# Mid Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Antrim was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland and after 1921 Northern Ireland which returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922, using the first past the post electoral system.

## Boundaries and boundary changes

This county constituency comprised the central part of County Antrim, specifically the baronies of Glenarm Lower, Toome Lower, part of the barony of Antrim Lower (those parts in the parishes of Ahoghill, Ballyclug, Glenwhirry, Racavan and Skerry, and the townlands of Appletree, Ballee, Ballycowan, Carnaghts, Crevilly Valley, Cromkill, Slaght, Tullaghgarley and Tullynamullan in the parish of Connor), and that part of the barony of Antrim Upper in the parish of Ahoghill. It was bounded to the north by Antrim North, to the west by Londonderry South, to the south by Antrim South and Antrim East and to the east by the sea.
Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election and from the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Antrim constituency.
In terms of the then local government areas the constituency in 1929 comprised parts of the Rural Districts of Ballymena, Ballymoney and Larne. The division also included the whole of the Urban District of Ballymena.

## Politics

The constituency was a predominantly Unionist area. It was also a safe seat for the O'Neill family. All three of the MPs who represented the constituency were related. In 1918 the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by about 4 to 1.
From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

## 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. Elections to both assemblies were conducted not under the first past the post system, but instead under the Single Transferable Vote. Mid Antrim was incorporated in a seven-member constituency of Antrim.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill | Conservative |
| | 1891 | Hon. Robert Torrens O'Neill | Irish Unionist |
| | Jan 1910 | Hon. Arthur O'Neill | Irish Unionist |
| | 1915 (b) | Hon. Hugh O'Neill | Irish Unionist |
| | May 1921 | Hon. Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist |
| 1922 | 1922 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh O'Neill | 10,711 | 79.3 | N/A |
| | Sinn Féin | Joseph Connolly | 2,791 | 20.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,920 | 58.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,502 | 74.9 | N/A |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
By-Election 17 February 1915: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Hugh O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
General election 8 December 1910: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Arthur O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
General election 18 January 1910: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Arthur O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 22 January 1906: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 3,367 | 56.6 | N/A |
| | Russellite Unionist | John Hamilton Verschoyle | 2,577 | 43.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 790 | 13.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,944 | 81.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,337 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 5 October 1900: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 19 July 1895: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
General election 8 July 1892: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Torrens O'Neill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 10 July 1886: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 4,631 | 83.2 | +24.7 |
| | Liberal | James Hamilton McKelvey | 933 | 16.8 | −24.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,698 | 66.4 | +49.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,564 | 67.0 | −11.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,307 | | |
| | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Swing | +24.7 | |
General election 2 December 1885: Mid Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | Robert Torrens O'Neill | 3,832 | 58.5 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Alexander Dickson | 2,713 | 41.5 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,119 | 17.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,545 | 78.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,307 | | |
| | 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) |