South Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)

South Donegal
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
18851922
Seats1
Created fromDonegal
Replaced byDonegal

South Donegal was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.

Prior to the 1885 general election the area was part of the Donegal constituency. From 1922, on the establishment of the Irish Free State, it was not represented in the UK Parliament.

Boundaries

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This constituency comprised the southern part of County Donegal, consisting of the baronies of Banagh and Tirhugh.

Members of Parliament

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Election Member Party Note
1885, 8 December Bernard Kelly Irish Parliamentary replaced Thomas Lea
1886, 1 July Bernard Kelly Irish Parliamentary Died 1 January 1887
1887, 2 February J. G. Swift MacNeill Irish Parliamentary By-election
1890, December 1 Irish National Federation Party split
1891, March 1 Irish National Federation Party reunion
1900, 6 October Irish Parliamentary
1918, 14 December 2 Peter J. Ward Sinn Féin Did not take his seat in the House of Commons
1922, 26 October UK constituency abolished

Note:-

  • 1 Not an election, but the date of a party change. The Irish Parliamentary Party had been created in 1882, on the initiative of Charles Stewart Parnell's Irish National League. Both the IPP and the INL split into Parnellite and Anti-Parnellite factions, in December 1890. The Parnellites remained members of the Irish National League after the split and the Anti-Parnellites organised the Irish National Federation in March 1891. The two organisations and the United Irish League merged in 1900, to re-create the Irish Parliamentary Party.
  • 2 Date of polling day. The result was declared on 28 December 1918, to allow time for votes cast by members of the armed forces to be included in the count.

Elections

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Elections in the 1880s

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1885 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Bernard Kelly 5,055 78.7
Irish Conservative Arthur William Hamilton Foster 1,369 21.3
Majority 3,686 57.4
Turnout 6,424 81.8
Registered electors 7,854
Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)
1886 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Bernard Kelly 4,905 77.8 −0.9
Irish Conservative Arthur William Hamilton Foster 1,399 22.2 +0.9
Majority 3,506 55.6 −1.8
Turnout 6,304 80.3 −1.5
Registered electors 7,854
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing −0.9
By-election, 1887: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary J. G. Swift MacNeill 4,604 83.1 +5.3
Liberal Unionist Henry Munster 933 16.9 −5.3
Majority 3,671 66.2 +10.6
Turnout 5,537 70.7 −9.6
Registered electors 7,837
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing +5.3

Elections in the 1890s

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1892 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish National Federation J. G. Swift MacNeill 3,930 73.7 −4.1
Irish Unionist Henry Stubbs 1,400 26.3 +4.1
Majority 2,530 47.4 −8.2
Turnout 5,330 79.4 −0.9
Registered electors 6,710
Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing −4.1
1895 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish National Federation J. G. Swift MacNeill 3,614 73.4 −0.3
Irish Unionist Henry Stubbs 1,313 26.6 +0.3
Majority 2,301 46.8 −0.6
Turnout 4,927 77.2 −2.2
Registered electors 6,380
Irish National Federation hold Swing −0.3

Elections in the 1900s

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1900 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary J. G. Swift MacNeill Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold
1906 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary J. G. Swift MacNeill Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold

Elections in the 1910s

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January 1910 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary J. G. Swift MacNeill Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold
December 1910 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary J. G. Swift MacNeill Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold
1918 general election: South Donegal[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Peter J. Ward 5,787 54.9 New
Irish Parliamentary John Donovan 4,752 45.1 N/A
Majority 1,035 9.8 N/A
Turnout 10,539 62.4 N/A
Registered electors 16,894
Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing N/A

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 341, 387. ISBN 0901714127.