Limerick City (UK Parliament constituency)

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Limerick City
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1801–1922
Number of members1 (1801–1832)
2 (1832–1885)
1 (1885–1922)
Replaced byLimerick City–Limerick East
Created fromLimerick City

Limerick City was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Ireland. It returned one MP 1801–1832, two MPs 1832–1885 and one thereafter. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801. It ceased to be represented in the United Kingdom Parliament in 1922.

Boundaries[]

This was a borough constituency, comprising the parliamentary borough of Limerick in County Limerick. It was south of Clare East but was otherwise surrounded by Limerick East.

Members of Parliament[]

One member 1801–1832[]

Election Member Party Note
1801, 1 January Henry Deane Grady 1801: Co-opted
1802, 16 July Charles Vereker Tory Succeeded as the 2nd Viscount Gort
Hon. John Vereker Tory[1] Unseated on petition
1820, 3 July Thomas Spring Rice Whig[1] Declared duly elected
1832 Constituency allocated two seats

Two members 1832–1885[]

Election First member First party Second member Second party
1832, 21 December Repeal Association[1][2] Sir David Roche, Bt a Repeal Association[1][2]
1841, 6 July John O'Brien Radical[3][1]
James Kelly Repeal Association[2]
1847, 6 August Repeal Association[2][4] John O'Connell a Repeal Association[2][4]
Henry Fitzalan-Howard Independent Whig[5]
1852, 15 July Robert Potter b Ind. Irish[2] Francis William Russell b Whig[6][7]
James O'Brien c Whig[6]
George Gavin d Ind. Irish[8]
James Spaight Conservative[2]
1859, 5 May George Gavin Liberal[2] Liberal[2]
1871, 20 September Isaac Butt Home Rule League[2]
1874, 5 February Richard O'Shaughnessy e Home Rule League[2]
1879, 20 September Daniel Fitzgerald Gabbett Home Rule League[2]
Edward McMahon Home Rule League[2]
1885 Constituency allocated one seat

Notes:-

  • a Resigned.
  • b Died.
  • c Appointed a Judge of the Irish Court of Queen's Bench.
  • d Unseated on petition and new writ issued.
  • e Appointed Registrar of Petty Sessions Clerk.

One member 1885–1922[]

Election Member Party
1885, 27 November Henry Joseph Gill Irish Parliamentary[2]
1888, 17 April Francis Arthur O'Keefe Irish Parliamentary[2]
1892, 7 July Irish National Federation[2]
1895, 13 July John Daly Irish National League[2]
Francis Arthur O'Keefe Irish National Federation[2]
1900, 4 October Michael Joyce Irish Parliamentary Party[2]
1918, 14 December Michael Colivet Sinn Féin[2]
1922 Constituency abolished

Elections[]

In 1801–1832 and 1885–1922 the constituency used the first past the post electoral system to fill its one seat. In 1832–1885 the block vote was used to elect two members and first past the post to return one member at by-elections.

Elections in the 1830s[]

General election 1830: Limerick City[2][1][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Thomas Spring Rice 796 62.1
Irish Repeal Samuel Dickson 485 37.9
Majority 311 24.2
Turnout 1,281 c. 40.0
Registered electors c. 3,200
Whig hold
General election 1831: Limerick City[2][1][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Thomas Spring Rice Unopposed
Registered electors 3,200
Whig hold
General election 1832: Limerick City[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal William Roche (Irish politician) 1,648 38.1
Irish Repeal David Roche 1,285 29.7
Tory John Vereker 1,105 25.5
Irish Repeal Samuel Dickson 184 4.3
Tory Ralph Westropp 104 2.4
Majority 180 4.2
Turnout 2,444 85.2
Registered electors 2,868
Irish Repeal gain from Whig
Irish Repeal win (new seat)
General election 1835: Limerick City[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal (Whig) William Roche (Irish politician) Unopposed
Irish Repeal (Whig) David Roche Unopposed
Registered electors 2,976
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1837: Limerick City[2][1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Irish Repeal (Whig) William Roche (Irish politician) 973 40.2
Irish Repeal (Whig) David Roche 960 39.7
Conservative William Monsell 387 16.0
Conservative Thomas Wilson 101 4.2
Majority 573 23.7
Turnout 1,355 38.3
Registered electors 3,534
Irish Repeal hold
Irish Repeal hold

Elections in the 1840s[]

General election 1841: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Radical John O'Brien Unopposed
Irish Repeal David Roche Unopposed
Registered electors 1,893
Radical gain from Irish Repeal
Irish Repeal hold

Roche resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal James Kelly Unopposed
Irish Repeal hold
General election 1847: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal John O'Connell 583 50.4 N/A
Irish Repeal John O'Brien 537 46.4 N/A
Irish Confederate Richard O'Gorman 37 3.2 New
Majority 500 43.2 N/A
Turnout 579 (est) 28.1 (est) N/A
Registered electors 2,063
Irish Repeal hold Swing N/A
Irish Repeal gain from Radical Swing N/A

Elections in the 1850s[]

O'Connell resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Whig Henry Fitzalan-Howard Unopposed
Ind. Whig gain from Irish Repeal
General election 1852: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Irish Robert Potter 512 33.6 New
Whig Francis William Russell 461 30.2 New
Whig James O'Brien 457 30.0 New
Conservative Thadeus McDonnell 94 6.2 New
Turnout 762 (est) 66.6 (est) +35.5
Registered electors 1,144
Majority 51 3.4 N/A
Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal Swing
Majority 367 0.2 N/A
Whig gain from Ind. Whig

Potter's death caused a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig James O'Brien Unopposed
Whig gain from Independent Irish
General election 1857: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Francis William Russell Unopposed
Whig James O'Brien Unopposed
Registered electors 1,913
Whig hold
Whig gain from Independent Irish

O'Brien resigned after being appointed a judge of the Queen's Bench, causing a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Irish George Gavin 782 51.6 N/A
Whig John Ball[8] 733 48.4 N/A
Majority 49 3.2 N/A
Turnout 1,515 79.2 N/A
Registered electors 1,913
Independent Irish gain from Whig Swing N/A

On petition, Gavin was unseated, causing a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Spaight Unopposed
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1859: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Francis William Russell 1,208 41.4 N/A
Liberal George Gavin 902 30.9 N/A
Conservative James Spaight 807 27.7 New
Majority 95 3.2 N/A
Turnout 1,458 (est) 72.4 (est) N/A
Registered electors 2,013
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1860s[]

General election 1865: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Gavin 1,004 40.1 +9.2
Liberal Francis William Russell 838 33.5 −7.9
Conservative James Spaight 658 26.3 −1.4
Conservative Josh Seaward 4 0.2 N/A
Majority 180 7.2 +4.0
Turnout 1,579 (est) 78.8 (est) +6.4
Registered electors 2,005
Liberal hold Swing +5.0
Liberal hold Swing −3.6
General election 1868: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Gavin 1,026 37.6 −2.5
Liberal Francis William Russell 794 29.1 −4.4
Liberal-Conservative Peter Tait[10] 720 26.4 New
Independent Nationalist Richard Pigott 187 6.9 New
Majority 74 2.7 −5.5
Turnout 1,364 (est) 67.1 (est) −11.7
Registered electors 2,032
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s[]

Russell's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 20 Sep 1871: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Isaac Butt Unopposed
Registered electors 2,193
Home Rule gain from Liberal
General election 1874: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Isaac Butt 856 30.3 N/A
Home Rule Richard O'Shaughnessy 848 30.0 N/A
Conservative James Spaight 587 20.8 New
Home Rule Peter Tait 291 10.3 −16.1
Home Rule Charles Smyth Vereker 242 8.6 N/A
Majority 261 9.2 N/A
Turnout 1,706 (est) 85.1 (est) +18.0
Registered electors 2,004
Home Rule gain from Liberal
Home Rule gain from Liberal

Butt's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 23 May 1879: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Daniel Fitzgerald Gabbett 860 56.7 −22.5
Conservative James Spaight 658 43.3 +22.5
Majority 202 13.4 +4.2
Turnout 1,518 78.7 −6.4
Registered electors 1,930
Home Rule hold Swing −22.5

Elections in the 1880s[]

General election 1880: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Richard O'Shaughnessy 1,109 40.8 +10.8
Home Rule Daniel Fitzgerald Gabbett 989 36.4 +6.1
Conservative James Spaight 620 22.8 +2.0
Majority 369 13.6 +4.4
Turnout 1,729 (est) 89.4 (est) +4.3
Registered electors 1,934
Home Rule hold Swing +4.9
Home Rule hold Swing +3.6

O'Shaughnessy resigned after being appointed a registrar of petty sessions clerk, causing a by-election.

: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Edward McMahon 922 66.1 −11.1
Conservative James Spaight 473 33.9 +11.1
Majority 449 32.2 +18.6
Turnout 1,395 71.0 −18.4 (est)
Registered electors 1,964
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing +11.1

For the 1885 election, the seat was reduced to one MP.

General election 1885: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Henry Joseph Gill 3,098 83.0 +5.8
Conservative James Spaight 635 17.0 −5.8
Majority 2,463 66.0 +52.4
Turnout 3,733 62.1 −27.3 (est)
Registered electors 6,010
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing +5.8
General election 1886: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Henry Joseph Gill Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold
By-election 1888: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Francis Arthur O'Keefe Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold

Elections in the 1890s[]

General election 1892: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish National Federation Francis Arthur O'Keefe 1,878 55.8 N/A
Irish National League Pat O'Brien 1,490 44.2 N/A
Majority 388 11.6 N/A
Turnout 3,368 66.2 N/A
Registered electors 5,084
Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing N/A
General election 1895: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish National League John Daly Unopposed
Irish National League gain from Irish National Federation

Daly, who was serving a term of life imprisonment, was elected unopposed after the Official Nationalist candidate (O'Keefe) withdrew in his favour. As a convicted felon, Daly was not eligible to sit in the House of Commons, and the election was declared void.

By-election, 1895: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish National Federation Francis Arthur O'Keefe 1,851 51.2 -4.6
Irish National League Joseph Nolan 1,764 48.8 +4.6
Majority 87 2.4 N/A
Turnout 3,615 66.9 +0.7
Registered electors 5,407
Irish National Federation gain from Irish National League Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s[]

General election 1900: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Michael Joyce 2,521 84.2 N/A
Irish Unionist Francis Edgar Kearney 474 15.8 New
Majority 2,047 11.4 N/A
Turnout 2,995 68.3 N/A
Registered electors 5,297
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General election 1906: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Michael Joyce Unopposed
Irish Parliamentary hold

Elections in the 1910s[]

General election January 1910: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Michael Joyce 2,137 68.7 N/A
All-for-Ireland John Rice 973 31.3 New
Majority 1,164 37.4 N/A
Turnout 3,110 66.4 N/A
Registered electors 4,686
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing N/A
General election December 1910: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Michael Joyce 2,452 78.2 +9.5
All-for-Ireland John Rice 682 21.8 −9.5
Majority 1,770 56.4 +19.0
Turnout 3,134 66.9 +0.5
Registered electors 4,686
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing +9.5
General election 1918: Limerick City[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Michael Colivet Unopposed
Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary

See also[]

  • List of UK Parliament Constituencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Smith, Henry Stooks (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections (Second ed.). Simpkin, Marshall & Company. pp. 232–233.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba Walker, B. M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
  3. ^ Warwick, William Atkinson (1841). The House of Commons: As Elected to the Fourteenth Parliament of the United Kingdom, Being the Second of Victoria. London: Saunders and Otley. p. 150.
  4. ^ a b "Freeman's Journal". 2 August 1847. p. 3. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ Kent, William Charles Mark (1891). "Howard, Henry Granville Fitzalan" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 28. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  6. ^ a b "Freeman's Journal". 24 March 1857. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Dublin Evening Mail". 11 March 1857. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 5 October 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ a b "Gavin and Ball". Kilkenny Journal, and Leinster Commercial and Literary Advertiser. County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. 24 January 1858. p. 4. Retrieved 25 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ a b Farrell, Stephen. "Limerick". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Limerick City". The Irishman. 28 November 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 25 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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