North Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)

North Armagh
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885 (1885)–1922 (1922)
Number of members	One
Replaced by	Armagh
Created from	Armagh

North Armagh was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.

Boundaries and boundary changes

This constituency comprised the northern part of County Armagh.

In 1885–1918 to the north-east was South Antrim, to the north-west was East Tyrone, to the west was South Tyrone, to the south was Mid Armagh and to the east was West Down. In 1918–1922 the adjoining constituencies were the same, except that North-East Tyrone replaced East Tyrone.

It returned one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 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. There were few contested elections.

In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by about 3 to 1. This was the first contested election for the seat since a 1906 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 North, in republican theory, was incorporated in a four-member Dáil constituency of Armagh.

Members of Parliament

Key to parties: C Conservative, U Irish Unionist (1886 – April 1921) and Ulster Unionist (May 1921–1922).

From	To	Name (Party)	Born	Died
1885	1906	Right Hon. Edward James Saunderson (C)	1837	21 October 1906
1906	1917	William Moore (U)	1864	28 November 1944
1917	1922	William James Allen (U)	15 October 1866	20 December 1947

Note: Saunderson became (U) in July 1886. The Unionists were affiliated with the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom Parliament

Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

General Election 14 December 1918: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William James Allen	10,239	78.17	N/A
	Sinn Féin	Ernest Blythe	2,860	21.83	N/A
Majority			7,379	56.33	N/A
Turnout			19,529	67.07	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

By-Election 22 November 1917: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William James Allen	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 18 January 1910: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William Moore	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 6 December 1910: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William Moore	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

By-Election 16 November 1906: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William Moore	4,228	74.69	N/A
	Independent Unionist	Lindsay Crawford	1,433	25.31	N/A
Majority			2,795	49.37	N/A
Turnout			7,555	74.93	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 16 January 1906: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Edward James Saunderson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 12 October 1900: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Rt Hon. Edward James Saunderson	3,579	59.19	N/A
	Independent Unionist	James Orr	2,468	40.81	N/A
Majority			1,111	18.37	N/A
Turnout			10,014	60.39	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 16 July 1895: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Edward James Saunderson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 6 July 1892: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Edward James Saunderson	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 9 July 1886: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Edward James Saunderson	4,570	73.16	+73.16
	Irish Parliamentary	James Williamson	1,677	26.84	+26.84
Majority			2,893	46.31	N/A
Turnout			7,947	78.61	-4.00
	Irish Unionist gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

General Election 30 November 1885: North Armagh
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward James Saunderson	4,192	63.85	N/A
	Liberal	Thomas Shillington	2,373	36.15	N/A
Majority			1,819	27.71	N/A
Turnout			7,947	82.61	N/A
	Conservative gain from new seat		Swing	N/A

References

• 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)

External links

• http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0
• http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html

See also

• List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918
• MPs elected in the UK general election, 1918
• List of Dáil Éireann constituencies in Ireland (historic)
• Members of the 1st Dáil