar Barton Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-Election 1891: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist Dunbar Barton Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold

1880s
General election 1886: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Unionist James Corry 4,160 62.3 +1.3
Irish Parliamentary Robert Riddall Gardner 2,522 37.7 −1.3
Majority 1,638 24.6 +2.6
Turnout 6,682 81.8 −2.0
Registered electors 8,169
Irish Unionist hold Swing +1.3
By-Election 1 Feb 1886: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative James Corry 3,930 56.9 −4.1
Liberal Thomas Alexander Dickson 2,974 43.1 New
Majority 956 13.8 −8.2
Turnout 6,904 84.5 +0.7
Registered electors 8,169
Irish Conservative hold Swing N/A
  • Caused by McKane's death.
General election 1885: Mid Armagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Irish Conservative John McKane 4,178 61.0 N/A
Irish Parliamentary Edmund Leamy 2,667 39.0 N/A
Majority 1,511 22.0 N/A
Turnout 6,845 83.8 N/A
Registered electors 8,169
Irish Conservative win (new seat)
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See also

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)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
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