# County Limerick (UK Parliament constituency)

County Limerick was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised County Limerick, except for the parliamentary borough of Limerick, which was formed by the Limerick City constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | 1st Member | 1st Member | 1st Party | 2nd Member | 2nd Member | 2nd Party |
| 1801, 1 Jan | | John Waller | | | William Odell | |
| 1802, 22 July | | Charles Silver Oliver | | | William Odell | |
| 1806, 22 November | | Windham Quin, later Earl of Dunraven & Mt Earl | Tory | | William Odell | |
| 1818, 8 July | | Windham Quin, later Earl of Dunraven & Mt Earl | Tory | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1820, 30 March | | Standish O'Grady, later Viscount Guillamore | Whig | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1826, 23 Jun | | Thomas Lloyd | Tory | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1830, 2 Feb | | Standish O'Grady, later Viscount Guillamore | Whig | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1830, 3 May | | James Hewitt Massy Dawson | Tory | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1830, 10 Aug | | Standish O'Grady, later Viscount Guillamore | Whig | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1835, 15 Jan | | William Smith O'Brien | Whig | | Richard FitzGibbon, later Earl of Clare | Whig |
| 1841, 10 Jul | | William Smith O'Brien | Whig | | Caleb Powell | Whig |
| 1847, 14 Aug | | William Smith O'Brien | Irish Confederation | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Peelite |
| 1849, 1 Jun | | Samuel Dickson | Peelite | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Peelite |
| 1850, 14 Dec | | Wyndham Goold | Whig | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Peelite |
| 1854, Dec | | Stephen de Vere | Whig | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Peelite |
| 1859, 16 May | | Samuel Auchmuty Dickson | Conservative | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Liberal |
| 1865, 19 Jul | | Edward John Synan | Liberal | | William Monsell, later Baron Emly | Liberal |
| 1874, 11 Feb | | Edward John Synan | Home Rule | | William Henry O'Sullivan | Home Rule |
| 1885 | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick | Constituency divided: see East Limerick and West Limerick |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

Lloyd's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 2 February 1830: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Standish O'Grady | 902 | 56.8 | |
| | Tory | James Hewitt Massy Dawson | 687 | 43.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 13.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,589 | 50.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,142 | | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Swing | | |
* On petition, O'Grady was unseated in favour of Massy Dawson.
General election 1830: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Standish O'Grady | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,142 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1831: County Limerick :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Whig | Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig | Standish O'Grady | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare | 1,056 | 29.3 |
| | Whig | Standish O'Grady | 1,040 | 28.8 |
| | Irish Repeal | Godfrey Massey | 760 | 21.1 |
| | Irish Repeal | Alexander McCarthy | 751 | 20.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 280 | 7.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,889 | 73.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,565 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | William Smith O'Brien | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,740 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare | 859 | 49.7 |
| | Whig | William Smith O'Brien | 855 | 49.5 |
| | Conservative | Augustus Stafford O'Brien | 14 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 841 | 48.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 995 | 30.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,280 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | William Smith O'Brien | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Caleb Powell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,670 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Monsell | 588 | 30.3 | N/A |
| | Irish Confederate | William Smith O'Brien | 482 | 24.9 | New |
| | Irish Repeal | Caleb Powell | 458 | 23.6 | New |
| | Irish Repeal | George John O'Connell | 407 | 21.0 | New |
| | Irish Repeal | Patrick Carroll | 4 | 0.2 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 970 (est) | 54.1 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,793 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 130 | 6.7 | N/A |
| | Peelite gain from Whig | Peelite gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24 | 1.3 | N/A |
| | Irish Confederate gain from Whig | Irish Confederate gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
O'Brien was adjudged guilty of high treason, causing a by-election.
By-election, 1 June 1849: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | Samuel Dickson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Peelite gain from Irish Confederate | Peelite gain from Irish Confederate | Peelite gain from Irish Confederate | Peelite gain from Irish Confederate | Peelite gain from Irish Confederate |

### Elections in the 1850s

Dickson's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 14 December 1850: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Wyndham Goold | 239 | 42.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Samuel Auchmuty Dickson | 199 | 35.2 | N/A |
| | Tenant Right League | Michael Ryan | 128 | 22.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40 | 7.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 566 | 31.6 | −22.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,793 | | |
| | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1852: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Wyndham Goold | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,079 | | |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
| | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Whig gain from Irish Confederate | Whig gain from Irish Confederate |
Monsell was appointed a clerk of ordnance, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 12 January 1853: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,249 | | |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
Goold's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 26 December 1854: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Stephen de Vere | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Monsell was appointed President of the Board of Health, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 17 February 1857: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,428 | | |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
General election 1857: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Wyndham Goold | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,428 | | |
| | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold | Peelite hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Monsell | 4,020 | 44.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Samuel Auchmuty Dickson | 2,626 | 29.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Edward John Synan | 2,369 | 26.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,508 (est) | 69.6 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,481 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,394 | 15.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 257 | 2.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Edward John Synan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,318 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative |
Monsell was appointed Vice-President of the Board of Trade, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 1 March 1866: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,318 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Edward John Synan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,571 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

Monsell was appointed Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 28 Jan 1871: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Monsell | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,489 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Monsell was created a peer in January 1874, voiding his seat, and a writ was to be issued for a by-election. However, this was pre-empted by the dissolution of Parliament later that month
General election 1874: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | William Henry O'Sullivan | 3,521 | 47.8 | New |
| | Home Rule | Edward John Synan | 2,856 | 38.7 | New |
| | Home Rule | John James Kelly | 995 | 13.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,861 | 25.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,686 (est) | 58.5 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,300 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: County Limerick :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Edward John Synan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Parnellite Home Rule League | William Henry O'Sullivan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,072 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold |