LAST ALL-IRELAND GENERAL ELECTIONS

1918 ELECTION

Polling day: 14.12.1918.

Declaration of polls: 28.12.1918.

Total seats: 105.

Sinn Féin, 73 seats.

Carlow. Cavan E. Cavan W. Clare E. Clare W. Cork city (2). Cork E. Cork Mid. Cork N. Cork NE. Cork S. Cork SE. Cork W. Donegal N. Donegal S. Donegal W. Dublin (Clontarf). Dublin (College green). Dublin Harbour. Dublin (Pembroke). Dublin (St. James’s). Dublin (St. Michan’s). Dublin (St. Patrick’s). Dublin (St. Stephen’s Green). Dublin Co. N. Dublin Co. S. Fermanagh S. Galway Connemara. Galway E. Galway N. Galway S. Kerry E. Kerry N. Kerry S. Kerry W. Kildare N. Kildare S. Kilkenny N. Kilkenny S. King’s Co. (Offaly). Leitrim. Limerick City. Limerick E. Limerick W. Londonderry City. Longford. Louth. Mayo E. Mayo N. Mayo S. Mayo W. Meath N. Meath S. Monaghan N. Monaghan S. NUI. Queen’s Co. (Laois).Roscommon N. Roscommon S. Sligo N. Sligo S. Tipperary E. Tipperary Mid. Tipperary N. Tipperary S. Tyrone NW. Waterford Co. Westmeath. Wexford N. Wexford S. Wicklow E. Wicklow W.

Irish Unionists, 22 seats.

Antrim E. Antrim Mid. Antrim N. Antrim S. Armagh Mid. Armagh N. Belfast (Cromac). Belfast (Duncairn). Belfast (Ormeau). Belfast (Pottinger). Belfast (Woodvale). Down E. Down Mid. Down N. Down W. Dublin (Rathmines). Dublin University (1). Fermanagh N. Londonderry N. Londonderry S. QUB. Tyrone S.

Irish Parliamentary Party, 6 seats.

Armagh S. Belfast (Falls). Donegal E. Down S. Tyrone NE. Waterford City.

Labour Unionist, 3 seats.

Belfast (St. Anne’s). Belfast (Shankhill). Belfast (Victoria).

Independent Unionist, 1 seat.

Dublin University (TCD).

Results in Co. Tipperary.

Two seats in the county, Tipp Mid and Tipp North, were uncontested. They returned two SF members, Séamus Bourke and Joseph MacDonagh respectively. The latter was a brother of the executed 1916 signatory Thomas MacDonagh.

In the two contested seats the results were as follows,

Tipp East:

Pierce McCan, SF.                                                            7,487.

Thomas J. Condon, IPP.                                                    4,794.

Tipp South:

Patrick J. Moloney, SF.                                                      8,744.

John Cullinan, IPP.                                                            2,701.

There was also a Tipperary interest in the Dublin Harbour constituency. There the SF candidate was Phil Shanahan, a native of Hollyford. During the Easter Rising in 1916 he had fought as an ordinary Volunteer in Jacob’s factory under the command of Commdt. Thomas MacDonagh of Cloughjordan.

Dublin Harbour:

Phil Shanahan, SF.                                                             7,708.

Alfie Byrne, IPP.                                                                 5,386.

That was the only election lost by Alfie Byrne. Between 1922 and 1954 he was elected thirteen times to Dáil Éireann.

The Sinn Féin MPs refused to attend parliament in Westminister. Instead the twenty seven of them still free gathered in the Mansion House, Dublin, and constituted themselves An Chéad Dáil Éireann. They reissued Ireland’s Declaration of Independence. Then they appointed Government Ministers and began the work of building a state and its institutions. An Chéad Dáil lasted for 892 days.

Two Tipp TDs attended that historic meeting, Séamus Bourke and P. J. Moloney. Both Joseph MacDonagh and Pierce McCan were “faoi glas ag Gallaibh” (locked up by the foreigner). Phil Shanahan was also in attendance.

1921 ELECTION

Polling day: 24 May 1921.

Total seats for all Ireland: 180.

The 1921 election was the last All – Ireland general election. Consequently, it assumed huge importance for Irish Republicans. All subsequent elections were regarded as partitionist and considered by many to be invalid and illegitimate.

In the twenty six counties, which later constituted the Irish Free State, 124 of the 128 seats were uncontested and all of those returned SF TDs. The other four seats were for Dublin University (TCD) and they returned four independents. The elected TDs constituted An Dara Dáil Éireann. Since it was never formally dissolved those members remained de jure TDs till they died. The last of them, Commdt. Gen. Tom Maguire, TD for Mayo South – Roscommon South, was the last surviving member. He died on 05 July 1993, aged 101.

Sinn Féin: 124 seats.

Independents: 4 seats.

In the six north eastern counties, which then constituted Northern Ireland, there was a hotly contested election in each of the ten multi – seat constituencies. The results for the 52 seats were as follows,

Unionists: 40 seats.

Nationalists: 6 seats.

Sinn Féin: 6 seats.

Among the SF candidates elected were,

Michael Collins in Armagh.

Eamon de Valera in Down.

Arthur Griffith in Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Seán Milroy in Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Eoin MacNéill in Londonderry.

Those five members were also elected to An Dara Dáil on the same day. The sixth SF member elected was Seán O Mahony, for Fermanagh and Tyrone. He refused to take his seat in the Belfast parliament. Instead he was admitted to Dáil Éireann.