Enniskillen (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Enniskillen was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Enniskillen
Former County Constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Enniskillen shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election methodFirst past the post

Boundaries

Enniskillen was a county constituency comprising the northern part of County Fermanagh. It was created in 1929, when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 introduced first-past-the-post elections throughout Northern Ireland. The constituency survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament until the Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.[1]

Politics

Enniskillen had a unionist majority, but a substantial nationalist minority. The seat was consistently won by the Ulster Unionist Party candidate,[1] and it was only contested on four occasions: in 1938 by an Independent Unionist Association candidate, in 1949 by a Nationalist candidate, in 1965 by a Liberal candidate and in 1969 by both the People's Democracy and an independent Unionist candidate.[2]

Members of Parliament
Elected Party Name[2]
1929 UUP Sir Edward Archdale
1938 UUP Erne Ferguson
1949 UUP Thomas Charles Nelson
1954 UUP Harry West

Elections
Northern Ireland 1921–1972
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Northern Ireland 1921–1972

At the 1929 and 1933 general elections, Edward Archdale was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 9 February 1938: Enniskillen[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
UUP Erne Ferguson 5,679 55.9 N/A
Ind. Unionist Party W. Clarke 4,485 44.1 N/A
Majority 1,194 11.8 N/A
Turnout 86.4 N/A
UUP hold Swing N/A

At the 1945 Northern Ireland general election, Erne Ferguson was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 10 February 1949: Enniskillen[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
UUP Erne Ferguson 5,706 54.7 N/A
Nationalist W. Blake 4,729 45.3 N/A
Majority 977 9.4 N/A
Turnout 85.7 N/A
UUP hold Swing N/A

At the 1949 Enniskillen by-election and the 1953 Northern Ireland general election, Thomas Charles Nelson was elected unopposed.[2]

At the 1954 Enniskillen by-election and the 1958 and 1962 general elections, Harry West was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 25 November 1965: Enniskillen[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
UUP Harry West 5,982 66.3 N/A
Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 3,042 33.7 N/A
Majority 2,940 32.6 N/A
Turnout 74.9 N/A
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 24 February 1969: Enniskillen[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
UUP Harry West 4,891 48.5 -17.8
People's Democracy M. Bowes-Egan 2,784 27.6 N/A
Independent Unionist D. T. Archdale 2,418 23.9 N/A
Majority 2,107 20.9 –11.7
Turnout 86.3 +11.4
UUP hold Swing N/A
  • Parliament prorogued 30 March 1972 and abolished 18 July 1973

References
  1. The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921–1972, Northern Ireland Elections
  2. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Counties: Fermanagh
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