# Clonmel (UK Parliament constituency)

Clonmel was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one MP from 1801 to 1885. It was represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.

## History

The corporation of Clonmel, which was the local government of its area, was reformed by the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840. The parliamentary borough was not affected by this change in administrative arrangements.
Samuel Lewis, writing in 1837, described the oligarchic constitution of the unreformed borough.
   "The corporation is of great antiquity, and probably exists by prescription. Numerous charters have at various times been granted since the reign of Edw. I.; that under which the borough is now governed was granted in the 6th of Jas. I. (1608), and, under the title of "The Mayor, Bailiffs, Free Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Town or Borough of Clonmel," ordains that the corporation shall consist of a mayor, two bailiffs, twenty free burgesses (including the mayor and bailiffs), and a commonalty, with a recorder, chamberlain, town-clerk, and other officers. The freedom was formerly obtained by nomination of a burgess to the common council, a majority of whom decided on the admission; but at present the rights of birth, extending only to the eldest son, apprenticeship to a freeman within the borough, and marriage with a freeman's daughter, are recognised as titles to it. The borough returned two members to the Irish Parliament till the Union, since which time it has sent one to the Imperial Parliament. The elective franchise was vested in the freemen at large, amounting, in the year 1832, to 94 in number; but by the act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, it has extended to the £10 householders: the number of voters registered at the close of 1835 was 805; the mayor is the returning officer. The electoral boundary, under the act of the 2nd and 3rd of Wm. IV., cap. 89, is confined to the town, including Long Island on the south and a space on the north side of the river for buildings contemplated in that quarter, and comprises an area of 361 statute acres, the limits of which are minutely described in the Appendix. The jurisdiction of the corporation extends over a large rural district comprising about 4800 statute acres, of which 3800 are in the county of Waterford, and 1000 in Tipperary: the mayor and recorder are justices of the peace."
The constituency was disenfranchised under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, which took effect at the 1885 general election.

## Boundaries

This constituency was the parliamentary borough of Clonmel in County Tipperary.
The boundary of the borough was defined in the Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832 as:
   "From the Point at which the Western Enclosure Wall of the House of Industry meets the River Suir, along the said Western Wall to the Point at which the same meets Marl Street; thence along Saint Stephen's Lane to the Point at which the same meets the old Cahir Road; thence, Eastward, along the old Cahir Road to the Point at which the same is met by a Lane running Northward; thence, Northward, along the said Lane to the Point at which the same is met by the first Bank on the Right; thence, Eastward, along the said Bank to the Point at which the same is met by a Lane coming from the North and turning to the East; thence, Eastward, along the last-mentioned Lane to the Point at which the same meets Heywood Street; thence along a Bank which runs Eastward from a House a little to the South of the Point last described to the Point at which the said Bank meets a small Bye Lane leading into the Cashel Road; thence along the said Bye Lane to the Cashel Road; thence, Southward, along the said Cashel Road to the Point at which the same is met by the Southern Boundary Wall of the Park or Pleasure Grounds of Mr. David Malcolmson; thence along the said Boundary Wall to the Point where the said Wall meets Upper Johnson Street; thence, Eastward, along Backbone Lane to the Extremity thereof; thence to a Point in the new Road to Fethard, which Point is Sixty-four Yards to the North of the Spot at which the said Road is crossed by Bonlie Lane; thence, Southward, for Sixty-four Yards, to the said Spot where the Fethard Road is crossed by Bonlie Lane; thence, Eastward, along Bonlie Lane for about Six hundred and forty-four Yards, to a Point at which the same is met by a Bank on the Right opposite a small House; thence, Southward, along the said Bank for the Distance of about Two hundred and nine Yards to the Point where it is met by another Bank running Eastward; thence, Eastward, along the last-mentioned Bank for about Fifty Yards to a Point where the same makes an Angle in turning to the South; thence, Southward, for about Fifty Yards along a Bank which leads to a Bye Road to Powers Town until the said Bank reaches the said Bye Road; thence, Eastward, along the said Bye Road for the Distance of about Two hundred and seventeen Yards to the Spot where it is met by the first Bank on the Right; thence in a straight Line to the most Northern Point of a Bank on the Southern Side of the Dublin Road, which Point is distant about Four hundred and sixty-four Yards from a Stone in Barrack Street which marks the South-eastern Corner of the Ordnance Land; thence along the last-mentioned Bank to the Point at which the same meets the River Suir; thence along the southernmost Channel of the River Suir as far as Moore's Island; thence along the Channel of the same to the North of Moore's Island to the Point first described."
Under the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868, its boundaries were extended to include the whole of the municipal borough.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party | Note |
| | 1801, 1 January | seat vacant | ... | Both members in the Irish Parliament had resigned |
| | 1801, 13 February | William Bagwell | Tory | Resigned to contest County Tipperary |
| | 1819, 6 March | John Kiely | Tory | Stooks Smith gives this members first name as James |
| | 1820, 18 March | James Hewitt Massy Dawson | Tory | Resigned to contest County Limerick |
| | 1830, 22 February | Eyre Coote | Tory | |
| | 1832, 15 December | Dominick Ronayne | Repeal Association | Re-elected as a candidate of a Whig/Repealer pact |
| | 1835, 16 January | Dominick Ronayne | Whig | Died |
| | 1836, 20 February | Nicholas Ball | Whig | Appointed a Judge of the Irish Court of Common Pleas |
| | 1839, 18 February | Rt Hon. David Richard Pigot | Whig | Appointed Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland |
| | 1846, 12 September | Hon. Cecil Lawless | Repeal Association | Re-elected as a Liberal candidate |
| | 1852, 17 July | Hon. Cecil Lawless | Independent Irish | Died |
| | 1853, 21 December | John O'Connell | Radical | Appointed Clerk of the Crown in Ireland |
| | 1857, 17 February | John Bagwell | Whig | |
| | 1859, 2 May | John Bagwell | Liberal | |
| | 1874, 6 February | Count Arthur John Moore | Home Rule League | |
| 1885 | 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General Election 1830: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Eyre Coote (MP) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 105 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General Election 1831: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Eyre Coote (MP) | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General Election 1832: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal | Dominick Ronayne | 262 | 55.3 |
| | Tory | John Bagwell | 212 | 44.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50 | 10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 474 | 91.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 521 | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory |
General Election 1835: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Dominick Ronayne | 262 | 51.0 | −4.3 |
| | Conservative | John Bagwell | 252 | 49.0 | +4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10 | 2.0 | −8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 514 | 70.8 | −20.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 726 | | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Swing | −4.3 | |
Ronayne's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 20 February 1836: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Nicholas Ball | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 749 | |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal |
General Election 1837: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Nicholas Ball | 284 | 66.8 | +15.8 |
| | Conservative | Richard Hely-Hutchinson | 141 | 33.2 | −15.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 143 | 33.6 | +31.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 425 | 53.5 | −17.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 795 | | |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | +15.8 | |
Ball was appointed as Attorney General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 16 July 1838: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Nicholas Ball | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Ball was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Ireland, causing a by-election.
By-election, 18 February 1839: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | David Richard Pigot | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

Pigot was appointed Attorney General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 21 August 1840: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | David Richard Pigot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General Election 1841: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | David Richard Pigot | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 687 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Pigot resigned after being appointed Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, causing a by-election.
By-election, 12 September 1846: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Cecil Lawless | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig |
General election 1847: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Cecil Lawless | 142 | 100.0 | N/A |
| | Whig | James Henry Monahan | 0 | 0.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 142 | 100.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 142 | 26.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 540 | | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Irish | Cecil Lawless | 182 | 68.4 | −31.6 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Henry Barton | 84 | 31.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 98 | 36.8 | −63.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 266 | 70.2 | +43.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 379 | | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |
Lawless' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 21 December 1853: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | John O'Connell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Radical gain from Independent Irish | Radical gain from Independent Irish | Radical gain from Independent Irish | Radical gain from Independent Irish | Radical gain from Independent Irish |
O'Connell resigned after being appointed Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper at Dublin Castle, causing a by-election.
By-election, 17 February 1857: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Bagwell | 184 | 69.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edward Bagwell Purefoy | 51 | 19.2 | −12.4 |
| | Independent | Patrick Joseph Murray | 30 | 11.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 133 | 50.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 265 | 83.3 | +13.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 318 | | |
| | Whig gain from Radical | Whig gain from Radical | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Bagwell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 318 | | |
| | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Whig gain from Independent Irish |
General election 1859: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Bagwell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 353 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Bagwell was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1 July 1859: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Bagwell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 353 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Bagwell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 350 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Bagwell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 436 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Arthur John Moore | 220 | 59.6 | New |
| | Liberal | John Bagwell | 149 | 40.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | 19.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 369 | 83.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 443 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Clonmel :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Arthur John Moore | 244 | 73.3 | +13.7 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Moore | 89 | 26.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 46.6 | +27.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 333 | 77.4 | −5.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 430 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |