East Down (UK Parliament constituency)

Politics

The constituency had an anti-unionist majority at the 1918 general election, but its support was split between Nationalist and Sinn Féin candidates. An attempt at a limited electoral pact broke down in this constituency. This produced a minority Unionist win.

Boundaries

From 1801 to 1885, County Down returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster, with separate representation for the parliamentary boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Downpatrick ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough and the parliamentary county was divided into four divisions: North Down, East Down, West Down, and South Down.

Under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918, Newry ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough, and the parliamentary county gained the additional division of Mid Down. Sinn Féin contested the 1918 general election on an abstentionist platform that instead of taking up any seats at Westminster, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. All MPs elected to Irish seats were invited to participate in the First Dáil convened in January 1919, but no members outside of Sinn Féin did so.

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which came into operation in 1921. The representation of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of the United Kingdom was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, the five divisions of County Down were replaced by a two-member county constituency of Down. An eight-seat constituency of Down was created for the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which formed the basis in republican theory for representation in the Second Dáil.

Members of Parliament

James Craig, MP from 1906 to 1918, later served as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1940.

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 9,805

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 8,184

|reg. electors = 8,072

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 7,895

|reg. electors = 7,895

|reg. electors = 17,846

Sources

References

References

1. Whyte, Nicholas. (19 December 2000). "The Irish General Election of 1918".
2. (1917). "Representation of the People Bill 1917: redistribution of seats: report". Boundary Commission (Ireland).
3. (21 January 1919). "3. An Rolla". Houses of the Oireachtas.
4. "Appendix 19: Dáil Éireann: Extract from Minutes of Meeting on 16th August 1921: Copy of Roll". Houses of the Oireachtas.
5. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 8 and Seventh Schedule, Part III".
6. (24 December 2007). "Down Maps".
7. "Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 65), Fourth Schedule, Part I".
8. (31 December 1901). "Election intelligence".
9. (1978). "Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922". Royal Irish Academy.
10. (7 February 1902). "Naval & Military intelligence".