# West Waterford (UK Parliament constituency)

West Waterford was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1918.
Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1918 the area was part of the County Waterford constituency.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the western part of County Waterford. It included the baronies of Coshmore and Coshbride, Decies within Drum, and that part of the barony of Decies-without-Drum not contained within the constituency of East Waterford.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Jasper Douglas Pyne | Nationalist |
| | 1888 | Seat vacant' | Seat vacant' |
| | 1890 | Alfred Webb | Nationalist |
| | 1892 | Alfred Webb | Anti-Parnellite Nationalist |
| | 1895 | James John O'Shee (formerly Shee) | Anti-Parnellite Nationalist |
| | 1900 | James John O'Shee (formerly Shee) | Nationalist |
| 1918 | 1918 | Constituency abolished – see County Waterford | Constituency abolished – see County Waterford |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Douglas Pyne | 3,746 | 91.3 | |
| | Irish Conservative | Richard Francis Keane | 359 | 8.6 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,387 | 82.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,105 | 68.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,025 | | |
| | 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: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Douglas Pyne | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,025 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

Pyne's death causes a by-election.
By-election, 1890: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Alfred Webb | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,353 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
1892 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Alfred Webb | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,667 | | |
| | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary |
1895 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Alfred Webb | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,235 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold |
Webb's resignation causes a by-election.
By-election, 1895: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | J. J. Shee | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,235 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. J. Shee | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,067 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
1906 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. J. O'Shee | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,426 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. J. O'Shee | 1,753 | 57.3 | N/A |
| | Ind. Nationalist | E. Arthur Ryan | 1,309 | 42.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 444 | 14.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,062 | 74.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,139 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Swing | N/A | |
December 1910 general election: West Waterford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. J. O'Shee | 2,402 | 76.8 | +19.5 |
| | All-for-Ireland | Maurice Healy | 727 | 23.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,675 | 53.6 | +39.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,129 | 75.6 | +1.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,139 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Swing | N/A | |

## Notes and References

Notes
* 1 2 Shee changed his name to O'Shee after the 1900 election
References
* ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Branch (Dean and Son, 1896) page 261
* ↑ After death of Pyne in November 1888, the writ for the by-election was not moved for 15 months
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 378–379. ISBN 0901714127.

## Sources

* Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 1)
* Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
* This article about a Historic Westminster constituency in Ireland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
* v
* t
* e