South Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

54°08′42″N 6°17′49″W / 54.145°N 6.297°W / 54.145; -6.297

South Down
Former County constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1973
Election methodFirst past the post

South Down was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

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South Down was a county constituency comprising part of southern County Down. It was created 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. South Armagh was created by the division of Down into eight new constituencies. 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.

The seat was centred on the towns of Newry and Warrenpoint, and also included certain district electoral divisions of the rural districts of Kilkeel and Newry No. 1.[1][2]

Politics

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The seat had a substantial nationalist majority, with nationalist candidates winning every election, excepting 1938, when no nationalist stood.[3] In 1933 it elected Irish Prime Minister Éamon de Valera, though he did not sit in the Stormont Parliament.

Members of Parliament

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Elected Party Name[3]
1929 Nationalist John Henry Collins
1933 Fianna Fáil Éamon de Valera
1938 Ind. Unionist James Brown
1938 UUP
1945 Nationalist Peter Murnoy
1949 Nationalist Joe Connellan
1967 Nationalist Max Keogh

Election results

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(1921–72)
Politics of Northern Ireland
Government
Parliament
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
Senate
Elections
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
By-elections
See also
General Election 1929: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist John Henry Collins 5,637 77.6
Independent Labour W. F. Cunningham 1,626 22.4
Majority 4,011 55.2
Turnout 7,263 46.4
Nationalist win (new seat)
General Election 1933: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Fianna Fáil Éamon de Valera 7,404 92.3 New
Irish Republican T. G. McGrath 622 7.7 New
Majority 6,782 84.6 +29.4
Turnout 8,026 49.7 +3.3
Fianna Fáil gain from Nationalist Swing N/A
General Election 1938: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist James Brown 3,866 93.6 New
NI Labour J. Byrne 263 6.4 New
Majority 3,603 87.2 N/A
Turnout 4,129 24.6 −25.1
Ind. Unionist gain from Fianna Fáil Swing N/A
General Election 1945: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Peter Murnoy 9,006 68.1 New
UUP C. H. Mullan 4,222 31.9 New
Majority 4,784 36.2 −51.0
Turnout 13,228 80.8 +56.2
Nationalist gain from Ind. Unionist Swing N/A
General Election 1949: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Joe Connellan 9,478 70.2 +2.1
UUP Robert Harcourt 4,032 29.8 −2.1
Majority 5,446 40.4 +4.2
Turnout 13,510 78.2 −2.6
Nationalist hold Swing
General Election 1953: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Joe Connellan 6,449 47.7 −22.5
UUP J. Y. Thompson 4,065 30.0 +0.2
Irish Labour T. J. Kelly 3,016 22.3 New
Majority 2,384 17.7 −22.7
Turnout 13,530 74.4 −3.8
Nationalist hold Swing
General Election 1958: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Joe Connellan 6,686 51.5 +3.8
UUP James Brown 3,978 30.7 +0.7
Irish Labour T. J. Kelly 2,316 17.8 −4.5
Majority 2,708 20.8 +3.1
Turnout 12,980 75.2 +0.8
Nationalist hold Swing
At the 1962 Northern Ireland general election, Joe Connellan was elected unopposed.[3]
General Election 1965: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Joe Connellan 6,907 68.2 N/A
UUP I. C. W. Hutchieson 3,227 31.8 New
Majority 3,680 36.4 N/A
Turnout 10,134 58.0 N/A
Nationalist hold Swing N/A
South Down by-election, 1967[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Max Keogh 8,598 74.3 +6.1
UUP J. Fisher 2,971 25.7 −6.1
Majority 5,627 48.6 −12.2
Turnout 11,569 67.0 +9.0
Nationalist hold Swing
General Election 1969: South Down[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Max Keogh 4,830 51.2 −17.0
People's Democracy F. N. Woods 4,610 48.8 New
Majority 220 2.4 −34.0
Turnout 9,440 54.0 −4.0
Nationalist hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
  2. ^ A list of the townlands comprising each of those divisions is in the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:260 (Newry No. 1 RD) and the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:241 (Kilkeel RD)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Counties: Down
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