North Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

North Londonderry was a county constituency, officially titled the North Derry division of County Londonderry. It comprised the northern part of County Londonderry, defined as follows:[1]

• four complete baronies, namely, Keenaght, the North East Liberties of Coleraine, the North West Liberties of Londonderry, and Tirkeeran;
• and part of the barony of Coleraine, comprising
  • four complete civil parishes, namely, Dunboe, Formoyle, Killowen and Macosquin;
  • and part of the civil parish of Aghadowey; namely, the townlands of Ballinrees, Ballybritain, Ballycaghan, Ballyclough, Ballydevitt, Ballylintagh, Ballymenagh, Ballynacally Beg, Ballynacally More, Ballywillin, Clintagh, Collins, Craigmore, Crevolea, Craiglea Glebe, Crosscanley Glebe, Crossmakeever, Culdrum, Drumatemple, Glencurb, Keely, Killeague, Kiltest, Knockaduff, Lisnamuck, Managher, Mayboy, Meavemanougher, Meencraig, Moneybrannon, Mullan, Scalty and Shanlongford.

The constituency returned one Member of Parliament. It was not affected by the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918. Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Londonderry constituency.

The constituency was a predominantly unionist area. Sinn Féin was easily beaten in 1918 and 1919.

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. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in a five-member Dáil constituency of Londonderry.

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

• List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland
• List of MPs elected in the 1918 United Kingdom general election
• Historic Dáil constituencies
• Members of the 1st Dáil