# South Louth (UK Parliament constituency)

South Louth was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected on a system of first-past-the-post, from 1885 to 1918. Prior to the 1885 general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1918 the area was part of the Louth constituency.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the southern part of County Louth including the towns of Drogheda and Ardee. The seat was defined under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 as comprising the baronies of Drogheda and Ferrard, that part of the barony of Ardee not contained within the constituency of North Louth, and the county of the town of Drogheda.

## Members of Parliament

| Years | Member | Party |
| 1885–1890 | T. P. Gill | Irish Parliamentary Party |
| 1891–1892 | T. P. Gill | Irish National Federation |
| 1892–1895 | Daniel Ambrose | Irish National Federation |
| 1896–1900 | Richard McGhee | Irish National Federation |
| 1900–1901 | Joseph Nolan | Independent Nationalist |
| 1901–1918 | Joseph Nolan | Irish Parliamentary Party |
| 1918 | constituency abolished: see County Louth | constituency abolished: see County Louth |

## Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | T. P. Gill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,796 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) |
1886 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | T. P. Gill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,796 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Daniel Ambrose | 2,451 | 68.5 | N/A |
| | Irish National League | Joseph Nolan | 1,126 | 31.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,325 | 37.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,577 | 66.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,418 | | |
| | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A | |
1895 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Daniel Ambrose | 2,006 | 65.8 | −2.7 |
| | Irish National League | James Gubbins Fitzgerald | 1,044 | 34.2 | +2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 962 | 31.6 | −5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,050 | 58.4 | −7.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,221 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Swing | −2.7 | |
Ambrose's death causes a by-election.
By-Election 19 March 1896: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Richard McGhee | 1,626 | 48.8 | −17.0 |
| | Irish National League | J. P. Nolan | 1,249 | 37.5 | +3.3 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Philip Callan | 459 | 13.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 377 | 11.3 | −20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,334 | 64.7 | +6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,155 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Swing | −10.2 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Joseph Nolan | 1,233 | 56.9 | N/A |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Richard McGhee | 934 | 43.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 299 | 13.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,167 | 39.5 | −18.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,480 | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist gain from Irish Parliamentary | Ind. Nationalist gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A | |
1906 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Joseph Nolan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,997 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary gain from Ind. Nationalist | Irish Parliamentary gain from Ind. Nationalist | Irish Parliamentary gain from Ind. Nationalist | Irish Parliamentary gain from Ind. Nationalist | Irish Parliamentary gain from Ind. Nationalist |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Joseph Nolan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,802 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
December 1910 general election: South Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Joseph Nolan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,802 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |