Mid Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

For other constituencies of the same name, see Mid Antrim (disambiguation).

Mid Antrim
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885 (1885)–1922 (1922)
Replaced by	Antrim
Created from	Antrim

Mid Antrim was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.

Boundaries and boundary changes

1885–1922: This county constituency comprised the central part of County Antrim. It comprised the baronies of Glenarm Lower, Toome Lower, part of the barony of Antrim Lower and parts of the parishes of Connor and Ahoghill. To the north was Antrim North, to the west was Londonderry South, to the south were Antrim South and Antrim East and to the east was the sea.

It returned one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 and from the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Antrim constituency).

In terms of the then local government areas the constituency in 1929 comprised parts of the Rural Districts of Ballymena, Ballymoney and Larne. The division also included the whole of the Urban District of Ballymena.

Politics

The Westminster Parliamentary constituency was a predominantly Unionist area. It was also a safe seat for the O'Neill family. All three of the MPs who represented the constituency were related. In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by about 4 to 1.

From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

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. Elections to both assemblies were conducted not under the first past the post system, but instead under the Single Transferable Vote. Mid Antrim was incorporated in a seven-member constituency of Antrim.

Members of Parliament

Key to parties: C Conservative, U Irish Unionist (1886 – April 1921) and Ulster Unionist (May 1921–1922).

From	To	Name (Party)	Born	Died
1885	1910	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill (C)	1845	25 July 1910
1910	1914	Hon. Arthur Edward Bruce O'Neill (U)	19 September 1876	4 November 1914
1915	1922	Hon. (Robert William) Hugh O'Neill (U)	8 June 1883	28 November 1982

Note: Hon. R.T. O'Neill became (U) in July 1886. The Unionists were affiliated with the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom Parliament.

Elections

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

General Election 14 December 1918: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. R.W.H. O'Neill	10,711	79.33	N/A
	Sinn Féin	Joseph Connolly	2,791	20.67	N/A
Majority			7,920	58.76	N/A
Turnout			18,032	74.88	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

By-Election 17 February 1915: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. R.W.H. O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 8 December 1910: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. A.E.B. O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 18 January 1910: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. A.E.B. O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 22 January 1906: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	3,367	56.65	N/A
	Russellite Unionist	John Hamilton Verschoyle	2,577	43.35	N/A
Majority			790	13.29	N/A
Turnout			7,337	81.01	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 5 October 1900: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 19 July 1895: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 8 July 1892: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Irish Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 10 July 1886: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	4,631	83.23	+83.23
	Liberal	James Hamilton McKelvey	933	16.77	-24.61
Majority			3,698	66.46	N/A
Turnout			8,307	66.98	-11.81
	Irish Unionist gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

General Election 2 December 1885: Mid Antrim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill	3,832	58.55	N/A
	Liberal	Thomas Alexander Dickson	2,713	41.45	N/A
Majority			1,119	17.10	N/A
Turnout			8,307	78.79	N/A
	Conservative gain from new seat		Swing	N/A

References

• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886–1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978)
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919–1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)
• Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921–1972, compiled and edited by Sydney Elliott (Political Reference Publications 1973)
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)

External links

• http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0
• http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html
• For the exact definition of Northern Ireland constituency boundaries see http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/boundaries.html

See also

• List of Irish constituencies
• List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland
• Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918
• MPs elected in the UK general election, 1918
• List of Dáil Éireann constituencies in Ireland (historic)
• Members of the 1st Dáil