Fermanagh and Tyrone (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Fermanagh and Tyrone was a county constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1929. It returned eight MPs, using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Fermanagh and Tyrone
Former County constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Fermanagh and Tyrone shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1921
Abolished1929
Election methodSingle transferable vote

Boundaries

Fermanagh and Tyrone was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and consisted of the entirety of County Fermanagh and County Tyrone. The House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 divided the constituency into eight constituencies elected under first past the post: East Tyrone, Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, Mid Tyrone, North Tyrone, South Fermanagh, South Tyrone and West Tyrone.[1]

Second Dáil

In May 1921, Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the self-declared Irish Republic run by Sinn Féin, passed a resolution declaring that elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for the Second Dáil.[2] All those elected were on the roll of the Second Dáil, but only three of the 8 MPs elected for Fermanagh and Tyrone also sat as TDs in Dáil Éireann: Arthur Griffith and Seán Milroy, both of whom were also elected for Clare, and Seán O'Mahony.[3] O'Mahony was the only Sinn Féin TD in the Second Dáil who represented only a constituency in Northern Ireland.

Politics

Fermanagh and Tyrone had a slight Nationalist majority, but this was fairly evenly balanced with a Unionist minority. In both elections, four Unionists were elected, alongside three Sinn Féin members and one Nationalist in 1921, and four Nationalists in 1925.

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
Member
(Party)
MPs
(1921)
Arthur Griffith
(Sinn Féin)
Edward Archdale
(Ulster Unionist)
William Coote
(Ulster Unionist)
William Thomas Miller
(Ulster Unionist)
James Cooper
(Ulster Unionist)
Thomas Harbison
(Nationalist Party)
Seán O'Mahony
(Sinn Féin)
Seán Milroy
(Sinn Féin)
MPs
(1925)
Alexander Donnelly
(Nationalist Party)
Rowley Elliott
(Ulster Unionist)
Cahir Healy
(Nationalist Party)
John McHugh
(Nationalist Party)

Election results

1921 General Election: Fermanagh and Tyrone (8 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678910
Sinn FéinArthur Griffith25.921,677         
UUPEdward Archdale12.310,336         
UUPWilliam Coote11.59,672         
UUPWilliam Thomas Miller10.99,1659,343        
UUPJames Cooper10.58,7548,7629,789       
NationalistThomas Harbison8.57,0907,7547,7547,7717,8067,8077,8147,8867,9929,444
NationalistJ. P. Gillin6.75,5915,7825,7845,8245,8325,8325,8425,8676,1158,109
Sinn FéinSeán O'Mahony5.94,9795,2115,2115,2157,0857,1187,1197,97512,752 
Sinn FéinKevin Roantree O'Shiel5.34,4644,9944,9955,0045,2365,2385,2395,330  
Sinn FéinSeán Milroy2.21,84611,556        
Sinn FéinSeán MacEntee0.21791,0371,0371,0651,1701,1711,172   
Electorate: 95,272   Valid: 83,753   Quota: 9,306   Turnout: 87.9%  
  • Griffith died on 12 August 1922; his seat remained vacant at dissolution.
  • Coote died on 14 December 1924; his seat remained vacant at dissolution.
1925 General Election: Fermanagh and Tyrone (8 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678
NationalistAlexander Donnelly14.612,098       
UUPEdward Archdale14.311,834       
UUPRowley Elliott12.210,115       
UUPWilliam Thomas Miller11.69,593       
NationalistCahir Healy11.19,1919,358      
UUPJames Cooper10.88,9238,93511,569     
NationalistThomas Harbison10.08,25710,920      
NationalistJohn McHugh8.06,5846,6176,6206,7166,7436,8488,3288,337
RepublicanThomas Larkin5.44,4834,5044,5074,5604,5854,6074,8384,840
RepublicanSeán O'Mahoney2.01,6521,6611,6621,6721,6811,6921,7081,713
Electorate: 96,388   Valid: 82,730   Quota: 9,193   Turnout: 85.8%  

References

54°34′44″N 7°11′49″W / 54.579°N 7.197°W / 54.579; -7.197