# County Louth (UK Parliament constituency)

County Louth, otherwise known as Louth County or Louth, is a former parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1801 to 1885 it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs), and one from 1918 to 1922.

## Boundaries

From 1801 to 1885, the constituency comprised the whole of County Louth, except for the parliamentary boroughs of Drogheda and Dundalk. Between 1885 and 1918 the county was divided into the county division constituencies North Louth and South Louth. In 1918, the reunited constituency covered the entire county of Louth plus a small part of County Meath near Drogheda.

## History

Louth was a constituency in the first Dáil election in December 1918 when Sinn Féin won by 255 votes, its narrowest margin of victory in that election. John J. O'Kelly, a native of Kerry, resident in Glasnevin (Dublin), was Louth's first TD. The constituency was merged with Meath to form the 5 seat Louth–Meath constituency for the 2nd and 3rd Dála. In 1923 Louth became a new 3 seat constituency.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1801–85

| Election | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1801, 1 January | | John Foster | | | William Fortescue | |
| 1806, 18 November | | John Foster | Tory | | Richard Jocelyn | Tory |
| 1807, 19 May | | John Foster | Tory | | John Jocelyn | |
| 1810, 10 February | | John Foster | Tory | | Richard Jocelyn | Tory |
| 1820, 10 August | | John Foster | Tory | | John Jocelyn | |
| 1821, 27 September | | Thomas Skeffington | | | John Jocelyn | |
| 1824, 21 February | | John Leslie Foster | Tory | | John Jocelyn | |
| 1826, 21 June | | John Leslie Foster | Tory | | Alexander Dawson | Radical |
| 1830, 13 August | | John McClintock | Tory | | Alexander Dawson | Radical |
| 1831, 18 May | | Richard Lalor Sheil | Repeal Association | | Alexander Dawson | Radical |
| 1831, 28 September | | Richard Lalor Sheil | Repeal Association | | Sir Patrick Bellew, Bt | Whig |
| 1832, 21 December | | Thomas FitzGerald | Repeal Association | | Richard Bellew | Repeal Association |
| 1834, 24 December | | Sir Patrick Bellew, Bt | Whig | | Richard Bellew | Repeal Association |
| 1837, 5 August | | Henry Chester | Whig | | Richard Bellew | Repeal Association |
| 1840, 31 July | | Thomas Fortescue | Whig | | Richard Bellew | Repeal Association |
| 1841, 15 July | | Thomas Vesey Dawson | Whig | | Richard Bellew | Whig |
| 1847, 10 August | | Chichester Fortescue | Whig | | Richard Bellew | Whig |
| 1852, 22 July | | Chichester Fortescue | Whig | | Tristram Kennedy | Ind. Irish |
| 1857, 10 April | | Chichester Fortescue | Whig | | John McClintock | Conservative |
| 1859, 16 May | | Chichester Fortescue | Liberal | | Richard Bellew | Liberal |
| 1865, 15 April | | Chichester Fortescue | Liberal | | Tristram Kennedy | Liberal |
| 1868, 24 November | | Chichester Fortescue | Liberal | | Matthew Dease | Liberal |
| 1874, 14 February | | Alexander Martin Sullivan | Home Rule League | | Philip Callan | Home Rule League |
| 1874, 9 April | | Alexander Martin Sullivan | Home Rule League | | George Kirk | Home Rule League |
| 1880, 9 April | | Alexander Martin Sullivan | Home Rule League | | Philip Callan | Home Rule League |
| 1880, 31 May | | Henry Bellingham | Home Rule League | | Philip Callan | Home Rule League |
| 1885 | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth | Constituency divided: see North Louth and South Louth |

### MPs 1918–22

| Election | Member | Member | Party |
| 1918 | | John J. O'Kelly | Sinn Féin |
| 1922 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Alexander Dawson (MP) | 294 | 32.9 |
| | Tory | John McClintock | 256 | 28.6 |
| | Irish Repeal | Richard Lalor Sheil | 213 | 23.8 |
| | Irish Repeal | Richard Bellew | 131 | 14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 569 | 81.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 697 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38 | 4.3 |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Swing | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 43 | 4.8 |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Swing | |
General election 1831: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Radical | Alexander Dawson (MP) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal | Richard Lalor Sheil | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 697 | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory |
Dawson's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 28 September 1831: County Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Patrick Bellew | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 697 | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical |
General election 1832: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal | Thomas FitzGerald (MP for County Louth) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal | Richard Bellew | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 863 | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical |
FitzGerald's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 24 December 1834: County Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Patrick Bellew | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal |
General election 1835: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Patrick Bellew | 497 | 40.8 |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Richard Bellew | 456 | 37.4 |
| | Conservative | Chichester Thomas Skeffington Foster | 265 | 21.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 609 | c. 67.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 904 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41 | 3.4 |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 191 | 15.6 |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
General election 1837: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Henry Chester (MP) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Richard Bellew | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 995 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

Chester resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 31 July 1840: County Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Thomas Fortescue | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1841: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Bellew | 447 | 36.1 | N/A |
| | Whig | Thomas Vesey Dawson | 430 | 34.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Matthew Fortescue | 358 | 28.9 | New |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 4 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 72 | 5.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 832 | 86.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 961 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | | |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1847: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Bellew | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Chichester Fortescue | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,410 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Chichester Fortescue | 1,152 | 38.0 | N/A |
| | Independent Irish | Tristram Kennedy | 999 | 32.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 884 | 29.1 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,518 (est) | 73.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,078 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 153 | 5.1 | N/A |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 115 | 3.8 | N/A |
| | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
Fortescue was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 27 February 1854: County Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Chichester Fortescue | 916 | 54.5 | +16.5 |
| | Independent Irish | John MacNamara Cantwell | 766 | 45.5 | +12.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 150 | 9.0 | +3.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,682 | 80.9 | +7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,078 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | +2.0 | |
General election 1857: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Chichester Fortescue | 1,376 | 36.8 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 1,059 | 28.4 | −0.7 |
| | Whig | Richard Bellew | 894 | 23.9 | N/A |
| | Independent Irish | Tristram Kennedy | 406 | 10.9 | −22.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,868 (est) | 77.3 (est) | +4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,418 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 317 | 8.5 | +3.5 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −0.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 653 | 17.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Independent Irish | Conservative gain from Independent Irish | Swing | +5.2 | |
General election 1859: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Chichester Fortescue | 1,379 | 36.8 | — |
| | Liberal | Richard Bellew | 1,208 | 32.2 | +8.3 |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 1,138 | 30.4 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | Frederick John Foster | 23 | 0.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 70 | 1.8 | −6.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,874 (est) | 76.8 (est) | −0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,439 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −0.5 | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +3.7 | |

### Elections in the 1860s

Bellew resigned after he was appointed a law commissioner, causing a by-election.
By-election, 15 April 1865 (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Tristram Kennedy | 1,002 | 52.1 | −16.9 |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 923 | 47.9 | +16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 | 4.2 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,925 | 78.9 | +2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,441 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −16.9 | |
General election 1865: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue | 628 | 50.3 | +13.5 |
| | Liberal | Tristram Kennedy | 607 | 48.6 | +16.4 |
| | Conservative | Frederick John Foster | 8 | 0.6 | — |
| | Conservative | John McClintock | 6 | 0.5 | −29.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 599 | 48.0 | +46.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 625 (est) | 25.6 (est) | −51.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,441 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +14.2 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +15.7 | |
Parkinson-Fortescue was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
1866 County Louth by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,441 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Matthew Dease | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,443 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Parkinson-Fortescue was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
1869 County Louth by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,443 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Alexander Martin Sullivan | 1,250 | 37.6 | New |
| | Home Rule | Philip Callan | 1,202 | 36.2 | New |
| | Liberal | Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue | 608 | 18.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Matthew Dease | 265 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 594 | 17.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,834 (est) | 79.2 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,316 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
Callan was also elected MP for Dundalk and opted to sit there.
1874 County Louth by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | George Kirk | 997 | 66.3 | −7.5 |
| | Home Rule | Bernard Charles Molloy | 507 | 33.7 | +7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 490 | 32.6 | +14.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,504 | 64.9 | −14.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,316 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | -7.5 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: County Louth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Philip Callan | 902 | 37.6 | +1.4 |
| | Home Rule | Alexander Martin Sullivan | 830 | 34.6 | −3.0 |
| | Home Rule | George Kirk | 668 | 27.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 162 | 6.8 | −11.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,570 (est) | 75.1 (est) | −4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,091 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
Sullivan declined to take the seat, causing a by-election.
1880 County Louth by-election (1 seat) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Henry Bellingham | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,091 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: County Louth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | John J. O'Kelly | 10,770 | 50.6 | New |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Richard Hazleton | 10,515 | 49.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 255 | 1.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,285 | 73.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 29,176 | | |
| | Sinn Féin win (new seat) | Sinn Féin win (new seat) | Sinn Féin win (new seat) | Sinn Féin win (new seat) | Sinn Féin win (new seat) |