# North Antrim (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

55°07′16″N 6°19′44″W﻿ / ﻿55.121°N 6.329°W﻿ / 55.121; -6.329
North Antrim was a constituency of the Northern Ireland House of Commons.
The House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland), 1929 introduced first-past-the-post elections for 48 single-member constituencies (including Antrim North).
This constituency was one of seven county divisions in Antrim, so it was smaller than the UK Parliament seat. From 1969 there were nine county divisions in Antrim, but the changes in the vicinity of Belfast did not affect the boundaries of this division.
It comprised (in terms of local government units existing in 1929) parts of the rural districts of Ballycastle and Ballymoney together with the whole of the urban districts of Ballycastle, Ballymoney and Portrush.
It returned one member of Parliament from 1929 until the Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.

## Politics

County Antrim (except for parts of Belfast) is a strongly unionist area. There has never been the slightest chance of a republican or nationalist candidate being elected in a single-member Antrim county constituency, however the boundaries were drawn. Antrim North has not been an exception.
At the Northern Ireland general election of 1929 the new Antrim North division was the scene of a reasonably close Unionist/Liberal contest (less than a 20% majority). However this was the last appearance of a Liberal candidate for the Northern Ireland Parliament constituency, which became an extremely safe Unionist seat for the rest of its existence.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1929 | Robert Lynn | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1945 | William McCleery | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1958 | Phelim O'Neill | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1972 | Phelim O'Neill | Alliance Party |
| 1973 | 1973 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.
General Election 22 May 1929: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Lynn | 6,584 | 59.76 | |
| | Ulster Liberal | Robert Nathaniel Boyd | 4,433 | 40.24 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,151 | 19.52 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,591 | 62.63 | |
| | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) |
General Election 30 November 1933: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Lynn | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 9 February 1938: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Lynn | 8,194 | 64.67 | N/A |
| | Progressive Unionist | Robert Nathaniel Boyd | 4,477 | 35.33 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,717 | 29.34 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,221 | 69.54 | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 14 June 1945: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Lynn | 9,264 | 73.47 | +8.80 |
| | NI Labour | Alexander Stewart | 3,345 | 26.53 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,919 | 46.94 | +17.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,304 | 65.32 | −4.22 |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
* Death of Lynn
North Antrim by-election, 1945 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William McCleery | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 10 February 1949: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William McCleery | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 22 October 1953: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William McCleery | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Seat vacant on dissolution (death of McCleery)
General Election 20 March 1958: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Phelim O'Neill | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 31 May 1962: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Phelim O'Neill | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 25 November 1965: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Phelim O'Neill | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General Election 24 February 1969: Antrim North :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Phelim O'Neill | 9,142 | 73.83 | N/A |
| | Protestant Unionist | John Wylie | 3,241 | 26.17 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,901 | 47.66 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,611 | 63.14 | N/A |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Parliament prorogued 30 March 1972 and abolished 18 July 1973