Belfast Shankill (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Belfast Shankill was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries Belfast Shankill was a borough constituency comprising part of northern Belfast. It was created in 1929 when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 introduced first-past-the-post elections throughout Northern Ireland.

Belfast Shankill was created by the division of Belfast North into four new constituencies. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972, Northern Ireland Elections

Politics In common with other seats in North Belfast, the seat had little nationalist presence. The seat was strongly Unionist, but there was some labour movement strength. For the first twenty-four years of its existence, the seat was held by an independent Unionist.

Members of Parliament ElectionMemberParty 1929 Tommy Henderson Independent Unionist 1937 Independent Unionist Association 1940s Independent Unionist 1953 Henry Holmes Ulster Unionist 1960 Desmond Boal Ulster Unionist 1961 Independent Unionist 1961 Ulster Unionist 1970 Independent Unionist 1971 Democratic Unionist 1973 constituency abolished

Election results

At the 1945 and 1949 general elections, Tommy Henderson was elected unopposed.

At the 1962 Northern Ireland general election, Desmond Boal was elected unopposed.

References