Dublin City
Former borough constituency
for the House of Commons
CountyDublin
BoroughDublin
1801–1885
Seats2
Created fromDublin City
Replaced by

Dublin City was an Irish borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It comprised the city of Dublin in the county of Dublin, and was represented by two Members of Parliament from its creation in 1801 until 1885.

In 1885, Dublin City was split into four divisions which were separate single member constituencies: Dublin College Green, Dublin Harbour, Dublin St Stephen's Green and Dublin St Patrick's.

Boundaries

The red border delineates the border of the Dublin City constituency between 1832 and 1840.

The city of Dublin was accounted a county of itself, although it remained connected with County Dublin for certain purposes. A Topographical Directory of Ireland, published in 1837, describes the Parliamentary history of the city:

The city returns two members to the Imperial parliament; the right of election, formerly vested in the corporation, freemen, and 40s. freeholders, has been extended to the £10 householders, and £20 and £10 leaseholders for the respective terms of 14 and 20 years, by the act of the 2nd of William IV., cap. 88. The number of voters registered at the first general election under that act was 7041, of which number, 5126 voted. The limits of the city, for electoral purposes, include an area of 3538 statute acres, the boundaries of which are minutely detailed in the Appendix; the number of freemen is about 3500, of whom 2500 are resident and 1000 non-resident, and the number of £10 houses is 16,000 : the sheriffs are the returning officers.

The boundary was defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 as:

The County of the City of Dublin, and such Parts of the County at large as lie within the Circular Road.

Members of Parliament

Year 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party
1801, 1 January John Claudius Beresford[1] Tory[2] Rt Hon. George Ogle Tory[2]
1802, 21 July John La Touche Whig[2]
1804, 31 March Sir Robert Shaw, Bt Tory[2]
1806, 19 November Rt Hon. Henry Grattan[3] Whig[2]
1820, 30 June Thomas Ellis Tory[2]
1826, 12 June Henry Grattan Whig[2] George Moore Tory[2]
1830, 4 August Sir Frederick Shaw, Bt Tory[2]
1831, 19 May[4] Sir Robert Harty, Bt Whig[2] Louis Perrin Whig[2]
1832, 18 August [5] Sir Frederick Shaw, Bt Tory[2] Henry Chetwynd-Talbot Tory[2]
1832, 22 December[6] Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association[2] Edward Southwell Ruthven Repeal Association[2]
1836, 16 May George Alexander Hamilton Conservative[2] John Beattie West Conservative[2]
1837, 5 August[7] Daniel O'Connell Repeal Association[2] Robert Hutton Whig[8]
1841, 10 July John Beattie West[9] Conservative[2] Sir Edward Grogan, Bt[10] Conservative[2]
1842, 29 January William Henry Gregory Conservative[2]
1847, 7 August John Reynolds Repeal Association
1852, 12 July John Vance Conservative
1865, 17 July Sir Benjamin Guinness, Bt Conservative Jonathan Pim Liberal
1868, 1 June Sir Arthur Guinness, Bt[11] Conservative
1870, 18 August Sir Dominic Corrigan, Bt Liberal
1874, 6 February Sir Arthur Guinness, Bt Conservative Maurice Brooks[12] Home Rule League
1880, 5 April Robert Dyer Lyons Liberal
1882 Irish Parliamentary
1885 constituency abolished

Elections

From 1832 (when registers of electors were first prepared) a turnout figure is given, for the percentage of the registered electors who voted. If the number of registered electors eligible to take part in a contested election is unknown, then the last known electorate figure is used to calculate an estimated turnout. If the numbers of registered electors and electors taking part in the poll are known, an exact turnout figure is calculated. In two member elections (in which an elector could cast one or two votes as he chose), where the exact number of electors participating is unknown, an estimated turnout figure is given. This is calculated by dividing the total number of votes cast by two. To the extent that electors used only one of their votes the estimated turnout figure is an underestimate.

Elections in the 1800s

General election 21 July 1802: Dublin City
2 seats
15 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Claudius Beresford 1,965 35.34
Whig John La Touche 1,673 30.08
Tory George Ogle 1,281 23.04
Whig Jonah Barrington 642 11.54
Majority 392 7.04
Turnout 5,561
Tory win (new seat)
Whig win (new seat)
Dublin by-election, 31 March 1804
Caused by resignation of Beresford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Robert Shaw Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory hold Swing
General election 19 November 1806: Dublin City
2 seats
8 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan 1,675 34.64
Tory Robert Shaw 1,638 33.88
Whig John La Touche 1,522 31.48
Majority 116 2.40 N/A
Turnout 4,835
Whig hold Swing
Tory hold Swing
General election 15 May 1807: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Shaw Unopposed N/A N/A

Elections in the 1810s

General election 19 October 1812: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Shaw Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A
General election 30 June 1818: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Shaw Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A

Elections in the 1820s

General election 16 March 1820: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory Robert Shaw Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A
Dublin by-election, 30 June 1820
Caused by the death of Grattan
6 day poll
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Thomas Ellis 1,137 59.03 N/A
Whig Henry Grattan 789 40.97 N/A
Majority 348 18.06 N/A
Turnout 1,926 N/A N/A
Tory gain from Whig Swing
General election 12 June 1826: Dublin City
2 seats
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Henry Grattan Unopposed N/A N/A
Tory George Moore Unopposed N/A N/A
Turnout N/A N/A N/A

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Dublin City[13][2][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory George Moore (Dublin MP) 1,852 41.6
Tory Frederick Shaw 1,579 35.5
Whig Henry Grattan, Jr. 1,014 22.8
Tory Edward Cottingham 5 0.1
Whig John Milley Doyle 2 0.0
Majority 565 12.7
Turnout 2,803 c. 49.2
Registered electors c. 5,700
Tory hold
Tory gain from Whig
General election 1831: Dublin City[13][2][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig Robert Harty 1,943 27.7 +4.9
Whig Louis Perrin 1,935 27.6 +27.6
Tory George Moore (Dublin MP) 1,568 22.4 −19.2
Tory Frederick Shaw 1,562 22.3 −13.2
Majority 367 5.2 N/A
Turnout 3,613 c. 63.4 c. +14.2
Registered electors c. 5,700
Whig gain from Tory Swing +10.6
Whig gain from Tory Swing +21.9

On petition, Harty and Perrin were unseated, causing a by-election.

By-election, 18 August 1831: Dublin City[13][2][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Frederick Shaw 1,292 28.3 +6.0
Tory Henry Chetwynd-Talbot 1,250 27.4 +5.0
Whig David Charles LaTouche 1,053 23.1 −4.6
Whig Michael O'Loghlen 937 20.5 −7.1
Whig Marcus Costello 28 0.6 New
Majority 197 4.3 −0.9
Turnout c. 2,280 c. 40.0 c. −23.4
Registered electors c. 5,700
Tory gain from Whig Swing +5.9
Tory gain from Whig Swing +5.4
General election 1832: Dublin City[13][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell 3,411 32.6 New
Irish Repeal Edward Southwell Ruthven 3,352 32.0 New
Tory John Beattie West 1,862 17.8 −4.6
Tory George Rich 1,837 17.6 −4.7
Majority 1,490 14.2 N/A
Turnout 5,273 75.2 c. +11.8
Registered electors 7,008
Irish Repeal gain from Whig Swing N/A
Irish Repeal gain from Whig Swing N/A
General election 1835: Dublin City[13][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Daniel O'Connell 2,678 26.2 −6.4
Irish Repeal (Whig) Edward Southwell Ruthven 2,630 25.7 −6.3
Conservative George Alexander Hamilton 2,461 24.1 +6.3
Conservative John Beattie West 2,455 24.0 +6.4
Majority 169 1.6 −12.6
Turnout 5,101 71.7 −3.5
Registered electors 7,113
Irish Repeal hold Swing −6.4
Irish Repeal hold Swing −6.3
General election 1837: Dublin City[13][2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Repeal (Whig) Daniel O'Connell 3,556 25.4 −0.8
Whig Robert Hutton 3,542 25.3 −0.4
Conservative George Alexander Hamilton 3,467 24.7 +0.6
Conservative John Beattie West 3,461 24.7 +0.7
Turnout 6,972 61.1 −10.6
Registered electors 11,409
Majority 14 0.1 -1.5
Irish Repeal hold Swing −0.7
Majority 75 0.6 N/A
Whig gain from Irish Repeal Swing −0.5

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Dublin City[13][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Beattie West 3,860 25.6 +0.9
Conservative Edward Grogan 3,839 25.5 +0.8
Irish Repeal Daniel O'Connell 3,692 24.5 −0.9
Whig Robert Hutton 3,662 24.3 −1.0
Majority 147 1.0 N/A
Turnout 7,919 64.6 +3.5
Registered electors 12,264
Conservative gain from Irish Repeal Swing +0.9
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +0.9

West's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 29 January 1842: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Henry Gregory 3,825 52.7 +1.6
Whig George Howard 3,435 47.3 +23.0
Majority 390 5.4 +4.4
Turnout 7,260 59.2 −5.4
Registered electors 12,264 (1841 figure)
Conservative hold Swing −10.7
General election 1847: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Grogan 3,353 34.5 +9.0
Irish Repeal John Reynolds 3,229 33.3 +8.8
Peelite William Henry Gregory 3,125 32.2 New
Turnout 4,854 (est) 24.8 (est) −39.8
Registered electors 19,562
Majority 124 1.2 +0.2
Conservative hold Swing −0.4
Majority 104 1.1 N/A
Irish Repeal gain from Conservative Swing +0.4

On petition, the poll was amended and 92 votes were struck off Reynolds, although this did not cause him to be declared unelected.

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Grogan 4,531 37.8 +20.5
Conservative John Vance 4,429 37.0 +19.7
Independent Irish John Reynolds 3,019 25.2 −8.1
Majority 1,410 11.8 +11.6
Turnout 7,499 (est) 66.4 (est) +39.6
Registered electors 11,290
Conservative hold Swing +12.3
Conservative gain from Irish Repeal Swing +11.9
General election 1857: Dublin City[13][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Grogan 3,767 26.5 −11.3
Conservative John Vance 3,711 26.1 −10.9
Whig Francis William Brady 3,405 23.9 −1.3
Whig John Reynolds 3,348 23.5 New
Majority 306 2.2 −9.6
Turnout 7,116 (est) 71.8 (est) +5.4
Registered electors 9,905
Conservative hold Swing −11.2
Conservative hold Swing −11.0
General election 1859: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Grogan 4,251 26.0 −0.5
Conservative John Vance 4,224 25.9 −0.2
Liberal Francis William Brady 3,976 24.3 +0.4
Liberal Alexander McCarthy 3,881 23.8 +0.3
Majority 248 1.6 −0.6
Turnout 8,166 (est) 78.8 +7.0
Registered electors 10,367
Conservative hold Swing −0.4
Conservative hold Swing −0.3

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Benjamin Guinness 4,739 35.2 +9.2
Liberal Jonathan Pim 4,653 34.6 −13.5
Conservative John Vance 4,073 30.2 +4.3
Turnout 9,059 (est) 84.9 (est) +6.1
Registered electors 10,666
Majority 86 0.6 −1.0
Conservative hold Swing +8.0
Majority 580 4.4 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing −13.5

Guinness' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 1 June 1868: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Guinness Unopposed
Registered electors
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Guinness 5,587 25.4 −9.8
Liberal Jonathan Pim 5,586 25.4 +8.1
Conservative David Plunket 5,452 24.8 −5.4
Liberal Dominic Corrigan 5,379 24.4 +7.1
Turnout 11,002 (est) 85.3 (est) +0.4
Registered electors 12,899
Majority 1 0.0 −0.6
Conservative hold Swing −8.5
Majority 134 0.6 −3.8
Liberal hold Swing +6.8

Elections in the 1870s

On petition, Guinness was unseated.

By-election, 18 Aug 1870: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dominic Corrigan 4,468 56.5 +6.7
Home Rule Edward King-Harman 3,444 43.5 New
Majority 1,024 13.0 N/A
Turnout 7,912 61.3 −24.0
Registered electors 12,899
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1874: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Arthur Guinness 5,213 41.7 −8.5
Home Rule Maurice Brooks 4,838 38.7 N/A
Liberal Jonathan Pim 1,937 15.5 −34.3
Home Rule Edward Fox 515 4.1 N/A
Turnout 6,252 (est) 51.8 (est) −33.5
Registered electors 12,067
Majority 375 3.0 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing +12.9
Majority 2,901 23.2 N/A
Home Rule gain from Liberal Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Dublin City[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Maurice Brooks 5,763 26.3 −12.4
Liberal Robert Dyer Lyons 5,647 25.8 +10.3
Conservative Arthur Guinness 5,446 24.9 +4.0
Conservative James Stirling 5,059 23.1 +2.2
Turnout 10,958 (est) 80.6 (est) +28.8
Registered electors 13,599
Majority 116 0.5 −22.7
Home Rule hold Swing −8.2
Majority 201 0.9 N/A
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +4.1

Notes

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
  1. ^ Beresford resigned 1804.
  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 Stooks Smith, Henry (1842). The Register of Parliamentary Contested Elections: Containing the Uncontested Elections Since 1830. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. pp. 224–225. Retrieved 15 May 2020 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Grattan died 1820.
  4. ^ Harty and Perrin were unseated on petition and a new writ was issued, 1831.
  5. ^ The 1832 by-election was the last contest in Ireland for the Unreformed House of Commons.
  6. ^ O'Connell and Ruthven were re-elected in 1835, as the candidates of a Whig/Repealer electoral pact. As the result of an election petition, the result of the 1835 election was reversed. O'Connell and Ruthven were unseated, with Hamilton and West being declared duly elected, on 16 May 1836.
  7. ^ O'Connell and Hutton were the candidates, in 1837, of a Whig/Repealer electoral pact.
  8. ^ Hill, Jacqueline (2007). "The 1847 general election in Dublin city". In Blackstock, Allan; Magennis, Eoin (eds.). Politics and Political Culture in Britain and Ireland: 1750–1850. Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-903688-68-7. Retrieved 21 August 2019 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ West died 1842.
  10. ^ Grogan was a Baronet from 23 April 1859.
  11. ^ On petition after the 1868 general election, Guinness was unseated and a new writ was issued in 1870.
  12. ^ The Home Rule League was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1882.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 210–211, 271–272. ISBN 0901714127.
  14. ^ a b c Farrell, Stephen. "Dublin". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  15. ^ Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons, Volume 50. 1843. Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "City Election—Meeting of Freemen". Saunders's News-Letter. 27 March 1857. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 30 September 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

References

External links

Parliamentary constituencies in Dublin City and County
Categories