# King's County (UK Parliament constituency)

King's County was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) from 1801 to 1885 and one from 1918 to 1922.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the whole of King's County now known as County Offaly.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1801–1885

| Election | First member | First member | First party | Second member | Second member | Second party |
| 1801, 1 January | | Sir Lawrence Parsons, Bt | | | Denis Bowes Daly | |
| 1802, 22 July | | Sir Lawrence Parsons, Bt | | | Thomas Bernard | Tory |
| 1807, 22 May | | Hardress Lloyd | | | Thomas Bernard | Tory |
| 1818, 30 June | | John Clere Parsons | | | Thomas Bernard | Tory |
| 1821, 30 July | | William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse Lord Oxmantown | Tory | | Thomas Bernard | Tory |
| 1830, 12 August | | William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse Lord Oxmantown | Whig | | Thomas Bernard | Tory |
| 1833, 1 January | | William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse Lord Oxmantown | Whig | | Nicholas Fitzsimon | Repeal Association |
| 1835, 16 January | | Hon. John Westenra | Whig | | Nicholas Fitzsimon | Repeal Association |
| 1841, 24 February | | Hon. John Westenra | Whig | | Sir Andrew Armstrong | Whig |
| 1852, 26 July | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Independent Irish | | Loftus Henry Bland | Independent Irish |
| 1857, 11 April | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Whig | | Loftus Henry Bland | Whig |
| 1859, 19 May | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Liberal | | John Pope Hennessy | Conservative |
| 1865, 24 July | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Liberal | | John Gilbert King | Conservative |
| 1868, 23 November | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Liberal | | David Sherlock | Liberal |
| 1874, 11 February | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Home Rule | | David Sherlock | Home Rule |
| 1880, 13 April | | Sir Patrick O'Brien, Bt | Home Rule | | Bernard Charles Molloy | Home Rule |
| 1885 | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore | Constituency divided: see King's County Birr and King's County Tullamore |

### MPs 1918–1922

| Year | Year | Member | Party |
| | 1918 | Patrick McCartan | Sinn Féin |
| | 1922 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |

## Elections

* Note: Turnout estimated by dividing votes cast by 2. This will underestimate turnout to the extent that electors only used one of their two possible votes. Where there are two seats available but one party fields just one candidate, the turnout is estimated as the sum of the highest vote for each party. This method may overestimate turnout.

### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Parsons | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Tory | Thomas Bernard | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,139 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | William Parsons | 411 | 46.5 |
| | Tory | Thomas Bernard | 316 | 35.8 |
| | Whig | John Westenra | 156 | 17.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | c. 600 | c. 52.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,139 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 95 | 10.7 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 160 | 18.1 |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1832: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Nicholas Fitzsimon | 755 | 44.8 | New |
| | Whig | William Parsons | 471 | 27.9 | −18.6 |
| | Tory | Thomas Bernard | 460 | 27.3 | −8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,043 | 79.6 | c. +26.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,310 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 295 | 17.5 | N/A |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Irish Repeal gain from Tory | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11 | 0.6 | −10.1 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −5.1 | |
General election 1835: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Nicholas Fitzsimon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Westenra | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,514 | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Nicholas Fitzsimon | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Westenra | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,877 | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

Fitzsimon resigned by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.
By-election, 24 February 1841: King's County :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Andrew Armstrong | 426 | 67.0 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Thomas Bernard | 210 | 33.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 216 | 34.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 636 | 59.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,078 | | |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | | |
General election 1841: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Westenra | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Andrew Armstrong | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,078 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal |
General election 1847: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Westenra | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Andrew Armstrong | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,370 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Irish | Patrick O'Brien | 1,264 | 40.1 | N/A |
| | Independent Irish | Loftus Henry Bland | 1,191 | 37.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Thomas Bernard | 697 | 22.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 494 | 15.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,925 (est) | 80.3 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 2,397 | | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Independent Irish gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Patrick O'Brien | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | Loftus Henry Bland | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,228 | | |
| | 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 |
| | 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: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Pope Hennessy | 1,301 | 27.8 | New |
| | Liberal | Patrick O'Brien | 1,293 | 27.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Loftus Henry Bland | 1,216 | 26.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Tristram Kennedy | 867 | 18.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 85 | 1.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,339 (est) | 70.4 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,324 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Gilbert King | 2,182 | 46.7 | +32.8 |
| | Liberal | Patrick O'Brien | 1,246 | 26.7 | −45.4 |
| | Conservative | John Pope Hennessy | 1,240 | 26.6 | +12.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,957 (est) | 87.5 (est) | +17.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,380 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 936 | 20.0 | +18.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +27.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6 | 0.1 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −45.5 | |
General election 1868: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Patrick O'Brien | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | David Sherlock | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,435 | | |
| | 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 |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Patrick O'Brien | 2,009 | 48.8 | New |
| | Home Rule | David Sherlock | 1,264 | 30.7 | New |
| | Home Rule | Bernard Charles Molloy | 758 | 18.4 | New |
| | Home Rule | William Arnett Gowing | 82 | 2.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 12.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,057 (est) | 60.4 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,407 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: King's County (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | Patrick O'Brien | 1,893 | 43.0 | +5.8 |
| | Home Rule | Bernard Charles Molloy | 1,712 | 38.9 | +8.2 |
| | Conservative | Henry Vincent Jackson | 801 | 18.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 911 | 20.7 | +8.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,694 (est) | 84.0 (est) | +23.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,208 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
* Constituency abolished 1885 and re-created as a single member constituency 1918

### Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: King's County :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick McCartan | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
* Constituency abolished 1922