South Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

Politics

The constituency was a majority unionist area. All three candidates at the 1918 general election were Catholics.

Boundaries and boundary changes

Prior to 1885, County Londonderry returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the parliamentary county was divided into the divisions of North Derry and South Derry. The parliamentary borough of Coleraine lost its separate representation.

South Derry was defined as:

The [Barony (Ireland)

baronies]] of [[Loughinsholin]],

and the barony of [Coleraine, except so much as is comprised in the North Derry division.}}

It was not affected by the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918. 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 at Westminster was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, Londonderry City, North Derry and South Derry were combined to form the single-seat county constituency of Londonderry. A five-seat constituency of Londonderry 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

Elections

Elections in the 1880s

|reg. electors = 10,790

|reg. electors = 10,790

Elections in the 1890s

|reg. electors = 9,380

|reg. electors = 9,247

Elections in the 1900s

|reg. electors = 8,313

Elections in the 1910s

|reg. electors = 8,052

|reg. electors = 8,052 Gordon is appointed a judge, prompting a by-election.

|reg. electors = 8,416

|reg. electors = 21,199

Elections in the 1920s

Henry is appointed Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, prompting a by-election.

Chichester dies, causing a by-election.

References

Sources

Citations

References

1. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 8 and Seventh Schedule, Part III".
2. "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 2 and First Schedule".
3. "Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 65)".
4. (21 January 1919). "3. An Rolla". Houses of the Oireachtas.
5. "Government of Ireland Act 1920: Fifth Schedule, Part II: Constituencies in Northern Ireland". [[The National Archives (United Kingdom).
6. "Appendix 19: Dáil Éireann: Extract from Minutes of Meeting on 16th August 1921: Copy of Roll". Houses of the Oireachtas.
7. (1978). "Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922". Royal Irish Academy.