Dungarvan (UK Parliament constituency)

Dungarvan was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Dungarvan
Former Borough constituency for the House of Commons
1801–1885
Number of members	One
Replaced by	West Waterford

The constituency was created when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801, replacing the earlier Dungarvan constituency in the Parliament of Ireland.

Boundaries

This constituency was the Parliamentary borough of Dungarvan in County Waterford. Until the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act, 1832 (passed alongside the Irish Reform Act 1832) it was coterminous with the manor of Dungarvan, and the franchise was exercised by potwallopers of the town and forty shilling freeholders of the manor.[1][2] The manor extended far beyond the urban area, including Abbeyside on the east bank of the Colligan River. Commissioners appointed in 1831 and 1836, to revise Irish parliamentary and municipal borough boundaries respectively, described the old border as "supposed to contain about 10,000 Statute Acres" and with an "ill defined" boundary. Besides the main portion around the town, the borough included three detached townlands further west (Knockampoor, Canty, and Ballymullala) and excluded 15 small enclaves (one within Dungarvan town, one to the west, and thirteen on the east bank of the Colligan, of which nine belonged to the manor of Dromana, including the townlands of Tournore, Clonanagh and Croughtanaul).[1][2][3] Although the 1832 commissioners suggested radical simplification in the boundary, the only change in 1832 was to exclude the detached parts and include the enclosed enclaves to create a single area.[1][4] This boundary is marked on the Ordnance Survey of Ireland's six-inch map, published a few years later.[5]

Members of Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	1801	Edward Lee	Whig
	1802	William Greene	Whig
	1806	Hon. George Walpole	Whig
	1820	Augustus Clifford	Whig
	1822	Hon. George Lamb	Whig[6]
	1834	Ebenezer Jacob	Radical[6]
	1835	Michael O'Loghlen	Whig[6]
	Feb. 1837	John Power	Whig[6]
	Aug. 1837	Cornelius O'Callaghan	Whig[6][7]
	1841	Richard Lalor Sheil	Radical[6][8][9]
	1851	Charles Ponsonby, later Baron de Mauley	Whig[6][10][11]
	1852	John Maguire	Ind. Irish[12][13]
	1859		Liberal[12]
	1865	Charles Robert Barry	Liberal[12]
	1868	Henry Matthews	Liberal[12]
	1874	John O'Keeffe	Home Rule[12]
	1877	Frank Hugh O'Donnell	Home Rule[12]

Elections

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Dungarvan[12][6][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George Lamb	370	88.1
	Irish Repeal	Dominick Ronayne	50	11.9
Majority			320	76.2
Turnout			420	c. 48.2
Registered electors			c. 871
	Whig hold

General election 1831: Dungarvan[12][6][14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George Lamb	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 871
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	George Lamb	307	53.2
	Irish Repeal	John Matthew Galwey	270	46.8
Majority			33	6.4
Turnout			577	85.2
Registered electors			677
	Whig hold

Lamb's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 15 February 1834: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Ebenezer Jacob	307	53.6	N/A
	Whig	Pierce George Barron	260	45.4	N/A
	Whig	Philip Cecil Crampton	6	1.0	N/A
Majority			47	8.2	N/A
Turnout			573	c. 84.6	c. −0.6
Registered electors			c. 677
	Radical gain from Whig		Swing	N/A

Jacob was unseated on petition, causing a further by-election.

By-election, 16 May 1834: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Ebenezer Jacob	293	52.1	N/A
	Whig	Pierce George Barron	269	47.9	−5.3
Majority			24	4.2	N/A
Turnout			562	c. 83.0	c. −2.2
Registered electors			677
	Radical hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1835: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Michael O'Loghlen	Unopposed
Registered electors			707
	Whig hold

O'Loghlen was appointed as Solicitor-General for Ireland, causing a by-election.

By-election, 4 May 1835: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Michael O'Loghlen	360	80.4
	Irish Repeal	John Matthew Galwey	88	19.6
Majority			272	60.8
Turnout			448	63.3
Registered electors			708
	Whig hold

O'Loghlen was appointed as Attorney-General for Ireland, causing a by-election.

By-election, 21 September 1835: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Michael O'Loghlen	315	67.3
	Irish Repeal	John Matthew Galwey	153	32.7
Majority			162	34.6
Turnout			468	65.6
Registered electors			713
	Whig hold

O'Loghlen was appointed Baron of the Irish Court of Exchequer and resigned, causing a by-election.

By-election, 16 February 1837: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	John Power (Irish MP)	283	63.3
	Irish Repeal	John Matthew Galwey	164	36.7
Majority			119	26.6
Turnout			447	60.3
Registered electors			741
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Dungarvan[12][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Cornelius O'Callaghan	261	62.4
	Irish Repeal (Whig)	John Matthew Galwey	157	37.6
Majority			104	24.8
Turnout			418	56.0
Registered electors			747
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Richard Lalor Sheil	Unopposed
Registered electors			434
	Radical gain from Whig

Sheil was appointed as Master of the Mint, requiring a by-election.

By-election, 10 July 1846: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Richard Lalor Sheil	Unopposed
	Radical hold

General election 1847: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Radical	Richard Lalor Sheil	151	52.8	N/A
	Irish Repeal	John Maguire	135	47.2	New
Majority			16	5.6	N/A
Turnout			286	50.6	N/A
Registered electors			565
	Radical hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1850s

Due to both ill health and to become a diplomat in Tuscany, Sheil resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.[15]

By-election, 22 March 1851: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Charles Ponsonby	158	65.6	New
	Radical	John Maguire[16]	83	34.4	−12.8
Majority			75	31.2	N/A
Turnout			241	76.8	+26.2
Registered electors			314
	Whig gain from Radical		Swing	N/A

General election 1852: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Irish	John Maguire	127	52.3	+5.1
	Whig	Edmund O'Flaherty[17]	116	47.7	N/A
Majority			11	4.6	N/A
Turnout			243	77.4	+26.8
Registered electors			314
	Independent Irish gain from Radical		Swing	N/A

In order to enable the withdrawal of an election petition filed by O'Flaherty, Maguire resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.[18]

By-election, 26 August 1853: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Irish	John Maguire	150	65.8	+13.5
	Conservative	William Henry Gregory	78	34.2	New
Majority			72	31.6	+27.0
Turnout			228	75.2	−2.2
Registered electors			303
	Independent Irish hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1857: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent Irish	John Maguire	123	54.2	+1.9
	Conservative	Sir John Nugent Humble, 2nd Baronet	104	45.8	N/A
Majority			19	8.4	+3.8
Turnout			227	85.3	+7.9
Registered electors			266
	Independent Irish hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1859: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Maguire	Unopposed
Registered electors			280
	Liberal gain from Independent Irish

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Robert Barry	112	54.4	N/A
	Conservative	William Palliser	94	45.6	New
Majority			18	8.8	N/A
Turnout			206	80.2	N/A
Registered electors			257
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

General election 1868: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Matthews	155	59.6	N/A
	Liberal	Charles Robert Barry	105	40.4	−14.0
Majority			50	19.2	N/A
Turnout			260	83.6	+3.4
Registered electors			311
	Liberal hold		Swing	N/A

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Home Rule	John O'Keefe	131	53.3	New
	Liberal	Henry Matthews	115	46.7	−12.9
Majority			16	6.6	N/A
Turnout			246	85.4	+1.8
Registered electors			288
	Home Rule gain from Liberal		Swing	N/A

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

By-election, 24 Jan 1877: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Home Rule	Frank Hugh O'Donnell	137	53.5	+0.2
	Liberal	Henry Matthews	119	46.5	−0.2
Majority			18	7.0	+0.4
Turnout			256	80.5	−4.9
Registered electors			318
	Home Rule hold		Swing	+0.2

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Dungarvan[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Home Rule	Frank Hugh O'Donnell	132	57.6	+4.3
	Liberal	Henry Matthews	97	42.4	−4.3
Majority			35	15.2	+8.6
Turnout			229	97.4	+12.0
Registered electors			235
	Home Rule hold		Swing	+4.3

Sources

• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 4)

References

1. Instructions by Secretary for Ireland, respecting Cities and Boroughs in Ireland sending Representatives to Parliament; Reports of Commissioners. Sessional papers. Vol.43 No.519. Sessional papers. 8 June 1832. pp. 65–68. Retrieved 12 February 2015.; for the map see the scan at Alamy
2. "Dungarvan". Reports and instructions by Lord Lieutenant, with reference to boundaries and divisions of cities, boroughs and towns corporate in Ireland. Sessional papers. Vol.29 No.301. 10 May 1837. pp. 78–80.; for the map see also a better scan at Limerick City and County Council
3. O'Brien, Niall C. E. J. (24 March 2015). "The Dromana estate in 1640". History Exploration with Niall. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
4. Lewis, Samuel (1837). "Appendix, Shewing the Boundaries of the Cities and Boroughs in Ireland, as adopted and defined by the Act passed in the 2nd and 3rd of William IV., cap. 89, intituled "An Act to settle and describe the Limits of Cities, Towns, and Boroughs in Ireland, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament."". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland.
5. Ordnance Survey Ireland (1839–41). "Six-inch map centred on Dungarvan". Geohive. Retrieved 1 August 2019. The parliamentary boundary is in violet, except that the boundary is correctly named along the west and north edges of the townlands of Windgap, Barranalira, and Killongford, whereas the purple line runs south of these.
6. Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 89–90, 226–227. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via Google Books.
7. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer. p. 166. Retrieved 21 August 2019 – via Google Books.
8. Churton, Edward (1838). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1838. p. 205. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via Google Books.
9. "General Election". Morning Post. 6 July 1841. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "Ireland". John Bull. 22 March 1851. p. 11. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Ireland". London Daily News. 20 March 1851. p. 6. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
13. "Dublin Weekly Nation". 11 April 1857. p. 5. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. Salmon, Philip. "Dungarvan". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
15. Jenkins, Brian (3 January 2008) [2004]. "Sheil, Richard Lalor (1791–1851)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25301. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
16. "Ireland". Reading Mercury. 22 March 1851. p. 4. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "London Nonconformist". 26 March 1856. p. 13. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
18. "Belfast Mercury". 26 August 1853. p. 1. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.