Cork City was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1880 to 1922 it returned two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. From 1922 it was not represented in the UK Parliament, as it was no longer in the UK.

Cork City was the only constituency in Ireland to return the same number of members in each general election from the Acts of Union in 1801 until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.

Boundaries This constituency comprised the whole of the County of the City of Cork, which was part of County Cork. Cork had the status of a county of itself, although it remained connected with County Cork for certain purposes.

The definition of the constituency boundary, from the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 (2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 89), was as follows.

A Topographical Directory of Ireland, published in 1837, describes the area covered.

The Directory also has a passage on the representative history. Other, more modern, sources ascribe an earlier date to the start of the parliamentary representation of Cork; but the passage is useful for information about the 19th century position.

The County of the City of Cork corresponds to the current barony of Cork.

Members of Parliament DateFirst memberFirst partySecond memberSecond party 1801, 1 JanuaryHon. John Hely-HutchinsonElevated to the peerage as the 1st Baron Hutchinson, 1801 Whig Mountifort Longfield Tory1802, 8 JanuaryHon. Christopher Hely-Hutchinson Whig1812, 5 November Sir Nicholas Colthurst, BtDied in office, 1829 Tory1818, 13 JulyHon. Christopher Hely-HutchinsonDied in office, 1826 Whig1826, 29 December John Hely-Hutchinson Whig1829, 9 JulyGerrard CallaghanElection declared void Tory1830, 29 March Daniel Callaghan WhigWho's Who of British members of parliament: Volume I 1832–1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976); described Callaghan as being of Whig principles, except on Irish Coercion Bills. He was the grandfather of Admiral George Callaghan.1830, 11 August Hon. John Boyle Whig1831, 7 May Repeal Association1832, 21 DecemberDr. Herbert Baldwin Repeal Association 1835, 17 JanuaryJoseph Leycestername="Unseated on petition" ConservativeJames Charles Chatterton Conservative 1835, 18 April Daniel CallaghanSeated on petition. Joint candidate of the Whig Party and Repeal Association in 1835 and 1837. Died in office, 1849. Repeal AssociationDr. Herbert BaldwinSeated on petition. Joint candidate of the Whig Party and Repeal Association in 1835. Repeal Association1837, 11 AugustFrancis BeamishJoint candidate of the Whig Party and Repeal Association in 1837. Repeal Association1841, 5 JulyFrancis MurphyResigned Whig1846, 31 JanuaryAlexander McCarthy Repeal Association1847, 9 August William Trant FaganResigned, 1851 Repeal Association1849, 4 November James Charles Chatterton Conservative1851, 23 April Francis Murphy Whig1852, 14 July William Trant Fagan Ind. IrishInd. Irish1853, 20 August Francis Beamish Whig 1857, 28 March Whig 1859, 6 June Liberal Liberal1859, 29 JuneFrancis LyonsResigned, 1865 Liberal1865, 14 February Nicholas Daniel MurphyRe-elected as a Liberal at the 1865 and 1868 general elections. Returned as a Home Ruler at the 1874 election. Liberal1865, 12 JulyJohn MaguireDied in office, 1872 Liberal1872, 10 December Joseph Philip RonayneDied in office, 1876 Home Rule League1874, 6 February Home Rule League1876, 25 MayWilliam Goulding Conservative 1880, 5 April John DalyA member of the Parnellite faction of the Home Rule League in 1880. Resigned as MP, 1884. Home Rule League Charles Stewart ParnellLeader of the Parnellite faction of the Home Rule League. Re-elected as an Irish Parliamentary Party candidate in 1885 and 1886, he led the Parnellite Nationalists after the split in 1890 until he died in office in 1891. Home Rule League 1882 Irish Parliamentary Irish Parliamentary1884, 23 FebruaryJohn Deasy Irish Parliamentary1885, 27 November Maurice Healy Irish Parliamentary1891, 6 November Irish National Federation Martin Flavin Irish National Federation1892, 6 July William O'Brien Irish National Federation1895, 27 June J. F. X. O'Brien Irish National Federation1900, 4 October William O'Brien Irish Parliamentary Irish Parliamentary1904, 1 January vacantThe by-election in August 1904 was triggered by William O'Brien resigned his seat on 1 January 1904, and stood for re-election. He was returned unopposed.1904, 19 August William O'Brien Irish Parliamentary1905, 14 June Augustine Roche Irish Parliamentary1909, 1 May Maurice Healy Independent Nationalist1910, 18 JanuaryAt the January 1910 general election, O'Brien was elected for both Cork City and North East Cork. He chose to sit for Cork City. William O'Brien All-for-Ireland League1910, 6 December Maurice Healy All-for-Ireland League 1914, 18 FebruaryWilliam O'Brien had been elected as an All-for-Ireland League candidate, but resigned his seat on 19 January 1914, and stood for re-election as an independent nationalist. He was returned unopposed. Independent Nationalist1918, December J. J. Walsh Sinn Féin Liam de Róiste Sinn Féin 1922 constituency abolished

Elections Candidates referred to as Non Partisan, did not have a party allegiance specified in either Stooks Smith or Walker (see reference section below for the sources) or capable of being inferred by disaggregating different groups incorporated under one label by Walker (such as Whigs before 1859 being listed as Liberals).

In multi-member elections, a change in vote percentage is only calculated for individual candidates not for parties. No attempt is made to compare changes between single member by-elections and previous or subsequent multi-member elections.

Turnouts, in multi-member elections from 1832, are calculated on the basis of the number of electors Stooks Smith records as voting. In some cases estimated turnouts are obtained by dividing the ballots cast by two, to obtain the lowest possible turnout figure. To the extent that electors did not use both their votes, the estimate will be less than the actual turnout.

1910s – 1900s – 1890s – 1880s – 1870s – 1860s – 1850s – 1840s – 1830s – 1820s – 1810s – 1800s

Elections of the 1910s The constituency ceased to be represented in the United Kingdom Parliament, upon the dissolution of the House of Commons, in 1922. This was over a month before the Irish Free State came into existence.

The count took place on 28 December 1918, to allow time for postal votes from the armed forces to arrive. The Sinn Féin MPs did not take their seats at Westminster.

Redmond and Roche were associated with the United Irish League wing of Irish Nationalism. William O'Brien resigned again for a fourth time in January 1914 and re-stood to test local support for his policies, after the All-for-Ireland League suffered heavy defeats in the Cork City municipal elections.

Roche and Murphy were associated with the United Irish League wing of Irish Nationalism.

Elections of the 1900s Cosbie was associated with the United Irish League wing of Irish Nationalism

William O'Brien resigned for a third time in 1909.

William O'Brien was elected "without his knowledge and against his consent".The Times (London), Saturday, 27 August 1904 p. 8 col. C Death of J. F. X. O'Brien, in 1905.

William O'Brien resigned again in January 1904.

The Irish National Federation, the Irish National League and William O'Brien's United Irish League joined forces, to re-create the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), in 1900. Healy contested the 1900 general election as an Independent Nationalist, after forming a Healyite faction, outside the IPP.

Elections of the 1890s

Resignation of William O'Brien

The Irish Parliamentary Party split in December 1890. Parnell led the Irish National League, Parnellite Nationalist group. Most of the IPP MPs (including Healy) set up the Irish National Federation as the Anti-Parnellite Nationalist organisation. Parnell died in office.

Elections of the 1880s

Caused by Daly's resignation. 1882: Home Rule League/Nationalist Party becomes the Irish Parliamentary Party

Elections of the 1870s

Death of Ronayne, on 7 May 1876

Death of Maguire (founder Cork Examiner), on 1 November 1872

Elections of the 1860s

Resignation of Lyons

Elections of the 1850s

Death of Fagan

Appointment of Murphy as a Commissioner of Insolvency

Resignation of Fagan

Elections of the 1840s

Death of Callaghan

Resignation of Murphy by accepting the office of Steward of the Manor of Northstead

Elections of the 1830s

Note: On petition Leycester and Chatterton were unseated and Callaghan and Baldwin were declared duly elected, on 18 April 1835.

Caused by Callaghan's election in 1829 being declared void. Note: Daniel Callaghan was the brother of Gerrard Callaghan. Stooks Smith classifies Callaghan as a Repealer from this election, but this may not be an accurate description for the period before 1832. See the footnote to the above table of MPs for a brief description of Callaghan's political views.

Elections of the 1820s Election of Callaghan declared void, on petition

Death of Colthurst

Death of Hely-Hutchinson

Elections of the 1810s

Elections of the 1800s

Hon. John Hely-Hutchinson created the 1st Baron Hutchinson

1801, 1 January Irish House of Commons members nominated to sit in the corresponding UK House of Commons at Westminster

Notes

References The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) , Cork History and Society Patrick O'Flanagan/ Cornelius G. Buttimer Geography Publications 1993

External links Part of the Library Ireland: Irish History and Culture website containing the text of A Topographical Directory of Ireland, by Samuel Lewis (a work published by S. Lewis & Co of London in 1837) including an article on City of Cork