Mid Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Armagh was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act and first used at the 1885 general election. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) until it was abolished with effect from the 1922 general election.

Mid Armagh
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
18851922
Seats1
Created fromArmagh and Armagh City
Replaced byArmagh

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

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This county constituency comprised the central part of County Armagh. To the north was North Armagh, to the west were South Tyrone and North Monaghan, to the south were South Monaghan and South Armagh and to the east was West Down.

1885–1922: The baronies of Armagh and Tiranny, that part of the barony of Oneilland West not contained within the constituency of North Armagh, that part of the barony of Fews Lower contained within the parishes of Kildarton and Mullaghbrack, the parish of Lisnadill excluding the townlands of Ballymacnab, Cashel, Foley and Seagahan, and the townlands of Corhammock and Edenykennedy in the parish of Kilclooney, that part of the barony of Orior Lower consisting of that part of the parish of Kilmore not contained within the constituency of North Armagh and the townlands of Aughlish, Ballymore, Ballysheil Beg, Ballysheil More, Cargans, Clare, Cloghoge, Coolyhill, Derryallen, Drumnaleg, Druminure, Drumnaglontagh, Lisbane, Lisnakea, Mavemacullen, Monclone, Moodoge, Mullantur, Mullaghglass, Terryhoogan, Tullyhugh and Tullymacann in the parish of Ballymore, and that part of the barony of Fews Upper consisting of the townland of Lisnadill.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and from the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Armagh constituency.

Politics

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The constituency was a predominantly Conservative then Unionist area, although not as strongly so as some other parts of Northern Ireland. There were few contested elections and no instance of the same two parties contending against each other more than once.

In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by a solid margin. This was the first contested election for the seat since a 1900 by-election.

The First Dáil

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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 Mid, in republican theory, was incorporated in a four-member Dáil constituency of Armagh.

Members of Parliament

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  • Constituency created (1885)
ElectionMemberParty
1885John McKaneConservative
February 1886 (by)Sir James Corry, Bt.Conservative
1891Sir Dunbar BartonIrish Unionist
1900 (by)John LonsdaleIrish Unionist
1918 (by)James Rolston LonsdaleIrish Unionist
1921Henry ArmstrongUlster Unionist
  • Constituency abolished (1922)

Elections

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1920s

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By-Election, 23 June 1921: Mid Armagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUPHenry Bruce ArmstrongUnopposed
UUP hold

1910s

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1918 general election: Mid Armagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJames Rolston Lonsdale 8,431 59.7 N/A
Sinn FéinLiam O'Brien5,68840.3New
Majority2,74319.4N/A
Turnout14,11981.4N/A
Irish Unionist holdSwingN/A
By-Election, 23 January 1918: Mid Armagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJames Rolston LonsdaleUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
December 1910 general election: Mid Armagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJohn LonsdaleUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
January 1910 general election: Mid Armagh
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJohn LonsdaleUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold

1900s

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1906 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJohn LonsdaleUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
1900 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJohn LonsdaleUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-Election 1900: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistJohn Lonsdale 3,212 64.0 N/A
Liberal UnionistJohn Gordon1,81136.0New
Majority1,40128.0N/A
Turnout5,02368.2N/A
Registered electors7,363
Irish Unionist holdSwingN/A

1890s

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By-Election 1898: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistDunbar BartonUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
1895 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistDunbar BartonUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
1892 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistDunbar BartonUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-Election 1891: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish UnionistDunbar BartonUnopposed
Irish Unionist hold

1880s

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1886 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish ConservativeJames Corry 4,160 62.3 +1.3
Irish ParliamentaryRobert Riddall Gardner2,52237.7−1.3
Majority1,63824.6+2.6
Turnout6,68281.8−2.0
Registered electors8,169
Irish Conservative holdSwing+1.3
By-Election 1 Feb 1886: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
ConservativeJames Corry 3,930 56.9 −4.1
LiberalThomas Alexander Dickson2,97443.1New
Majority95613.8−8.2
Turnout6,90484.5+0.7
Registered electors8,169
Irish Conservative holdSwing
  • Caused by McKane's death.
1885 general election: Mid Armagh[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish ConservativeJohn McKane 4,178 61.0
Irish ParliamentaryEdmund Leamy2,66739.0
Majority1,51122.0
Turnout6,84583.8
Registered electors8,169
Irish Conservative win (new seat)

See also

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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. 327–328, 383. ISBN 0901714127.
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