54°33′25″N 6°18′40″W / 54.557°N 6.311°W / 54.557; -6.311

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

Down 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.

Boundaries

Down was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and consisted of the administrative County Down (that is, excluding those parts of the historic county within the County Borough of Belfast). 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: Ards, East Down, Iveagh, Mid Down, Mourne, North Down, South Down and West Down.[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 Éamon de Valera, who was also elected for Clare, was the only MP elected for Down to sit as a TD in Dáil Éireann.[3]

Politics

Down had a Unionist majority, but with strong Nationalist support in the south. In both elections, six Unionists were elected, alongside one Nationalist and one Republican.

Members of Parliament

Election MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)		 MP
(Party)
1921 James Craig
(UUP)		 J. M. Andrews
(UUP)		 Thomas Lavery
(UUP)		 Harry Mulholland
(UUP)		 Robert McBride
(UUP)		 Thomas McMullan
(UUP)		 Patrick O'Neill
(Nationalist)		 Éamon de Valera
(Sinn Féin/Republican)
1925

Election results

1921 General Election: Down (8 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456789
Ulster Unionist James Craig 36.7 29,829                
Sinn Féin Éamon de Valera 26.7 21,677                
Ulster Unionist J. M. Andrews 15.5 12,584                
Nationalist Patrick O'Neill 9.0 7,317 7,332 7,806 7,809 7,811 7,814 7,818 7,820 8,171
Ulster Unionist Harry Mulholland 5.7 4,665 10,183              
Ulster Unionist Robert McBride 4.1 3,297 5,944 5,956 8,715 11,819        
Ulster Unionist Thomas Lavery 3.5 2,863 12,883              
Ulster Unionist Thomas McMullan 3.3 2,692 4,738 4,751 5,421 6,147 7,282 10,041    
Independent Labour A. Adams 1.5 1,188 1,448 1,463 1,514 1,532 1,547 1,564 1,569  
Sinn Féin Patrick Lavery 0.4 327 581 6,276 6,347 6,352 6,358 6,359 6,359 7,470
Sinn Féin Patrick M. Moore 0.2 149 197 1,236 1,245 1,252 1,255 1,272 1,284  
Electorate: 93,138   Valid: 81,180   Quota: 9,021   Turnout: 87.2%  
    1925 General Election: Down (8 seats)
    Party Candidate 1st Pref  % Seat Count
    Ulster Unionist J. M. Andrews unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Ulster Unionist James Craig unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Republican Éamon de Valera unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Ulster Unionist Thomas Lavery unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Ulster Unionist Robert McBride unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Ulster Unionist Thomas McMullan unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Ulster Unionist Harry Mulholland unopposed N/A N/A N/A
    Nationalist Patrick O'Neill unopposed N/A N/A N/A

    References

    1. ↑ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
    2. ↑ "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 May 1921 - PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
    3. ↑ "APPENDIX 19 DÁIL ÉIREANN". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 August 1921. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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