Government of Ireland Act 1920 (Parliamentary and Dáil constituencies)

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 67) was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to create two separate parliaments in Ireland: the Parliament of Northern Ireland and the Parliament of Southern Ireland. A Schedule to this act provided the constituencies for the House of Commons in these parliaments. These constituencies also replaced those provided in the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5 c. 65) for representation of Ireland in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at Westminster. Sinn Féin used these constituencies to elect the Second Dáil (1921–22) and those constituencies in Southern Ireland were used to elect the Third Dáil (1922–23).

Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (Parliamentary and Dáil constituencies)
Long titleAn Act to provide for the better Government of Ireland.
Citation10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 67
Dates
Royal assent23 December 1920
Status: Repealed

Northern Ireland House of Commons

The Act provided for 52 MPs from 11 constituencies for elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland. These constituencies were in place from 1921 until 1929, when they were replaced with single-member constituencies elected by first past the post under the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929.

Ireland House of Commons

The Act provided for 128 MPs elected from 28 constituencies for the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. Only the Dublin University MPs attended for the intended first meeting of the House of Commons of Southern Ireland, with those elected for Sinn Féin sitting as TDs in Dáil Éireann (see below). The members elected for Southern Ireland did meet to give legal effect to the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Westminster House of Commons

The Government of Ireland Act reduced the representation from Ireland in the United Kingdom House of Commons from 105 to 46. Of these, 33 were to be elected from constituencies in Southern Ireland and 13 from constituencies in Northern Ireland. Each six-, seven- and eight-member constituency would also be a two-member constituency for the Westminster (except for Donegal, which would return only one MP), while every three-, four- and five-member constituency would be a one-member constituency for Westminster (except for Dublin University, which would continue to elect two MPs). As the Irish Free State was due to be established on 6 December 1922, just after 1922 general election, the representation at Westminster under this Act only took effect in Northern Ireland.

Dáil Éireann

The First Dáil had used the constituencies which elected MPs to the House of Commons at the 1918 general election. In May 1921, Dáil Éireann resolved to use the constituencies in the Government of Ireland Act 1920 (in both parts of Ireland).[1] The 1921 elections were used to elect the Second Dáil. This increased the total number of seats in the Dáil from 105 in 1918 to 180 in 1921 (52 in Northern Ireland and 128 in Southern Ireland, subsequently the Irish Free State). Only representatives from Sinn Féin sat in the Dáil.[2]

The Third Dáil redistributed constituencies in the Irish Free State (formerly Southern Ireland) by enacting the Electoral Act 1923 (No. 12/1923). The new constituencies were used to elect the members of the 4th Dáil at the 1923 general election.

Constituencies

Northern Ireland

Belfast

1918 Act: 9 MPs
1920 Act: 16 MPs in NIHC & 4 MPs in UKHC

Boroughs
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Belfast, Pottinger Division (one MP) County borough divided into four four-member constituencies.

The East Belfast constituency consisted of the Pottinger and Victoria divisions (namely Dock, Pottinger and Victoria wards)
The North Belfast constituency consisted of the Duncairn and Shankill divisions (namely Clifton, Duncairn and Shankill wards)
The South Belfast constituency consisted of the Cromac and Ormeau divisions (namely Cromac, Ormeau and Windsor wards)
The West Belfast constituency consisted of the Falls, St Anne's and Woodvale divisions (namely Court, Falls, St Anne's, St George's, Smithfield and Woodvale wards)

Belfast East (four MPs)
Belfast, Victoria Division (one MP)
Belfast, Duncairn Division (one MP) Belfast North (four MPs)
Belfast, Shankill Division (one MP)
Belfast, Cromac Division (one MP) Belfast South (four MPs)
Belfast, Ormeau Division (one MP)
Belfast, Falls Division (one MP) Belfast West (four MPs)
Belfast, St Anne's Division (one MP)
Belfast, Woodvale Division (one MP)

Antrim

1918 Act: 4 MPs
1920 Act: 7 MPs in NIHC & 2 MPs in UKHC

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Antrim, East Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a seven-member constituency. Antrim (seven MPs)
Antrim, Mid Division (one MP)
Antrim, North Division (one MP)
Antrim, South Division (one MP)

Armagh

1918 Act: 3 MPs
1920 Act: 4 MPs in NIHC & 1 MP in UKHC

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Armagh, Mid Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a four-member constituency. Armagh (four MPs)
Armagh, North Division (one MP)
Armagh, South Division (one MP)

Down

1918 Act: 5 MPs
1920 Act: 8 MPs in NIHC & 2 MPs in UKHC

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Down, East Division (one MP) Administrative county formed an eight-member constituency. Down (eight MPs)
Down, Mid Division (one MP)
Down, North Division (one MP)
Down, South Division (one MP)
Down, West Division (one MP)

Fermanagh and Tyrone

1918 Act: 5 MPs
1920 Act: 8 MPs in NIHC & 2 MPs in UKHC

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Fermanagh, North Division (one MP) Administrative counties formed an eight-member constituency. Fermanagh and Tyrone (eight MPs)
Fermanagh, South Division (one MP)
Tyrone, North East Division (one MP)
Tyrone, North West Division (one MP)
Tyrone, South Division (one MP)

Londonderry

1918 Act: 3 MPs
1920 Act: 5 MPs in NIHC & 1 MP in UKHC

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Londonderry City (one MP) Administrative county of Londonderry and county borough of Londonderry formed a five-member constituency. Londonderry (five MPs)
Londonderry, North Division (one MP)
Londonderry, South Division (one MP)

Universities

1918 Act: 1 MPs
1920 Act: 4 MPs in NIHC & 1 MP in UKHC

1918 ActChange1920 Act
Queen's University, Belfast (one MP) University formed a four-member constituency. Queen's University, Belfast (four MPs)

Southern Ireland

Ulster (part)

Representation increased from 8 to 12 MPs

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Cavan, East Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a three-member constituency. Cavan (three MPs)
Cavan, West Division (one MP)
Donegal, East Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a six-member constituency. Donegal (six MPs)
Donegal, North Division (one MP)
Donegal, South Division (one MP)
Donegal, West Division (one MP)
Monaghan, North Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a three-member constituency. Monaghan (three MPs)
Monaghan, North Division (one MP)

Leinster

Representation increased from 27 to 44 MPs

Boroughs
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Dublin, College Green Division (one MP) County borough divided into three four-member constituencies.

The Mid Dublin constituency consisted of the College Green and Dublin Harbour divisions (namely Inn's Quay, North City, North Dock, Rotunda and South City wards and part of Mountjoy, South Dock and Trinity wards)
The North West Dublin constituency consisted of the Clontarf, St James's and St Michan's divisions (namely Arran Quay, Clontarf East, Clontarf West, Drumcondra, Glasnevin, New Kilmainham and Usher's Quay wards and part of Mountjoy ward)
The South City constituency consisted of the St Patrick's and St Stephen's Green divisions (namely Fitzwilliam, Mansion House, Merchant's Quay, Royal Exchange and Wood Quay wards and part of South Dock and Trinity wards)

Mid Dublin (four MPs)
Dublin, Dublin Harbour Division (one MP)
Dublin, Clontarf Division (one MP) North West Dublin (four MPs)
Dublin, St James's Division (one MP)
Dublin, St Michan's Division (one MP)
Dublin, St Patrick's Division (one MP) South City (four MPs)
Dublin St Stephen's Green Division (one MP)
Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
County Dublin, North Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a six-member constituency. Dublin County (six MPs)
County Dublin, Pembroke Division (one MP)
County Dublin, Rathmines Division (one MP)
County Dublin, South Division (one MP)
King's County (one MP) Administrative counties formed a four-member constituency. King's County-Queen's County (four MPs)
Queen's County (one MP)
Kildare, North Division (one MP) Administrative counties formed a five-member constituency. Kildare–Wicklow (five MPs)
Kildare, South Division (one MP)
Wicklow, East Division (one MP)
Wicklow, West Division (one MP)
Wexford, North Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a four-member constituency. Wexford (four MPs)
Wexford, South Division (one MP)
Carlow County (one MP) Administrative counties formed a four-member constituency. Carlow–Kilkenny (four MPs)
Kilkenny, North Division (one MP)
Kilkenny, South Division (one MP)
Longford County (one MP) Administrative counties formed a four-member constituency. Longford–Westmeath (four MPs)
Westmeath County Division (one MP)
Louth County (one MP) Administrative counties formed a five-member constituency. Louth–Meath (five MPs)
Meath, North Division (one MP)
Meath, South Division (one MP)

Munster

Representation increased from 24 to 40 MPs

Boroughs
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Cork City (two MPs) County borough formed a four-member constituency Cork City (four MPs)
Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Clare, East Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a three-member constituency. Clare (four MPs)
Clare, West Division (one MP)
Limerick City (one MP) Parliamentary borough of Limerick and parliamentary division of East Limerick formed a four-member constituency. Limerick City–Limerick East (four MPs)
Limerick, East Division (one MP)
Kerry, East Division (one MP) Administrative county of Kerry and parliamentary division of West Limerick formed an eight-member constituency. Kerry–Limerick West (eight MPs)
Kerry, North Division (one MP)
Kerry, South Division (one MP)
Kerry, West Division (one MP)
Limerick, West Division (one MP)
Cork, East Division (one MP) Parliamentary divisions of East and North East Cork formed a three-member constituency. Cork East and North East (three MPs)
Cork, North East Division (one MP)
Cork, Mid Division (one MP) Parliamentary divisions of Mid, North, South, South East and West Cork formed an eight-member constituency. Cork Mid, North, South, South East and West (eight MPs)
Cork, North Division (one MP)
Cork, South Division (one MP)
Cork, South East Division (one MP)
Cork, West Division (one MP)
Tipperary, East Division (one MP) Parliamentary borough of Waterford, parliamentary county of Waterford and parliamentary division of East Tipperary formed a five-member constituency. Waterford–Tipperary East (five MPs)
Waterford City (one MP)
Waterford County (one MP)
Tipperary, Mid Division (one MP) Parliamentary divisions of Mid, North and South Tipperary formed a four-member constituency. Tipperary Mid, North and South (four MPs)
Tipperary, North Division (one MP)
Tipperary, South Division (one MP)

Connacht

Representation increased from 13 to 24 MPs

Counties
1918 ActChange1920 Act
Galway, Connemara Division (one MP) Administrative county formed a seven-member constituency. Galway (seven MPs)
Galway, East Division (one MP)
Galway, North Division (one MP)
Galway, South Division (one MP)
Mayo, North Division (one MP) Parliamentary divisions of North and West Mayo formed a four-member constituency. Mayo North and West (four MPs)
Mayo, West Division (one MP)
Mayo, South Division (one MP) Parliamentary divisions of South Mayo and South Roscommon formed a four-member constituency. Mayo South–Roscommon South (four MPs)
Roscommon, South Division (one MP)
Mayo, East Division (one MP) Administrative county of Sligo and parliamentary division of East Mayo formed a five-member constituency. Sligo–Mayo East (five MPs)
Sligo, North Division (one MP)
Sligo, South Division (one MP)
Leitrim County (one MP) Administrative county of Leitrim and parliamentary division of North Roscommon formed a four-member constituency. Leitrim–Roscommon North (four MPs)
Roscommon, North Division (one MP)

Universities

Representation increased from 3 to 8 MPs

1918 ActChange1920 Act
University of Dublin (two MPs) University formed a four-member constituency. University of Dublin (four MPs)
National University of Ireland (one MP) University formed a four-member constituency. National University of Ireland (four MPs)

See also

References

  1. "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 May 1921 - PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. "APPENDIX 19 DÁIL ÉIREANN". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 August 1921. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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