Welcome to Irish Political Maps

Irish Political Maps was set up in May 2011 as a resource for anyone with an interest in Irish politics and elections. Whether you're an experienced politico or are just learning about Irish politics, this site's purpose is to provide information about the outcomes of every election and referendum to take place on this island.

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Mid-Ulster (Westminster) by-election, 2013
Sinn Féin holds Martin McGuinness' seat amidst strong unionist opposition.


UK general election, 1859 - Ireland
The Tories and Whigs contest an uneventful election, but Fenians lurk in the background.

UK general election, 1857 - Ireland
An incident in China sends the Whigs storming to victory, while the Irish Brigade falls victim to itself.

UK general election, 1852 - Ireland
The Corn Laws cause commotion, and the Whigs and the Tories continue to play musical chairs.

UK general election, 2010 - Northern Ireland
Britain votes Labour out and sees its first peacetime coalition government, but in Northern Ireland the status quo remains - save for two surprises.

Referendum 1992: Abortion and the 'X' Case
Abortion becomes a major issue once more, and the events of 1992 would cause it to remain one for twenty years.

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Mid-Ulster (Westminster) by-election, 2013

Mid-Ulster shown in blue.

The dual mandate, or "double-jobbing", has been a familiar feature of Northern Irish politics for
many years. Some of the most prominent Stormont MLAs simultaneously serve as MPs in the House of Commons, or as local councillors. In late 2012, the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who for years sat as both an MLA and an (abstentionist) MP for Mid-Ulster, announced that he would resign from the latter post as part of the Sinn Féin party's policy of ending double-jobbing amongst its members.

While McGuinness and Sinn Féin wished that the newly vacant seat be filled by co-option, the rules of Westminster required a by-election. McGuinness was formally appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead (the only means through which a Westminster MP can resign their seat) on 2 January 2013, with the by-election scheduled for 7 March.

Traditionally a safe Sinn Féin seat, Mid-Ulster was held by McGuinness in the 2010 Westminster election with a comfortable 52% of the vote. None of the other parties, nationalist or unionist, came anywhere close to unseating him.

Vote shares won by each candidate in 2010. Click to enlarge.

The seat was expected to be held by the party's candidate Francie Molloy, who has also been an MLA for that constituency since 1998 but has not held any other office as McGuinness has. Aware that their chances of taking the seat were slim, the main unionist parties - the Democratic Unionist Party, Conservatives and Unionists (UUP) and Traditional Unionist Voice - joined together to nominate a single independent unionist candidate, Nigel Lutton. Though not a natural campaigner, Lutton won enough support in the constituency to secure 12,781 votes, just over 4,600 less than was won by Molloy, who held the seat for Sinn Féin on a slightly reduced majority (-5%).

Vote shares won by each candidate in 2013. Click to enlarge.

The SDLP and the Alliance Party each experienced minor gains in their vote shares, but as in 2010 neither were anywhere close to being serious contenders for the seat. As a Sinn Féin MP, Molloy practices abstention from the House of Commons.

Message to Readers

If you came here from Facebook or Twitter, Happy April Fool's Day.

Due to various circumstances I've been unable to update very much lately. The site's stats, however, show me that many people have been visiting it regardless, and as ever I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has followed, supported and read Irish Political Maps in its nearly two years of existence.

At the moment I'm working on maps for the recent by-elections in Meath East and Mid Ulster. From then, I'll be updating hopefully at least twice a week. These are interesting political times, after all.

Best wishes to you all

Jason

UK general election, 1859 - Ireland

For the first time since the 1830s, a British general election was held in Ireland without the participation of an exclusively Irish party. The election was fought between the Conservative Party and the Whigs, with the only third party being a Chartist candidate in Nottingham.

The Viscount Palmerston's government had fallen just months before the election, being replaced by the Earl of Derby's Conservative party. The Chancellor of the Exchequer Benjamin Disraeli sought to drum up support from Catholics in this election, although the franchise was still quite limited. This action did noticably improve the Tories' performance in Ireland compared to previous elections, with seats picked up in northern Munster and east Leinster. The Conservatives overtook the Whigs in Ireland, although Palmerston's party kept the top spot overall. Palmerston returned to Downing Street for his last term as Prime Minister.

While the election passed by quietly enough, politics in Ireland was slowly developing along a new line. The Repeal Association and the Irish Brigade had come and gone, and now the term "Fenianism" had been coined to describe those who wished to see Ireland gain complete self-governance. In 1858, both the Fenian Brotherhood and the Irish Republican Brotherhood had been established, campaigning for an independent democratic Irish republic. It would take some time yet before these groups would become major players to any degree, but the last half of the 19th century looked set to be an eventful one in Ireland.