# Ennis (UK Parliament constituency)

Ennis is a former United Kingdom Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one MP. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.

## Boundaries

This constituency was the parliamentary borough of Ennis in County Clare.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party | Note |
| | 1801 | John Ormsby Vandeleur | Tory | 1801: Co-opted |
| | 1802 | Rt Hon. James Fitzgerald | Tory | Resigned (appointed Escheator of Munster) |
| | 1808 | Rt Hon. William Vesey-Fitzgerald | Tory | $^a$ |
| | 1812 | Rt Hon. James Fitzgerald | Tory | Resigned (appointed Escheator of Munster) |
| | 1813 | Rt Hon. William Vesey-Fitzgerald | Tory | $^a$ |
| | 1818 | Spencer Perceval | Tory | Not the Prime Minister assassinated in 1812 but his son |
| | 1820 | Sir Ross Mahon, Bt | Tory | Resigned (appointed Escheator of Munster) |
| | 1820 | Richard Wellesley | Tory | |
| | 1826 | Thomas Frankland Lewis | Tory | Resigned |
| | 1828 | William Smith O'Brien | Tory | $^b$ |
| | 1831 | Rt Hon. William Vesey-Fitzgerald | Tory | Succeeded as the 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey$^a$ |
| | 1832 | Sir Augustine Fitzgerald, Bt | Tory | |
| | 1832 | Francis McNamara | Repeal Association | |
| | 1835 | Hewitt Bridgeman | Radical | |
| | 1847 | James Patrick Mahon | Repeal Association | |
| | 1852 | John Fitzgerald | Ind. Irish | Appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, as a Whig |
| | 1855 | John Fitzgerald | Whig | |
| | 1859 | John Fitzgerald | Liberal | Appointed Judge of the Irish Queen's Bench |
| | 1860 | William Stacpoole | Liberal | Sought re-election as a Home Rule League candidate |
| | 1874 | William Stacpoole | Home Rule League | Died |
| | 1879 | James Lysaght Finegan | Home Rule League | 1880 United Kingdom general election: Supporter of Parnellite faction. Resigned. |
| | 1882 | Matthew Joseph Kenny | Irish Parliamentary | Last MP for the constituency |
| 1885 | 1885 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
Notes:-
* $^a$ William Vesey Fitzgerald (MP for Ennis 1808–1812 and 1813–1818) appears to be the same person as William Vesey-Fitzgerald, the MP from 1831 to 1832. Walker includes all three terms as MP for Ennis in one index entry. The History of Parliament website confirms it was the same person and that he was also MP for Clare in 1818–1828, Newport, Cornwall in 1829 and Lostwithiel in 1830.
* $^b$ Stooks Smith classifies O'Brien as a Whig MP, but the Wikipedia biographical article suggests he was a Conservative MP (i.e. a Tory) in 1828–1831.

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | William Smith O'Brien | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | William Vesey-FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
Vesey-FitzGerald succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey and causing a by-election.
By-election, 28 February 1832: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | Augustine FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal | Francis McNamara (British politician) | 111 | 53.4 |
| | Radical | Hewitt Bridgeman Snr. | 84 | 40.4 |
| | Tory | Michael Finucane | 10 | 4.8 |
| | Radical | Hewitt Bridgeman, Jnr. | 3 | 1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 27 | 13.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 208 | 87.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 237 | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory |
General election 1835: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Hewitt Bridgeman | 100 | 51.5 | +10.7 |
| | Conservative | Michael Finucane | 94 | 48.5 | +43.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 194 | 81.5 | −6.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 238 | | |
| | Radical gain from Irish Repeal | Radical gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | −16.3 | |
General election 1837: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Hewitt Bridgeman | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 353 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Radical | Hewitt Bridgeman | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 161 | | |
| | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold | Radical hold |
General election 1847: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | James Patrick Mahon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 212 | | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical | Irish Repeal gain from Radical |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Irish | John FitzGerald | 59 | 56.2 | New |
| | Whig | James Patrick Mahon | 46 | 43.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 105 | 73.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 143 | | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |
FitzGerald was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 8 March 1855: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 303 | | |
| | 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 |
FitzGerald was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 8 April 1856: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | 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 1857: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 161 | | |
| | 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: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 191 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
FitzGerald was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 29 June 1859: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John FitzGerald | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 191 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

Fitzgerald resigned after being appointed a judge of the Queen's Bench, causing a by-election.
By-election, 20 February 1860: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Stacpoole | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1865: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Stacpoole | 97 | 72.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Chartres Brew Molony | 36 | 27.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 61 | 45.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 133 | 70.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 189 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Stacpoole | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 231 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | William Stacpoole | 115 | 53.7 | N/A |
| | Home Rule | The O'Gorman Mahon | 99 | 46.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 214 | 88.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 242 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
Stacpoole's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 26 July 1879: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | James Lysaght Finegan | 83 | 38.8 | N/A |
| | Home Rule | William O'Brien | 77 | 36.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | William Henry Wilson Fitzgerald | 54 | 25.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 2.8 | −4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 214 | 86.6 | −1.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 247 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Parnellite Home Rule League | James Lysaght Finegan | 124 | 56.6 | N/A |
| | Home Rule | William O'Brien | 95 | 43.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 29 | 13.2 | +5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 219 | 88.7 | +0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 247 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
Finegan resigned, causing a by-election.
By-election, 14 Nov 1882: Ennis :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Matthew Joseph Kenny | 136 | 58.9 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Robert William Carey Reeves | 95 | 41.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 41 | 17.8 | +4.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 231 | 87.8 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 263 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Swing | N/A | |