Clare (UK Parliament constituency)

County Clare was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1801 to 1885 it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

For other parliamentary constituencies in County Clare, see Clare (disambiguation).

County Clare
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
County Clare within Ireland
CountyCounty Clare
1801–1885
Seats2
Created fromCounty Clare
Replaced by

At the 1885 general election, County Clare was split into two divisions: East Clare and West Clare.

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the whole of County Clare, except for the borough of Ennis.

Members of Parliament
YearFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party
1801 Francis Nathaniel Burton Hugh Massey
1802 Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Baronet Whig
1808 Augustine FitzGerald Tory
1818 William Vesey-FitzGerald Tory[1][2]
1826 Lucius O'Brien Tory[1][3]
1828 Daniel O'Connell Radical[1]
1830 William Nugent Macnamara Repeal Association[4] James Patrick Mahon Whig[1]
1831 Maurice O'Connell Repeal Association[1]
1832 Cornelius O'Brien Repeal Association[4]
1847 Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet Conservative[4]
1852 Sir John Forster Fitzgerald Whig[5] Cornelius O'Brien Ind. Irish[4]
1857 Lord Francis Conyngham Ind. Irish[6][7] Francis Macnamara Calcutt Ind. Irish[4]
1859 Crofton Moore Vandeleur Conservative Luke White Liberal
1860 Francis Macnamara Calcutt Liberal
1863 Sir Colman O'Loghlen, 2nd Baronet Liberal
1874 Lord Francis Conyngham Irish Nationalist Irish Nationalist
1877 Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet Irish Nationalist
1879 James Patrick Mahon Irish Nationalist
1880 William O'Shea Independent Nationalist
1885 Constituency divided into East Clare and West Clare

Elections

Elections in the 1820s
By-election 5 July 1828: Clare[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical Daniel O'Connell 2,057 67.69
Tory William Vesey Fitzgerald 982 32.31
Majority 1,075 35.38
Turnout 3.039
Radical gain from Tory Swing

Elections in the 1830s
General election 1830: Clare[4][1][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal William Nugent Macnamara 664 39.9
Whig James Patrick Mahon 571 34.3
Tory Lucius O'Brien 399 24.0
Whig William Richard Mahon 18 1.1
Whig Burton Binden 12 0.7
Turnout c. 832 c. 51.9
Registered electors 1,604
Majority 93 5.6
Irish Repeal gain from Tory
Majority 172 10.3
Whig gain from Tory

On petition, Mahon was unseated and a by-election was called.

By-election, 23 March 1831: Clare[4][1][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal Maurice O'Connell 325 64.7 +24.8
Whig Edward O'Brien 177 35.3 −0.8
Majority 148 29.4 +23.8
Turnout 502 c. 33.2 c. −18.7
Registered electors c. 1,514
Irish Repeal gain from Whig Swing +12.8
General election 1831: Clare[4][1][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal William Nugent Macnamara 883 44.7 +4.8
Irish Repeal Maurice O'Connell 597 30.2 N/A
Whig James Patrick Mahon 493 25.0 −9.3
Whig William Richard Mahon 1 0.1 N/A
Majority 104 5.2 −0.4
Turnout c. 987 c. 65.2 c. +13.3
Registered electors 1,514
Irish Repeal hold Swing +4.8
Irish Repeal gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1832: Clare[4][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal William Nugent Macnamara 920 32.5 −12.2
Irish Repeal Cornelius O'Brien 897 31.6 +1.4
Tory John Macdonnell 701 24.7 New
Tory Augustine Butler 317 11.2 New
Majority 196 6.9 +1.7
Turnout 1,557 61.8 c. −3.4
Registered electors 2,518
Irish Repeal hold Swing −12.2
Irish Repeal hold Swing +1.4
General election 1835: Clare[4][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) William Nugent Macnamara 686 50.0 +17.5
Irish Repeal (Whig) Cornelius O'Brien 686 50.0 +18.4
Conservative Lucius O'Brien 0 0.0 −24.7
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 0 0.0 −11.2
Majority 686 50.0 +43.1
Turnout 686 25.7 −36.1
Registered electors 2,671
Irish Repeal hold Swing +17.8
Irish Repeal hold Swing +18.2
  • Lucius O'Brien and Vandeleur declined the contest
General election 1837: Clare[4][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal (Whig) William Nugent Macnamara Unopposed
Irish Repeal (Whig) Cornelius O'Brien Unopposed
Registered electors 3,141
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold

Elections in the 1840s
General election 1841: Clare[4][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal William Nugent Macnamara 1,079 44.6 N/A
Irish Repeal Cornelius O'Brien 1,072 44.3 N/A
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 222 9.2 New
Conservative James Molony 47 1.9 New
Majority 850 35.1 N/A
Turnout 1,338 72.4 N/A
Registered electors 1,848
Irish Repeal hold Swing N/A
Irish Repeal hold Swing N/A
General election 1847: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lucius O'Brien 809 32.2 +23.0
Irish Repeal William Nugent Macnamara 723 28.8 −15.8
Irish Repeal Cornelius O'Brien 584 23.3 −21.0
Conservative William Fitzgerald 395 15.7 +13.8
Turnout 1,256 (est) 56.7 (est) −15.7
Registered electors 2,216
Majority 86 3.4 N/A
Conservative gain from Irish Repeal Swing +20.7
Majority 139 5.5 −29.6
Irish Repeal hold Swing −17.1

Elections in the 1850s
General election 1852: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Forster FitzGerald 1,152 33.0 New
Independent Irish Cornelius O'Brien 1,141 32.7 +9.4
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 1,139 32.6 +0.4
Conservative William Stackpoole 60 1.7 −14.0
Turnout 2,286 (est) 88.6 (est) +31.9
Registered electors 2,581
Majority 11 0.3 N/A
Whig gain from Irish Repeal Swing N/A
Majority 2 0.1 N/A
Independent Irish gain from Conservative Swing +8.1

On petition, Fitzgerald and O'Brien were unseated, due to a "system of intimidation" being present at the 1852 election, and a writ was moved for a by-election.[11]

By-election, 4 July 1853: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Irish Cornelius O'Brien 1,376 34.2 +1.5
Whig John Forster FitzGerald 1,351 33.5 +0.5
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 1,299 32.2 −2.1
Independent Henry Stuart Burton 3 0.0 New
Turnout 2,663 (est) 84.7 (est) −3.9
Registered electors 3,144
Majority 25 0.7 +0.6
Independent Irish hold Swing +1.3
Majority 52 1.3 +1.0
Whig hold Swing +0.8
General election 1857: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Irish Francis Conyngham 2,894 52.3 N/A
Independent Irish Francis Macnamara Calcutt 1,390 25.1 N/A
Whig John Forster Fitzgerald 1,249 22.6 −10.4
Independent Irish Luke White[12] 1 0.0 N/A
Majority 141 2.5 +2.4
Turnout 2,767 (est) 73.9 (est) −14.7
Registered electors 3,745
Independent Irish hold Swing N/A
Independent Irish gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1859: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 3,829 47.5 New
Liberal Luke White 2,234 27.7 +27.7
Liberal Francis Macnamara Calcutt 1,997 24.8 −0.3
Majority 1,595 19.8 N/A
Turnout 4,030 (est) 73.2 (est) −0.7
Registered electors 5,509
Conservative gain from Independent Irish Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s

On petition, White was unseated, causing a by-election.

By-election, 13 Apr 1860: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis Macnamara Calcutt 2,993 72.3 +47.5
Liberal Charles White 1,149 27.7 N/A
Majority 1,844 44.6 N/A
Turnout 4,142 75.2 +2.0
Registered electors 5,509
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Calcutt died, causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 Aug 1863: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Colman O'Loghlen Unopposed
Registered electors 5,563
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Colman O'Loghlen Unopposed
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur Unopposed
Registered electors 5,465
Liberal hold
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Colman O'Loghlen Unopposed
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur Unopposed
Registered electors 5,649
Liberal hold
Conservative hold

O'Loghlen was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 5 Jan 1869: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Colman O'Loghlen Unopposed
Registered electors 5,649
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Colman O'Loghlen 3,095 44.9 New
Home Rule Francis Conyngham 2,565 37.2 New
Conservative Crofton Moore Vandeleur 1,240 18.0 N/A
Majority 1,325 19.2 N/A
Turnout 4,070 (est) 74.5 (est) N/A
Registered electors 5,460
Home Rule gain from Conservative Swing N/A
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A

O'Loghlen's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1877: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Bryan O'Loghlen 1,721 47.2 −34.9
Home Rule James Patrick Mahon 1,149 31.5 N/A
Conservative Robert William Cary Reeves 764 20.9 +2.9
Liberal-Conservative Francis Nathaniel Burton 15 0.4 New
Majority 572 15.7 −3.5
Turnout 3,649 67.2 −7.3
Registered electors 5,427
Home Rule hold Swing −18.9
  • O'Loghlen was a Liberal home rule supporter, while The O'Gorman Mahon was a Nationalist home rule supporter. Burton also supported home rule.[13]

O'Loghlen was declared to have resigned after accepting office as Attorney General of Victoria, Australia, causing a by-election.

By-election, 13 Aug 1879: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule James Patrick Mahon 1,661 41.5 −40.6
Conservative Hector Stewart Vandeleur 1,531 38.3 +20.3
Liberal Peter O'Brien 807 20.2 New
Majority 130 3.2 -16.0
Turnout 3,999 73.6 −0.9
Registered electors 5,430
Home Rule hold Swing −30.5

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Clare[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parnellite Home Rule League James Patrick Mahon 3,283 44.8 −0.1
Parnellite Home Rule League William O'Shea 3,133 42.8 +5.6
Conservative Hector Stewart Vandeleur 912 12.4 −5.6
Majority 2,221 30.4 +11.2
Turnout 4,195 (est) 74.3 (est) −0.2
Registered electors 5,643
Home Rule hold Swing +1.4
Home Rule hold Swing +2.8

There was a notorious riot at Sixmilebridge on polling day in 1852, in which soldiers shot dead seven protesters.

The Clare by-election in 1828 was notable as this was the first time since the reformation that an openly Roman Catholic MP, Daniel O'Connell was elected.

References
  1. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. p. 219. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. Fisher, David R. "VESEY FITZGERALD (formerly FITZGERALD), William (?1782-1843), of Inchicronan, co. Clare". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  3. Farrell, Stephen. "O'BRIEN, Lucius (1800-1872)". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  4. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
  5. "Clare". Coventry Standard. 30 July 1852. p. 4. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Dublin Evening Post". 28 March 1857. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Clare Election". Dublin Weekly Nation. 4 April 1857. p. 16. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Co. Clare 1820-1832". History of Parliament. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  9. Farrell, Stephen. "Co. Clare". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  10. Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Volume 50. 1843. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Google Books.
  11. "Kilkenny Journal, and Leinster Commercial and Literary Advertiser". 15 June 1853. p. 4. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "The Irish Elections". Freeman's Journal. 4 April 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "Clare Election". Newcastle Journal. 7 August 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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