North Fermanagh (UK Parliament constituency)

North Fermanagh 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.

North Fermanagh
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Number of membersOne
Replaced byEnniskillen and Fermanagh and Tyrone
Created fromFermanagh

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

This county constituency comprised the northern part of County Fermanagh. The seat was defined under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as comprising the baronies of Lurg, Magheraboy, and Tirkenny. The seat was unchanged under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election the area was part of the Fermanagh constituency. After the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the constituency was incorporated in the new seat of Fermanagh and Tyrone

Politics

The constituency was a marginal one compared to many other seats in Northern Ireland. The Unionist candidate won in 1918, but Sinn Féin only polled 532 fewer votes.

The First Dáil

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 an eight-member Dáil constituency of Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Willie Redmond Nationalist
1892 Richard Dane Irish Unionist
1898(b) Edward Archdale Irish Unionist
1903(b) Edward Mitchell Russellite Unionist
1906 Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh Irish Unionist
1916(b) Edward Archdale Irish Unionist
1921 Ulster Unionist
1922 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Willie Redmond 3,255 53.6
Irish Conservative John Caldwell Bloomfield 2,822 46.4
Majority 433 7.2
Turnout 6,077 90.9
Registered electors 6,687
Irish Parliamentary win (new seat)
General election 1886: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Willie Redmond 3,128 52.2 −1.4
Irish Unionist William Humphrys Archdale 2,862 47.8 +1.4
Majority 266 4.4 −2.8
Turnout 5,990 89.6 −1.3
Registered electors 6,687
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing −1.4

Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Richard Dane 2,879 52.9 +5.1
Irish National Federation Jeremiah Jordan 2,562 47.1 −5.1
Majority 317 5.8 N/A
Turnout 5,441 91.6 +2.0
Registered electors 5,937
Irish Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing +5.1
General election 1895: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Richard Dane 2,782 53.6 +0.7
Independent Liberal George Reginald Leeper 2,406 46.4 New
Majority 376 7.2 +1.4
Turnout 5,188 92.1 +0.5
Registered electors 5,632
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
By-election, 1898: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale 2,568 55.1 +1.5
Independent Unionist Edward Charles Thompson 2,091 44.9 New
Majority 477 10.2 +3.0
Turnout 4,659 81.2 −10.9
Registered electors 5,735
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
By-election, 1903: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Russellite Unionist Edward Mitchell 2,407 51.6 New
Irish Unionist Charles Curtis Craig 2,255 48.4 N/A
Majority 152 3.2 N/A
Turnout 4,662 89.4 N/A
Registered electors 5,213
Russellite Unionist gain from Irish Unionist Swing N/A
General election 1906: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,419 50.9 N/A
Russellite Unionist Edward Mitchell 2,331 49.1 N/A
Majority 88 1.8 N/A
Turnout 4,750 93.4 N/A
Registered electors 5,083
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,474 53.8 +2.9
Liberal Samuel Peter Kerr 2,124 46.2 New
Majority 350 7.6 +5.8
Turnout 4,598 93.9 +0.5
Registered electors 4,895
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election December 1910: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Godfrey Fetherstonhaugh 2,402 53.9 +0.1
Liberal Arthur Percival Tod Collum 2,055 46.1 −0.1
Majority 347 7.8 +0.2
Turnout 4,457 91.1 −2.8
Registered electors 4,895
Irish Unionist hold Swing +0.1
By-election, 1916: North Fermanagh[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale Unopposed
Irish Unionist hold
General Election 14 December 1918: North Fermanagh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Edward Archdale 6,768 52.0 −1.9
Sinn Féin Kevin O'Shiel 6,236 47.9 New
Majority 532 4.1 −3.7
Turnout 13,004 89.7 −1.4
Registered electors 14,496
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

References
  1. Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.

See also
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