South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)

South Tyrone was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland which returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922, using the first past the post electoral system.

South Tyrone
Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Seats1
Created fromDungannon and Tyrone
Replaced byFermanagh and Tyrone

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This county constituency comprised the southern part of County Tyrone.

Prior to the 1885 redistribution the area was part of the Tyrone constituency. From 1922 it formed part of the Fermanagh and Tyrone constituency.

1885–1918: The baronies of Clogher and Dungannon Lower, and that part of the barony of Dungannon Middle consisting of the parishes of Clonfeacle and Donaghmore.

1918–1922: The rural district of Clogher, that part of the rural district of Cookstown consisting of the district electoral divisions of The Sandholes and Stewartstown, that part of the rural district of Dungannon not contained in the North East Tyrone constituency, that part of the rural district of Omagh consisting of the district electoral divisions of Carryglass, Derrybard, Dervaghroy, Draughton, Fallaghearn, Fintona, Seskinore and Tattymoyle, and the urban district of Dungannon.

Politics

The constituency was a majority unionist area. Sinn Féin and the Independent Nationalist candidate together polled about 2,500 votes less than the Unionist received in 1918.

The First Dáil

The constituencies in the 1918 Westminster election, including South Tyrone, also served as the constituencies of the First Dáil, established by Sinn Féin as the parliament of its self-proclaimed Irish Republic. While in theory all Irish Westminster MPs were entitled to sit in the Dáil, in practice only Sinn Féin members attended, and South Tyrone's William Coote was listed on the roll as "as láthair" [absent].[1] The Second Dáil used the single transferable vote constituencies of the 1921 home rule elections, in which the territory previously in South Tyrone was part of the eight-member House of Commons of Northern Ireland constituency of Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885 William O'Brien Nationalist
1886 Thomas Russell Liberal Unionist
1902 Russellite Unionist
1907 Liberal
Jan 1910 Andrew Horner Irish Unionist
1916 (b) William Coote Irish Unionist
May 1921 Ulster Unionist
1922 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
General election 5 December 1885: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary William O'Brien 3,435 50.4
Irish Conservative Somerset Henry Maxwell 3,382 49.6
Majority 53 0.8
Turnout 6,817 88.2
Registered electors 7,725
Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)
General election 17 July 1886: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Russell 3,481 50.7 +1.1
Irish Parliamentary William O'Brien 3,382 49.3 −1.1
Majority 99 1.4 N/A
Turnout 6,863 88.8 +0.6
Registered electors 7,725
Liberal Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing +1.1

Elections in the 1890s
General election 13 July 1892: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Russell 3,468 52.8 +2.1
Liberal Thomas Alexander Dickson 3,096 47.2 New
Majority 372 5.6 +4.2
Turnout 6,564 92.8 +4.0
Registered electors 7,070
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 24 July 1895: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Russell 3,239 51.5 −1.3
Independent Nationalist Thomas Shillington 3,046 48.5 New
Majority 193 3.0 −2.6
Turnout 6,285 93.4 +0.6
Registered electors 6,730
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s
General election 4 October 1900: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Thomas Russell 2,499 48.0 −3.5
Independent Nationalist Edward Charles Thompson 2,409 46.0 -2.5
Ind. Unionist Robert James Howard 303 5.8 New
Majority 90 2.0 −1.0
Turnout 5,211 83.8 −9.6
Registered electors 6,220
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 25 January 1906: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Russellite Unionist Thomas Russell 2,954 52.5 New
Irish Unionist Andrew Horner 2,671 47.5 −0.5
Majority 283 5.0 N/A
Turnout 5,625 94.0 +10.2
Registered electors 5,982
Russellite Unionist gain from Liberal Unionist Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election 20 January 1910: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Andrew Horner 3,054 52.4 +4.9
Liberal Thomas Russell 2,770 47.6 New
Majority 284 4.8 N/A
Turnout 5,824 96.1 +2.1
Registered electors 6,059
Irish Unionist gain from Russellite Unionist Swing N/A
General election 8 December 1910: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Andrew Horner 2,962 52.7 +0.3
Liberal Robert Nathaniel Boyd 2,662 47.3 −0.3
Majority 300 5.4 +0.6
Turnout 5,624 92.8 −3.3
Registered electors 6,059
Irish Unionist hold Swing +0.3
By-election 28 February 1916: Tyrone South[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Coote Unopposed
Registered electors 6,434
General Election 14 December 1918: South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Coote 10,616 56.9 N/A
Sinn Féin Denis McCullough 5,437 29.1 New
Independent Nationalist John Skeffington 2,602 13.9 New
Majority 5,179 27.8 N/A
Turnout 18,655 83.0 N/A
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

See also

References

Sources
  • Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
  • Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1978). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume II 1886–1918. The Harvester Press.
  • Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1979). 'Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume III 1919–1945. The Harvester Press.
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 2)

Citations
  1. "An Rolla [the roll]". First Dáil proceedings (in Irish). 21 January 1919. col.10. Retrieved 12 September 2016. Co. Thír Eoghain (theas)—Mr. Coote—as láthair
  2. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
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