# North Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

North Londonderry was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency in Ireland.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

North Londonderry was a county constituency, officially titled the North Derry division of County Londonderry. It comprised the northern part of County Londonderry, defined as follows:
* four complete baronies, namely, Keenaght, the North East Liberties of Coleraine, the North West Liberties of Londonderry, and Tirkeeran;
* and part of the barony of Coleraine, comprising
** four complete civil parishes, namely, Dunboe, Formoyle, Killowen and Macosquin;
** and part of the civil parish of Aghadowey; namely, the townlands of Ballinrees, Ballybritain, Ballycaghan, Ballyclough, Ballydevitt, Ballylintagh, Ballymenagh, Ballynacally Beg, Ballynacally More, Ballywillin, Clintagh, Collins, Craigmore, Crevolea, Craiglea Glebe, Crosscanley Glebe, Crossmakeever, Culdrum, Drumatemple, Glencurb, Keely, Killeague, Kiltest, Knockaduff, Lisnamuck, Managher, Mayboy, Meavemanougher, Meencraig, Moneybrannon, Mullan, Scalty and Shanlongford.
The constituency returned one Member of Parliament. It was not affected by the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918. Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Londonderry constituency.

## Politics

The constituency was a predominantly unionist area. Sinn Féin was easily beaten in 1918 and 1919.

## The First Dáil

Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.
The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.
In 1921 Sinn Féin decided to use the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in a five-member Dáil constituency of Londonderry.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party |
| 1885 | Henry Mulholland | Irish Conservative |
| 1895 | John Atkinson | Irish Unionist |
| 1906 | Hugh Barrie | Irish Unionist |
| 1918 | Hugh Anderson | Irish Unionist |
| 1919 | Hugh Barrie | Irish Unionist |
| 1922 | Malcolm Macnaghten | Ulster Unionist |

## Elections

The elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system.

### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | Henry Mulholland | 5,180 | 62.5 | |
| | Liberal | Samuel Walker | 3,017 | 37.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,073 | 25.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,287 | 74.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,189 | | |
| | Irish Conservative win (new seat) | Irish Conservative win (new seat) | Irish Conservative win (new seat) | Irish Conservative win (new seat) | Irish Conservative win (new seat) |
1886 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | Henry Mulholland | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Henry Mulholland | 5,490 | 70.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Thomas Greer | 2,300 | 29.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,190 | 41.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,790 | 68.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,443 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1895 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | John Atkinson | 4,763 | 65.2 | −5.3 |
| | Liberal | Arthur Houston | 2,538 | 34.8 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,225 | 30.6 | −10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,301 | 72.0 | +3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,139 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | −5.3 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | John Atkinson | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1906 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh T. Barrie | 4,806 | 64.0 | N/A |
| | Russellite Unionist | Arnold White | 2,699 | 36.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,107 | 28.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,505 | 79.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,462 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh T. Barrie | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
December 1910 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh T. Barrie | 4,960 | 69.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Herbert Brown | 2,217 | 30.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,743 | 38.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,177 | 76.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,349 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1918 general election: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh Anderson | 10,530 | 72.7 | +3.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick McGilligan | 3,951 | 27.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,579 | 45.4 | +7.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,481 | 68.0 | −8.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 21,306 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | +3.6 | |
Anderson resigns, prompting a by-election.
By-election, 1919: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh T. Barrie | 9,933 | 69.6 | −3.1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick McGilligan | 4,333 | 30.4 | +3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,600 | 39.2 | −6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,266 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | −3.1 | |

### Elections in the 1920s

Barrie dies, prompting a by-election.
By-election, 1922: North Londonderry :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Malcolm Macnaghten | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |