East Down was a United Kingdom parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1922, on the electoral system of first past the post.

Politics The constituency had an anti-unionist majority at the 1918 general election, but its support was split between Nationalist and Sinn Féin candidates. An attempt at a limited electoral pact broke down in this constituency. This produced a minority Unionist win.

Boundaries From 1801 to 1885, County Down returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster, with separate representation for the parliamentary boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Downpatrick ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough and the parliamentary county was divided into four divisions: North Down, East Down, West Down, and South Down.

Under the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918, Newry ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough, and the parliamentary county gained the additional division of Mid Down. Sinn Féin contested the 1918 general election on an abstentionist platform that instead of taking up any seats at Westminster, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. All MPs elected to Irish seats were invited to participate in the First Dáil convened in January 1919, but no members outside of Sinn Féin did so.

The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which came into operation in 1921. The representation of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of the United Kingdom was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, the five divisions of County Down were replaced by a two-member county constituency of Down. An eight-seat constituency of Down was created for the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which formed the basis in republican theory for representation in the Second Dáil.

1885–1918The baronies of Dufferin, Kinelarty, Lecale Lower and Lecale Upper, and so much of the barony of Castlereagh Upper, except for the parishes or parts of parishes of Comber and Knockbreda.Maps of baronies at 1918–1922The rural district of Downpatrick, exclusive of the district electoral divisions of Ballynahinch, Kilmore and Leggygowan;

the part of the rural district of Kilkeel which consists of the district electoral divisions of Bryansford, Fofanny and Maghera;

and the part of the rural district of Banbridge which consists of the district electoral divisions of Ballyward, Crossgar and Leitrim.

Members of Parliament James Craig, MP from 1906 to 1918, later served as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1940.

ElectionMemberParty 1885Richard Ker 1886 1890 b James Alexander Rentoul 1892 1895 1900 1902 b James Wood 1906James Craig Jan. 1910 Dec. 1910 1918 David Reid 1922 constituency abolished

Elections Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1910s

Sources

References