Mid Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1922

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

Mid Antrim

Former county constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1922
Created from| Antrim
Replaced by| Antrim

Mid Antrim was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland and after 1921 Northern Ireland which returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922, using the first past the post electoral system.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

[edit]

This county constituency comprised the central part of County Antrim, specifically the baronies of Glenarm Lower, Toome Lower, part of the barony of Antrim Lower (those parts in the parishes of Ahoghill, Ballyclug, Glenwhirry, Racavan and Skerry, and the townlands of Appletree, Ballee, Ballycowan, Carnaghts, Crevilly Valley, Cromkill, Slaght, Tullaghgarley and Tullynamullan in the parish of Connor), and that part of the barony of Antrim Upper in the parish of Ahoghill. It was bounded to the north by Antrim North, to the west by Londonderry South, to the south by Antrim South and Antrim East and to the east by the sea.

Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election 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

[edit]

The 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Election | Member | Party

|
|

| 1885 | Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill | Conservative
| 1891 | Irish Unionist
| Jan 1910 | Hon. Arthur O'Neill | Irish Unionist
| 1915 (b) | Hon. Hugh O'Neill | Irish Unionist
| May 1921 | Ulster Unionist
1922 | constituency abolished

## Elections

[edit]

### Elections in the 1910s

[edit]

1918 general election: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Hugh O'Neill | 10,711  | 79.3  | N/A
| Sinn Féin | Joseph Connolly | 2,791  | 20.7  | New
Majority | 7,920  | 58.6  | N/A
Turnout | 13,502  | 74.9  | N/A
| Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |
By-Election 17 February 1915: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Hugh O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold
General election 8 December 1910: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Arthur O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold
General election 18 January 1910: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Arthur O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold

### Elections in the 1900s

[edit]

General election 22 January 1906: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 3,367  | 56.6  | N/A
| Russellite Unionist | John Hamilton Verschoyle  | 2,577  | 43.4  | New
Majority | 790  | 13.2  | N/A
Turnout | 5,944  | 81.0  | N/A
Registered electors | 7,337  |  |
| Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |
General election 5 October 1900: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold

### Elections in the 1890s

[edit]

General election 19 July 1895: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold
General election 8 July 1892: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed
| Irish Unionist hold

### Elections in the 1880s

[edit]

General election 10 July 1886: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Conservative | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 4,631  | 83.2  | +24.7
| Liberal | James Hamilton McKelvey  | 933  | 16.8  | −24.7
Majority | 3,698  | 66.4  | +49.4
Turnout | 5,564  | 67.0  | −11.8
Registered electors | 8,307  |  |
| Irish Conservative hold | Swing | +24.7  |
General election 2 December 1885: Mid Antrim[1] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Irish Conservative | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 3,832  | 58.5  |
| Liberal | Thomas Alexander Dickson | 2,713  | 41.5  |
Majority | 1,119  | 17.0  |
Turnout | 6,545  | 78.8  |
Registered electors | 8,307  |  |
| Irish Conservative win (new seat)

### See also

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 325–326, 383. ISBN 0901714127.

Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.

* Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1978). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume II 1886–1918. The Harvester Press.
* Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1979). 'Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume III 1919–1945. The Harvester Press.
* 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

[edit]

* Oireachtas members database
* For the exact definition of Northern Ireland constituency boundaries see http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/boundaries.html

* v
* t
* e

Parliamentary constituencies in County Antrim and the city of Belfast

Parliament of Ireland
to 1800|

* County Antrim (???–1800)
* Antrim (1666–1800)
* Belfast (1613–1800)
* Carrickfergus (1326–1800)
* Lisburn (1661–1800)
* Randalstown (???–1800)

Westminster 1801–present|

| Historic|

* Antrim (1801–85, 1922–50)
* Mid Antrim (1885–1922)
* Belfast (1801–85)
* Belfast Cromac (1918–22)
* Belfast Duncairn (1918–22)
* Belfast Falls (1918–22)
* Belfast Ormeau (1918–22)
* Belfast Pottinger (1918–22)
* Belfast Shankill (1918–22)
* Belfast South (1885–1918, 1922–2024)
* Belfast St Anne's (1918–22)
* Belfast Victoria (1918–22)
* Belfast Woodvale (1918–22)
* Carrickfergus (1801–85)
* Lisburn (1801–85)
* Queen's University of Belfast (1918–50)

|

Current|

* East Antrim (1885–1922, 1983—)
* North Antrim (1885–1922, 1950—)
* South Antrim (1885–1922, 1950—)
* Belfast East (1885–1918, 1922—)
* Belfast North (1885–1918, 1922—)
* Belfast South and Mid Down (2024—)
* Belfast West (1885–1918, 1922—)
* Lagan Valley 1983—

Dáil Éireann
Revolutionary era 1919–1922|

| First Dáil
1919–21|

| Seats taken|

(none)

|

No seats taken|

* East Antrim
* Mid Antrim
* North Antrim
* South Antrim
* Belfast Cromac
* Belfast Duncairn
* Belfast Falls
* Belfast Ormeau
* Belfast Pottinger
* Belfast St Anne's
* Belfast Shankill
* Belfast Victoria
* Belfast Woodvale
* Queen's University of Belfast

Second Dáil
1921–22|

| Seats taken|

(none)

|

No seats taken|

* Antrim
* Belfast East
* Belfast North
* Belfast South
* Belfast West
* Queen's University of Belfast

Parliament of Northern Ireland
1921–72|

| 1921–29|

* Antrim (1921–29)
* Belfast East (1921–29)
* Belfast North (1921–29)
* Belfast South (1921–29)
* West Belfast (1921–29)
* Queen's University of Belfast (1921–69)

|

1929–72|

* Bannside (1929–72)
* Belfast Ballynafeigh (1929–72)
* Belfast Bloomfield (1929–72)
* Belfast Central (1929–72)
* Belfast Clifton (1929–72)
* Belfast Cromac (1929–72)
* Belfast Dock (1929–72)
* Belfast Duncairn (1929–72)
* Belfast Falls (1929–72)
* Belfast Oldpark (1929–72)
* Belfast Pottinger (1929–72)
* Belfast Shankill (1929–72)
* Belfast St Anne's (1929–72)
* Belfast Victoria (1929–72)
* Belfast Willowfield (1929–72)
* Belfast Windsor (1929–72)
* Belfast Woodvale (1929–72)
* Carrick (1929–72)
* Larkfield (1969–72)
* Larne (1929–72)
* Mid Antrim (1929–72)
* Newtownabbey (1969–72)
* North Antrim (1929–72)
* Queen's University of Belfast (1921–69)
* South Antrim (1929–72)

Northern Ireland Assemblies|

| Assembly 1973–74
Constitutional Convention 1975–76
Assembly 1982–86|

* North Antrim
* South Antrim
* Belfast East
* Belfast North
* Belfast South
* Belfast West

|

Northern Ireland Forum 1996–98
Assembly (1998–present)|

* East Antrim
* North Antrim
* South Antrim
* Belfast East
* Belfast North
* Belfast South
* Belfast West
* Lagan Valley

European Parliament
1979–2020|

* Northern Ireland

Constituencies in Ireland by county

Republic of Ireland|

* Carlow
* Cavan
* Clare
* Cork
* Donegal
* Dublin
* Galway
* Kerry
* Kildare
* Kilkenny
* Laois
* Leitrim
* Limerick
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* Louth
* Mayo
* Meath
* Monaghan
* Offaly
* Roscommon
* Sligo
* Tipperary
* Waterford
* Westmeath
* Wexford
* Wicklow

Northern Ireland|

* Antrim
* Armagh
* Down
* Fermanagh
* Londonderry
* Tyrone

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