List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is divided into 18 Parliamentary constituencies: 4 borough constituencies in Belfast and 14 county constituencies elsewhere. Section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that the constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly are the same as the constituencies that are used for the United Kingdom Parliament.[1] Parliamentary constituencies are not used for local government, which is instead carried out by 11 district councils; these often have different boundaries.
Each constituency returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons at Westminster and five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. Six MLAs were returned per constituency until the Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 reduced the number to five, effective from the 2017 Assembly election.[2]
2017 General Election
Democratic Unionist Sinn Féin Social Democratic and Labour Ulster Unionist Alliance Party Independent
Data from the BBC Election Website. For full official results see the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland.
Historical representation by party
Where a cell is marked → (with a different colour of frame to the preceding cell) it indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party affiliation. Changes are dated in the header row: either a general election (four-figure year, bold, link) or by-election or change in affiliation (two-figure year, italic, link or details appear on hover).
1801 to 1832 (22 MPs)
Antrim
Constituency | 1801 | 1802 | 1806 | 07 | 1807 | 1812 | 14 | 16 | 1818 | 19 | 1820 | 22 | 1826 | 1830 | 1831 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antrim | Staples | O'Neill | |||||||||||||
MacNaghten | F. Seymour-Conway | H. H. Seymour | R. Seymour-Conway | MacNaghten | G. Chichester | → | |||||||||
Belfast | J. May | S. May | Michel | A. Chichester | G. Chichester | A. Chichester | |||||||||
Carrickfergus | Dalway | S. Chichester | Craig | A. Chichester | G. Chichester | A. Chichester | Hill | ||||||||
Lisburn | Hatton | F. Seymour-Conway | Moore | Foster | H. B. Seymour | Meynell |
Londonderry
Constituency | 1801 | 01 | 1802 | 1806 | 07 | 1807 | 09 | 1812 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 1818 | 1820 | 23 | 1826 | 1830 | 1831 | 31 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coleraine | W. Jones | * | W. Jones | J. Beresford | G. Beresford | J. Beresford | Brydges | Copeland | ||||||||||
Londonderry City | Alexander | Hill* | Ferguson | |||||||||||||||
County Londonderry | C. Stewart | A. Stewart | A. R. Stewart | T. Jones | ||||||||||||||
vacant | Hill | G. Beresford | Ponsonby | Dawson | Bateson |
* Sir George Hill, 2nd Baronet, was elected to sit as MP for both Coleraine and Londonderry City in the 1806 general election and chose to continue to sit for Londonderry City, hence the 1807 by-election, in which Walter Jones was restored to his seat.
Tyrone
Constituency | 1801 | 01 | 02 | 1802 | 03 | 1806 | 07 | 1807 | 09 | 1812 | 1818 | 1820 | 25 | 1826 | 1830 | 1831 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dungannon | J. Knox | C. Hamilton | * | C. Hamilton | * | J. Hamilton | Cl. Hamilton | Scott | Holford | T. Knox jnr | J. J. Knox | |||||
Tyrone | Lowry-Corry | John Stewart | T. Knox snr | John Stewart | H. Lowry-Corry | |||||||||||
James Stewart | T. Knox jnr | W. Stewart | H. Stewart |
* At both the 1802 and 1806 elections, George Knox was returned for both Dungannon and Dublin University and chose to sit for the university seat.
Armagh
Constituency | 1801 | 1802 | 1806 | 1807 | 1812 | 15 | 16 | 1818 | 19 | 1820 | 1826 | 1830 | 1831 | 31 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armagh | Duigenan | Webber | Foster | Stuart | Goulburn | Chetwynd-Talbot | Brydges | |||||||
County Armagh | Acheson snr | Richardson | Caulfeild | Acheson jnr | ||||||||||
Cope | Caulfeild | W Brownlow | Caulfeild | C Brownlow* | ||||||||||
Newry | Moore | Corry | F Needham | FJ Needham | Knox |
* Charles Brownlow was initially elected as a Tory but at some point changed his affiliation to sit with the Whigs.
Down
Constituency | 1801 | 01 | 1802 | 05 | 1806 | 1807 | 12 | 1812 | 15 | 17 | 1818 | 1820 | 21 | 1826 | 1830 | 1831 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Down | R Stewart | Meade | Hill | |||||||||||||
Savage | Ward | R Stewart | Forde | F Stewart | ||||||||||||
Downpatrick | C Rowley | SC Rowley | Hawthorne | Ruthven* | Croker | Hawthorne | Annesley | Maxwell | Ruthven |
* The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith suggests that after the 1806 election there was a petition, which led to Edward Southwell Ruthven (Whig) being unseated and John Wilson Croker (Tory) being declared duly elected. Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by BM Walker, does not make any reference to such a petition.
Fermanagh
Constituency | 1801 | 1802 | 02 | 03 | 06 | 06 | 1806 | 07 | 1807 | 1812 | 1818 | 1820 | 23 | 1826 | 28 | 1830 | 1831 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enniskillen | Hamilton | Beresford | Burroughs | King | Fremantle | Sneyd | Bennet | Pochin | Magennis | AH Cole | |||||||
Fermanagh | Archdall snr | Archdall jnr | |||||||||||||||
JW Cole | GL Cole | Lowry-Corry | WW Cole |
1832 to 1885 (29 MPs)
Antrim
Conservative Whig Peelite Liberal
Constituency | 1832 | 1835 | 35 | 1837 | 38 | 41 | 1841 | 45 | 45 | 1847 | 52 | 1852 | 52 | 53 | 1857 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antrim | J. O'Neill | Alexander | E. Pakenham | ||||||||||||
G. Chichester | Irving | H. B. Seymour | E. C. Macnaghten | Macartney | |||||||||||
Belfast | A. Chichester | McCance | Dunbar | Gibson | J. Tennent | R. Tennent | Davison | ||||||||
J. Tennent | → | G. Chichester | Dunbar | Johnson | A. Chichester | → | Cairns | ||||||||
Carrickfergus | C. Dobbs | Kirk | Stapleton-Cotton | W. Dobbs | |||||||||||
Lisburn | Meynell | H. B. Seymour | J. Tennent | Smyth | Richardson |
Constituency | 1859 | 60 | 63 | 63 | 1865 | 66 | 1868 | 69 | 73 | 1874 | 78 | 1880 | 85 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antrim | T. Pakenham | G. H. Seymour | H. Seymour | Chaine | Sinclair | ||||||||
Upton | E. O'Neill | E. MacNaghten | |||||||||||
Belfast | Davison | Getty | Johnston | Ewart | |||||||||
Cairns | Lanyon | McClure | Corry | ||||||||||
Carrickfergus | Torrens | Dalway | Greer | ||||||||||
Lisburn | Richardson | Barbour | Verner | Wallace |
Londonderry
Constituency | 1832 | 33 | 1835 | 1837 | 1841 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 1847 | 52 | 1852 | 1857 | 57 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coleraine | Beresford* | Copeland | Litton | Boyd | Naas | Boyd | |||||||
Londonderry City | Ferguson | ||||||||||||
County Londonderry | Jones | Greer | |||||||||||
R. Bateson | R. Bateson jnr | T. Bateson | Clark |
Constituency | 1859 | 60 | 62 | 1865 | 1868 | 72 | 1874 | 78 | 1880 | 81 | 84 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coleraine | Boyd | Bruce | Taylor | Bruce | ||||||||
Londonderry City | Ferguson | McCormick | Hamilton | Dowse | Lewis | |||||||
County Londonderry | Dawson | Smyth | McClure | |||||||||
Heygate | Law | Porter | Walker |
*unseated on petition
Tyrone
Constituency | 1832 | 1835 | 1837 | 38 | 39 | 1841 | 1847 | 51 | 1852 | 1857 | 1859 | 1865 | 1868 | 73 | 1874 | 1880 | 80 | 81 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dungannon | J. Knox | T. Knox | T. Knox jnr | W. Knox | T. Dickson | J. Dickson | ||||||||||||
Tyrone | H. T. Lowry Corry | → | → | H. W. Lowry Corry | Litton | T. Dickson | ||||||||||||
Stewart | Hamilton | Alexander | Hamilton | → | → | Ellison-Macartney |
Armagh
Conservative Whig Peelite Liberal
Constituency | 1832 | 1835 | 1837 | 40 | 1841 | 1847 | 51 | 1852 | 55 | 1857 | 1859 | 64 | 1865 | 67 | 1868 | 71 | 73 | 1874 | 75 | 1880 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armagh | Dobbin | Curry | Rawdon | Moore | Bond | Miller | Bond | Miller | Vance | Beresford | ||||||||||
County Armagh | Acheson | Caulfeild | Close | Stronge | Close | |||||||||||||||
Verner | W. Verner jnr | E. Verner | Richardson | |||||||||||||||||
Newry | Hill | Brady | Ellis | F. J. Needham | → | Hallewell | Kirk | Quinn | Innes | Kirk | F. C. Needham | Whitworth | Thomson |
Down
Conservative Whig Peelite Liberal
Constituency | 1832 | 1835 | 36 | 1837 | 1841 | 45 | 1847 | 51 | 1852 | 1857 | 1859 | 1865 | 67 | 1868 | 1874 | 78 | 1880 | 84 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Down | A. M. Hill | A. W. B. Hill | Hill-Trevor | A. W. Hill | ||||||||||||||
Stewart | D. S. Ker | Forde | Crawford | Vane-Tempest-Stewart | R. W. Ker | |||||||||||||
Downpatrick | Maxwell | D. Ker | D. S. Ker | R. Ker | Hardinge | R. Ker | D. S. Ker | Keown | Mulholland |
Fermanagh
Constituency | 1832 | 34 | 1835 | 1837 | 40 | 1841 | 44 | 1847 | 51 | 1852 | 54 | 1857 | 59 | 1859 | 1865 | 1868 | 1874 | 1880 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enniskillen | A. Cole | H. Cole | Whiteside | J. Cole | Crichton | L. Cole | ||||||||||||
Fermanagh | Archdall | M. Archdale | W. Archdale | |||||||||||||||
W. Cole | Brooke | H. Cole | Crichton |
1885 to 1918 (25 MPs)
Antrim
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Russellite Unionist Independent Unionist
Armagh
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation Healyite Nationalist Nationalist Party
Constituency | 1885 | 86 | 1886 | 91 | 1892 | 1895 | 00 | 1900 | 1906 | 06 | 09 | Jan 1910 | Dec 1910 | 17 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mid Armagh | McKane | Corry | → | Barton | Lonsdale | Lonsdale | |||||||||
North Armagh | Saunderson | → | Moore | Allen | |||||||||||
South Armagh | Blane | McHugh | J. Campbell | McKillop | O'Neill | Donnelly |
Belfast
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Independent Unionist Liberal Unionist Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation Nationalist Party Labour Unionist
Down
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Russellite Unionist Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation Nationalist Party
Fermanagh
Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Russellite Unionist Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation
Constituency | 1885 | 1886 | 1892 | 1895 | 98 | 1900 | 03 | 1906 | Jan 1910 | Dec 1910 | 16 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Fermanagh | Redmond | Dane | Archdale | Mitchell | Fetherstonhaugh | Archdale | |||||
South Fermanagh | H. Campbell | McGilligan | Jordan | → | Crumley |
Londonderry
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Liberal Unionist Liberal Party Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation
Constituency | 1885 | 1886 | 1892 | 1895 | 99 | 1900 | 1906 | Jan 1910 | Dec 1910 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Londonderry City | Lewis | J. McCarthy | Ross | Knox | Moore | Hamilton | Hogg | Dougherty | |||||
North Londonderry | Mulholland | Atkinson | Barrie | ||||||||||
South Londonderry | Healy | Lea | Gordon | → | Henry |
Tyrone
Conservative Party Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Russellite Unionist Liberal Unionist Liberal Party Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900) Irish National Federation Nationalist Party
Constituency | 1885 | 1886 | 90 | 91 | 1892 | 1895 | 1900 | 02 | 1906 | 06 | 07 | Jan 1910 | Dec 1910 | 11 | 16 | 18 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Tyrone | Reynolds | → | Doogan | → | Kettle | Redmond | Harbison | |||||||||
Mid Tyrone | Kenny | → | Murnaghan | → | Brunskill | McGhee | ||||||||||
North Tyrone | E. Hamilton | F. Hamilton | Hemphill | Dodd | Barry | Russell | ||||||||||
South Tyrone | O'Brien | Russell | → | → | Horner | Coote |
1918 to 1922 (29 MPs)
Irish Unionist then Ulster Unionist Independent Unionist Labour Unionist Sinn Féin
1922 to 1950 (13 MPs)
Ulster Unionist Ulster Progressive Unionist Independent Unionist New Party Northern Ireland Labour Independent Labour Federation of Labour Irish Labour Nationalist Party
Constituency | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 29 | 1929 | 31 | 1931 | 34 | 1935 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 43 | 1945 | 46 | 48 | 49 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antrim (Two members) |
Craig | McConnell | Campbell | Haughton | ||||||||||||||
O'Neill | ||||||||||||||||||
Armagh | Allen | Harden | ||||||||||||||||
Belfast East | Dixon | Harland | Cole | |||||||||||||||
Belfast North | McConnell | Somerset | Neill | |||||||||||||||
Belfast South | Moles | Stewart | → | Gage | ||||||||||||||
Belfast West | Lynn | Allen | → | Browne | Beattie | → | → | → | ||||||||||
Down (Two members) |
Reid | Little | → | Mullan | ||||||||||||||
Simms | Vane-Tempest-Stewart | Smiles | ||||||||||||||||
Fermanagh and Tyrone (Two members) |
Harbison | Pringle | Harbison | Healy | Cunningham | |||||||||||||
Healy | Falls | Devlin | Stewart | Mulvey | ||||||||||||||
Londonderry | Macnaghten | Ross | ||||||||||||||||
Queen's University of Belfast | Whitla | Sinclair | Savory |
1950 to 1983 (12 MPs)
Periodic boundary reviews commenced in 1947.[4][5] The elections at which these were implemented are tagged with diamond suit characters, ♦.
The 1st Periodic Review boundary map can be viewed on the ARK elections website. Changes in the 2nd review were relatively minor.[6]
Unionist parties |
Ulster Unionist Protestant Unionist (pre-1971) / Democratic Unionist (post-1971) Vanguard Unionist / United Ulster Unionist (Mid Ulster, 1975-83) Conservative Party Independent Unionist Ulster Popular Unionist |
---|---|
Nationalist parties |
Independent Republican Unity Nationalist Party Anti H-Block (pre-1982) / Sinn Féin (post-1982) Irish Labour Republican Labour Social Democratic and Labour |
Other |
Constituency | 1950 ♦ | 51 | 1951 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 1955 | 57 | 59 | 1959 | 63 | 1964 | 1966 | 69 | 1970 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | Feb 1974 ♦ | Oct 1974 | 75 | 77 | 78 | 1979 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 82 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antrim N | H. O'Neill | P. O'Neill | Clark | Paisley | → | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Antrim S | Savory | Cunningham | Molyneaux | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Armagh | Harden | Armstrong | Maginnis | McCusker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Belfast E | McKibbin | McMaster | Craig | → | Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Belfast N | Hyde | Mills | → | → | Carson | McQuade | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Belfast S | Gage | Campbell | Pounder | Bradford | → | Smyth | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Belfast W | Teevan3 | Beattie | McLaughlin | Kilfedder | Fitt | → | → | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Down N | Smiles | Ford | Currie | Kilfedder | → | → | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Down S | Orr | Powell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ferm. & S Tyr. | Healy | Grosvenor1 | Hamilton | McManus | West | Maguire | Sands | Carron | → | ||||||||||||||||||||
Londonderry | Ross | Wellwood | Chichester-Clark | Ross | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mid Ulster | Mulvey | O'Neill | Forrest2 | → | Devlin | → | Dunlop | → |
Notes:
- The constituency was won by Philip Clarke of Sinn Féin, but he was unseated on petition on the basis that his criminal conviction (for Irish Republican Army activity) made him ineligible. Instead, the seat was awarded to the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidate.
- The seat was originally won by Tom Mitchell of Sinn Féin, but Mitchell was subsequently unseated upon petition, on the grounds that his terrorist convictions made him ineligible to sit in Parliament. The seat was awarded to Charles Beattie of the UUP. However, Beattie in turn was also found ineligible to sit due to holding an office of profit under the crown, triggering a further by-election.
- Original winner of the 1950 election in that seat, James Godfrey MacManaway (UUP), disqualified due to being a clergyman. Teevan won the subsequent by-election
1983 to present (17, then 18 MPs)
3rd and 4th Review boundary maps can be viewed on the ARK elections website: 1983, 1997.
Democratic Unionist Sinn Féin Social Democratic and Labour Ulster Unionist Alliance Party Independent Ulster Popular Unionist UK Unionist Party
2018 Review
In September 2016 as part of the Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland provisionally proposed a new set of boundaries for a 17-constituency Northern Ireland:[7]
- Belfast East
- Belfast North West
- Belfast South West
- Dalriada
- East Antrim
- Fermanagh and South Tyrone
- Foyle
- Glenshane
- Newry and Armagh
- North Down
- North Tyrone
- South Antrim
- South Down
- Strangford
- Upper Bann and Blackwater
- West Antrim
- West Down
Following two public consultation periods, a set of revised proposals was published on 20 January 2018. Belfast was restored to four seats, and changes elsewhere were scaled back:[8]
Following a final consultation period, the Commission is due to submit a final report to the Secretary of State by 1 October 2018.[9]
See also
External links
- Map of the Provisional Proposals for NI, for the 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
- Interactive map of the 2018 Revised Proposals Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland / Spatial NI
- List of changes to constituency boundaries: section 6 of Parliamentary constituency boundaries: the Fifth Periodical Review House of Commons Library
References
- ↑ "FAQs". Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ↑ "Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016". Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ↑ "House Of Commons Library 2017 Election report" (PDF). House Of Commons Library. 7 April 2018.
- ↑ Uberoi, Elise; White, Isobel. "Constituency boundary reviews and the number of MPs".
- ↑ White, Isobel. "Parliamentary constituency boundaries: the Fifth Periodical Review".
- ↑ Whyte, Dr Nicholas. "Westminster election February 1974". www.ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
- ↑ "Provisional Proposals Report - 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. Sep 2016. Retrieved 2 Feb 2018.
- ↑ "Revised Proposals Report - 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. Jan 2018. Retrieved 2 Feb 2018.
- ↑ 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland