East Kerry (UK Parliament constituency)

UK former constituency infobox
Name = East Kerry
Type = County
Year = 1885
Abolition = 1922
Members = One

East Kerry was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Kerry constituency. Following the Anglo Irish Agreement and the formation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the area was no longer represented in the UK Parliament, as it was no longer part of the UK. The successor constituency in the new Dáil Éireann was Kerry-Limerick West first established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 to elect members to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland in 1921.

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the eastern part of County Kerry.

Members of Parliament

¹He was elected as an Independent Nationalist but announced to the press that he would join the IPP two days after beating their candidate (John Murphy) in the election. ["The Times (London)", Friday, January 28 1910 p. 7 col. E]

Elections

1885

Jeremiah Daniel Sheehan was returned with a massive majority over his opponent, C H de G Robertson:
*Sheehan (Nationalist): 3069
*Robertson (Conservative): 30-Majority: 3039

This remains the largest majority by percentage of the vote in any UK Parliamentary election.

1886

Sheehan (Nationalist) was returned unopposed.

1892

Sheehan was returned again with a large majority over his opponent, Captain John McGillycuddy:
*Sheehan (Anti-Parnellite Nationalist): 2600
*McGillycuddy (Conservative): 253-Majority: 2347

1895

Michael Davitt (Anti-Parnellite Nationalist) was returned unopposed, but he also stood for election and won in South Mayo. He took up the South Mayo seat and Kerry East remained vacant until the by-election the following year.

1896

Roche (Anti-Parnellite Nationalist) was returned but with fewer votes than his Nationalist predecessors. It was thought he lost some support because as a divorced man he was less popular with the Catholic vote. ["The Times (London)" Friday, 27 March 1896, p. 7 col. F]
*The Hon James Burke Roche (Anti-Parnellite Nationalist): 1961
*John McGillycuddy (Conservative): 680-Majority: 1281

1900

Murphy (Nationalist) was returned unopposed.

1906

In a closely-fought contest between two Nationalist factions, Murphy was returned by a narrow margin:
*John Murphy (Nationalist): 2185
*Eugene O'Sullivan (Nationalist): 2131-Majority: 54

January 1910

The incumbent Murphy (Official Nationalist) was beaten by Independent candidate, Eugene O'Sullivan, who was a follower of William O'Brien's All-for-Ireland League. Shortly after being elected, O'Sullivan re-joined the official Nationalists, but Murphy petitioned the courts claiming that the vote had been rigged and that O'Sullivan had only won through violence and intimidation. The court cleared O'Sullivan of vote rigging but found him guilty of intimidation. ["The Times (London)", Wednesday 22 June 1910, p. 10 col. B] The election was declared void, unseating O'Sullivan and creating a vacancy.
*O'Sullivan (Independent Nationalist): 2643
*Murphy (Nationalist): 2154-Majority: 489

December 1910

Eugene O'Sullivan's cousin, Timothy O'Sullivan, stood for the Nationalists. The Independent Nationalist All-for-Ireland candidate, Patrick Guiney, contested both this seat and North Cork. Although he lost in East Kerry, he was elected unopposed in North Cork, so both candidates became Members of Parliament, albeit for different constituencies. As earlier in the year, the election was marred by election violence, which included a riot at Castleisland. ["The Times (London)", Thursday, 15 December 1910; p. 6 col. D]
*O'Sullivan (Official Nationalist)
*Guiney (Independent Nationalist)-Majority: 1253

1918

Beasley (Sinn Féin) was returned unopposed. In accordance with his party's policy, he declined to take his seat in the British House of Commons, sitting instead in the Irish revolutionary assembly, Dáil Éireann.

References