1920 Dublin Corporation election

An election to Dublin Corporation took place on Thursday 15 January 1920 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 80 councillors were elected from 5 electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office.

1920 Dublin Corporation election
15 January 1920
All 80 seats to Dublin Corporation
41 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Thomas Kelly James Hubbard Clark
Party Sinn Féin Labour Municipal Reform
Seats won 42 14 9
Map showing the largest party, and affiliation of councillors, by electoral area.

Sinn Féin received a majority of the vote in wards 1, 3, 6, and 7, and a plurality in 2, 5, 9, and 10. Independent Nationalists received a majority of the vote in ward 8, and Official Nationalists won a plurality in ward 4.

Whilst Sinn Féin was the single largest party in ward 2, Municipal Reform and Unionist candidates together won more votes.
Lord Mayor of Dublin before election

Laurence O'Neill
Independent Nationalist

 Elected Lord Mayor of Dublin

Thomas Kelly (de jure)
Laurence O'Neill (de facto)
Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin won a slight majority in the council, with 42 seats. Whilst the Sinn Féin majority was small, they emerged from the election as by far the largest party on the Dublin Corporation council.[1]

Following the election Thomas Kelly, the Sinn Féin MP for Dublin St Stephen's Green, was unanimously elected by the council as the new Lord Mayor of Dublin. Kelly was elected despite being held at the time as a political prisoner in Wormwood Scrubs prison in England. Kelly was nominated for the position by the outgoing Lord Mayor Laurence O'Neill. Due to Kelly's imprisonment O'Neill continued as effective Lord Mayor.

Results by party
Party Seats ± First Pref. votes FPv% ±%
Sinn Féin 42 38 28,069 45.92
Labour 14 5 7,693 12.58
Municipal Reform 9 9 7,011 11.47 New
Independent Nationalist 7 9,607 15.72
Irish Nationalist 4 52 3,302 5.40
Independent 2 4,087 6.69
Irish Unionist 1 4 702 1.49
Painters Society 1 1 265 0.43 New
Independent Republican 0 275 0.45
Independent Socialist 0 182 0.30
Independent Labour 0 8 0.01
Totals 80 61,131 100% —

Results by electoral area

No. 1 Electoral Area
No. 1 Electoral Area – 9 seats[2]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12
Sinn Féin Michael Staines 30.83 1,675  
Labour Thomas P. O'Reilly (ITGWU) 13.62 740  
Labour John Farren 10.84 519 589
Sinn Féin William Paul 6.87 373 741
Irish Nationalist J. Keogh 5.71 310  
Irish Nationalist T. Rooney 5.14 279  
Municipal Reform E. McGeogh 5.04 274  
Sinn Féin Patrick McIntyre 4.90 266  
Labour D. Logue 4.66 253  
Sinn Féin Annie Eliza Ashton 4.38 238  
Sinn Féin Ml. McHugh 2.87 156  
Sinn Féin Francis Nolan 2.37 129  
Irish Nationalist Thomas Kavanagh 2.12 115  
Electorate: 9,741   Valid: 5,433   Spoilt: 145   Quota: 544   Turnout: 5,578

    No. 2 Electoral Area

    While still appearing on the ballot, Independent Labour candidate J. Manning withdrew himself from the election after nominations had ended. The count was particularly long, with no candidates meeting the quota from counts 2 to 14.[2]

    No. 2 Electoral Area – 8 seats[2]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    1
    Sinn Féin Seán McGarry 16.64 1,058
    Municipal Reform James Hubbard Clark 12.08 768
    Irish Unionist W. McCarthy (incumbent) 9.15 582
    Municipal Reform James Moran (incumbent) 7.04 448
    Independent David A. Quaid (incumbent) 6.97 443
    Municipal Reform Michael Moran (incumbent) 6.93 441
    Sinn Féin Thomas Loughlin 6.07 386
    Sinn Féin Robert Rooney 5.82 370
    Independent J. P. MacAvin (incumbent) 4.06 258
    Municipal Reform John Foley (incumbent) 3.93 250
    Sinn Féin S. Macaoilte 3.35 213
    Sinn Féin Gifford Wilson 2.70 172
    Sinn Féin Mary J. McKean 2.28 145
    Independent Michael Maher (incumbent) 2.09 133
    Irish Unionist W. P. Dinnage (incumbent) 1.89 120
    Sinn Féin Sean O'Shea 1.64 104
    Independent James Brady 1.64 104
    Independent Daniel Daly (incumbent) 1.12 71
    Independent C. Monks (incumbent) 1.07 68
    Independent Patrick Ring 1.04 66
    Independent Labour J. Manning 0.13 8
    Electorate: 9,680   Valid: 6,360   Spoilt: 86   Quota: 717   Turnout: 6,446

      No. 3 Electoral Area
      No. 3 Electoral Area – 9 seats[2]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567891011
      Sinn Féin Thomas Kelly (incumbent) 41.70 3,438                    
      Municipal Reform Andrew Beattie (incumbent) 12.83 1,058                    
      Municipal Reform Sir James Gallagher (incumbent) 8.65 713 - 907                
      Municipal Reform J. R. Stritch 7.95 655 - - - - - - - 846    
      Labour O. Hynes (Bricklayers' Union) 5.46 450 - - - - - - - - 892  
      Sinn Féin Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington 4.12 340 1,551                  
      Sinn Féin T. Adkins 3.64 300 - - - - - - - - - 830
      Independent William Corrigan (incumbent) 3.46 285                    
      Sinn Féin Joe Clarke 3.40 280 - - 876              
      Independent J. J. Higgins (incumbent) 2.55 210                    
      Socialist Walter Carpenter 2.21 182                    
      Sinn Féin M. J. White 1.64 135                    
      Sinn Féin Robinsou Raul 1.15 95 - - - - - - - - - 713
      Independent C. Perkins 0.93 77                    
      Independent P. J. Giles 0.32 26                    
      Electorate: 12,638   Valid: 8,244   Spoilt: -   Quota: ~825   Turnout: -

        No. 4 Electoral Area
        No. 4 Electoral Area – 10 seats[2]
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        12345678910111213
        Independent nationalist Laurence O'Neill (incumbent) 48.95 3,672                        
        Sinn Féin Seán T. O'Kelly (incumbent) 17.48 1,311                        
        Sinn Féin J. Brennan 498 801                      
        Sinn Féin M. Flanagan 298 - - 683                  
        Irish Nationalist William P. Delaney 280 - - - - - - - 821        
        Painters' Society Jos Farrell 265 - - - - - - - - - - 690  
        Labour John Lawlor 229 795                      
        Municipal Reform James Grierson 185                        
        Sinn Féin M. Dowling 143 - - - - - - - - - - - 620
        Sinn Féin Seán O'Mahony 136 - - - - - - - - - - 737  
        Irish Nationalist P. J. Duffy (incumbent) 121 - - - - - - - - - - - 599
        Sinn Féin Jennie Wyse Power 110 - - - - - - - - - - 761  
        Sinn Féin Kathleen O'Doherty (incumbent) 106                        
        Irish Nationalist M. J. O'Hara (incumbent) 73                        
        Municipal Reform Anne Egan 43                        
        Sinn Féin Joseph C. Larkin 41                        
        Electorate: 12,856   Valid: 7,501   Spoilt: 185   Quota: 682   Turnout: 7,686

          No. 5 Electoral Area
          No. 5 Electoral Area – 7 seats[2]
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          1
          Sinn Féin Joseph MacDonagh 1,067
          Labour J. Bohan (ITGWU) 616
          Irish Nationalist William O'Connor (incumbent) 596
          Sinn Féin J. P. Mooney 552
          Sinn Féin Patrick Gordon 375
          Municipal Reform R. H. White 374
          Labour T.D. Herbert 307
          Independent Republican Arnold Lowe 275
          Independent H. C. Neill Watson 275
          Independent Sarah Harrison 223
          Independent J. Vaughan (incumbent) 194
          Sinn Féin Mrs. McGarry 190
          Sinn Féin Patrick Walsh 178
          Irish Nationalist E. Brooks 55
          Independent J. Reed 30
          Electorate: 8,032   Valid: 5,307   Spoilt: 94   Quota: 664   Turnout: 5,401 (67.24%)

            No. 6 Electoral Area
            No. 6 Electoral Area – 7 seats[3]
            PartyCandidateFPv%Count
            123456789
            Independent Nationalist L. G. Sherlock 1,507                
            Sinn Féin Kathleen Clarke 937                
            Sinn Féin P. Mahon (incumbent) 568 751              
            Sinn Féin James Malinn 486 - 769            
            Independent Nationalist J. M. C. Briscoe (incumbent) 290 799              
            Sinn Féin John Byrne 222 - - - - - - - 493
            Independent Nationalist William Chase (incumbent) 173 - - - - - - - 591
            Sinn Féin Joseph Toomey 143                
            Sinn Féin Ml. Slater 116 - - - - - - - 456
            Municipal Reform Miss Weldrick 93 - - - - - - -  
            Sinn Féin Mrs O'Shea Leamy 78                
            Electorate: 8,784   Valid: 4,613   Spoilt: 113   Quota: 577   Turnout: 4,726

              No. 7 Electoral Area
              No. 7 Electoral Area – 9 seats[3]
              PartyCandidateFPv%Count
              12345678910111213
              Sinn Féin W. T. Cosgrave 2,033                        
              Municipal Reform B.F. Shields 679                        
              Sinn Féin P. S. Doyle (incumbent) 625 765                      
              Labour D. Magee 578 - - - - - - 814          
              Sinn Féin James McGrath 531 1,059                      
              Labour J. O'Connor (ITGWU) 409 - - - - - - - - - - - 686
              Irish Nationalist P. Medlar 314 - - - - - - - - - - - 624
              Irish Nationalist J. S. Kelly 284                        
              Labour L. Keegan 249                        
              Sinn Féin A. Fitzpatrick 231 - - - - - - - - - 759    
              Irish Nationalist J. Groome 221                        
              Sinn Féin John Doran 163 - - - - - - 666          
              Irish Nationalist C. Donaghy 117                        
              Sinn Féin Michael Lynch 111                        
              Labour Mary C. Kelly 14                        
              Electorate: 9,985   Valid: 6,428   Spoilt: 131   Quota: 650   Turnout: 6,559 (%)

                No. 8 Electoral Area
                No. 8 Electoral Area – 8 seats[3]
                PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                12
                Independent Nationalist Alfie Byrne 3,180  
                Sinn Féin Francis Cahill 826  
                Labour P. T. Daly (incumbent) 499 1,344
                Independent Nationalist James Gately (incumbent) 438 879
                Sinn Féin Patrick McDonnell 413 704
                Sinn Féin James V. Lawless 393 780
                Sinn Féin Joseph M. Stanley 299  
                Labour Michael Brohoon (ITGWU) 231 606
                Municipal Reform Dr. MacWalter (incumbent) 192 1,078
                Municipal Reform T.D. Lambert 146  
                Sinn Féin James Mallon 126  
                Sinn Féin Mary Walker 122  
                Sinn Féin Thomas Leahy 96  
                Irish Nationalist J. O'Doherty 45  
                Labour R. Graham 34  
                Sinn Féin Thomas O'Reilly 27  
                Irish Nationalist J. J. Fox 18  
                Irish Nationalist James Higgins 7  
                Labour Michael Mullen 7  
                Independent T. Healy 1  
                Electorate: 11,488   Valid: 6,898   Spoilt: 196   Quota: 789   Turnout: 7,094 (%)

                  No. 9 Electoral Area
                  No. 9 Electoral Area – 6 seats[3]
                  PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                  12345678910
                  Sinn Féin Kathleen Clarke 1,374                  
                  Labour Thomas Lawlor 1,187                  
                  Labour Thomas Kennedy (ITGWU) 422 468 582 - - 614        
                  Independent Nationalist T. Byrne (incumbent) 347 - 409 - - - - - - 501
                  Irish Nationalist William McCabe (incumbent) 321                  
                  Sinn Féin John J. Murphy 256 - - - - - - - 636  
                  Sinn Féin John Grace 150 635                
                  Sinn Féin Patrick McGuirk 105                  
                  Labour M. C. Scully 51 - 315              
                  Labour M. Keavey 15                  
                  Irish Nationalist M. J. Creagh 12                  
                  Electorate: 6,959   Valid: 4,250   Spoilt: 106   Quota: 606   Turnout: 4,356 (%)

                    No. 10 Electoral Area
                    No. 10 Electoral Area – 7 seats[3]
                    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
                    1
                    Sinn Féin Cathal Ó Murchadha 1,173
                    Labour William O'Brien (ITGWU) 883
                    Sinn Féin Thomas Cassidy 665
                    Independent L. O'Toole (incumbent) 639
                    Independent Myles Keogh (incumbent) 634
                    Sinn Féin G. A. Lyons 433
                    Independent T. M. O'Beirne 350
                    Municipal Reform W. J. Maxwell-Lemon 317
                    Municipal Reform Sir John Irwin 274
                    Sinn Féin John Farrell 259
                    Sinn Féin Patrick Power 169
                    Irish Nationalist Jeremiah Looney 134
                    Municipal Reform Frederick T. Rainford 101
                    Sinn Féin William Murray 61
                    Electorate: 9,075   Valid: 6,097   Spoilt: 146   Quota: 763   Turnout: 6,243 (68.79%)

                      References
                      1. "Irish Elections". Mariposa Gazette. 24 January 1920.
                      2. "Sinn Fein leading in the municipal elections". Dublin Evening Telegraph. Dublin. 17 January 1920. pp. 1–6.
                      3. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002093/19200119/001/0001
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