United Kingdom general election, 1859 (Ireland)

United Kingdom general election, 1859 (Ireland)

28 April – 18 May 1859 (1859-04-28 – 1859-05-18)
105 of the 670 seats to the House of Commons
First party Second party   Leader Earl of Derby Viscount Palmerston Party Conservative Liberal Leader since July 1846 6 February 1855 Leader's seat House of Lords Tiverton Seats before 42 48 Seats won 55 50 Seat change 11 2 Popular vote 35,258 57,409 Percentage 38.9% 61.1% Swing 4.7% 13.3%
Results of the 1859 election in Ireland

The 1859 British general election in Ireland produced one of the last overall victories for the Conservatives in Ireland. Their win, however, did not mean that Ireland was supporting the Conservatives, though the party did have some strong pockets of support on the island. The win was a result of a restricted electoral franchise which saw voting restricted to the middle and upper classes, who were disproportionately supportive of the Conservative Party in Ireland.

Electoral reform in subsequent decades saw a sharp decline in Tory fortunes in Ireland, with new voters, who had not been Tory supporters anyhow, supporting first of all the Liberal Party, notably in the 1868 general election in Ireland and later the Home Rule League (later the Irish Parliamentary Party) from the 1874 general election in Ireland onwards.

Results^[1]

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% Change
	Conservative	67	36	53	11	35,258	38.9	4.7
	Liberal	73	26	50	2	57,409	61.1	13.3
Total		140	62	103		92,667	100

See also

• History of Ireland (1801–1923)

References