# West Cork (UK Parliament constituency)

West Cork, a division of County Cork, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 to 1922 it returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Until the 1885 general election the area was part of the County Cork constituency. From 1922, on the establishment of the Irish Free State, it was not represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the baronies of Bantry, Bear and West Carbery (West Division) and that part of the barony of West Carbery (East Division) consisting of the parishes of Aghadown, Clear Island, Creagh (except the townlands of Gortnaclohy and Smorane), and Tullagh.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | James Gilhooly | Irish Parliamentary Party |
| 1891 | James Gilhooly | Irish National Federation |
| 1900 | James Gilhooly | Irish Parliamentary Party |
| 1910 | James Gilhooly | All-for-Ireland League |
| 1916 by-election | Daniel O'Leary | Irish Parliamentary Party |
| 1918 | Seán Hayes | Sinn Féin |
| 1922 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | James Gilhooly | 3,920 | 91.3 | |
| | Irish Conservative | John Warren Payne | 373 | 8.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,547 | 82.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,293 | 70.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,124 | | |
| | 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 Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | James Gilhooly | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | James Gilhooly | 3,155 | 90.6 | N/A |
| | Irish Unionist | Somers Payne | 329 | 9.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,826 | 81.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,484 | 59.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,854 | | |
| | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A | |
1895 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | James Gilhooly | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | 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 Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | James Gilhooly | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
1906 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | James Gilhooly | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | All-for-Ireland | James Gilhooly | 2,155 | 60.9 | N/A |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Daniel O'Leary | 1,382 | 39.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 773 | 21.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,537 | 61.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,727 | | |
| | All-for-Ireland gain from Irish Parliamentary | All-for-Ireland gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A | |
December 1910 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | All-for-Ireland | James Gilhooly | 2,218 | 53.1 | −7.8 |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Daniel O'Leary | 1,959 | 46.9 | +7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 259 | 6.2 | −15.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,177 | 72.9 | +11.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,727 | | |
| | All-for-Ireland hold | All-for-Ireland hold | Swing | −7.8 | |
1916 by-election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Daniel O'Leary | 1,866 | 46.8 | −0.1 |
| | All-for-Ireland | Frank Healy | 1,750 | 43.9 | −9.2 |
| | Independent All-for-Ireland League | Michael Birchmans Slipsey | 370 | 9.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 2.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,986 | 71.4 | −1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,582 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary gain from All-for-Ireland | Irish Parliamentary gain from All-for-Ireland | Swing | +4.6 | |

#### Notes

* ↑ O'Leary had pledged to join the Irish Parliamentary Party and was a supporter of John Redmond. However, the United Irish League had withheld approval of his candidacy.
* ↑ Healy was imprisoned in Frongoch internment camp for supposedly being associated with Sinn Féin, but Sinn Féin repudiated his candidacy for not revoking to take his seat at Westminster, instead he had been supported by William O'Brien, who was leader of the All-for-Ireland League.
* ↑ Slipsey was a local member of the All-for-Ireland League who stood in protest against William O'Brien's adoption of an unofficial candidate.
The 1916 by-election, which contrasted so obviously with Gilhooly's long tenure of the seat, was viewed as a farce by Unionist opinion.
1918 general election: West Cork :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | Séan Hayes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Sinn Féin gain from All-for-Ireland | Sinn Féin gain from All-for-Ireland | Sinn Féin gain from All-for-Ireland | Sinn Féin gain from All-for-Ireland | Sinn Féin gain from All-for-Ireland |