# South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

South Antrim is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), first elected in the 2024 general election.

## Boundaries

From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions of the former Antrim constituency. It comprised the baronies of Massereene Upper, Massereene Lower, that part of the barony Antrim Upper in the parish of Antrim, that part of the barony of Toome Upper not in the constituency of Mid Antrim, that part of the barony of Belfast Upper not in the constituency of East Antrim, and so much of the Parliamentary Borough of Belfast as was in the County of Antrim.
It returned one Member of Parliament. In 1922, it was merged into a new Antrim constituency.
The seat was re-created in 1950 when the old Antrim two MP constituency was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats. The seat was reduced in size for the 1974 general election, with the town of Carrickfergus and the areas between it and Larne town transferred to North Antrim. Additionally some territory was transferred to Belfast West. Despite these changes, the seat had become the largest in the entire United Kingdom by the time of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of 1982, by which time its electorate had passed the 131,000 mark. For the 1983 general election Northern Ireland received new seats. Consequently, South Antrim was significantly reduced, losing a lot of territory to the new seats of East Antrim and Lagan Valley as well as minor sections to Belfast West, Belfast North and Upper Bann. The new South Antrim which was fought for the 1983 election contained only 43% of the previous seat. In 1995 there were minor changes around the borders with North Belfast and West Belfast. The seat fought at the 2005 election encompassed the entirety of the district of Antrim and part of the district of Newtownabbey.
Following consultation of boundary changes across Northern Ireland, the altered South Antrim constituency fought at the 2010 general election is made up as follows:
* Glenavy from Lisburn City government area
* Ballyclare North, Ballyclare South, Ballyduff, Ballynure, Ballyrobert, Burnthill, Carnmoney, Doagh, Hawthorne, Mallusk, and Mossley, from Newtownabbey
* The district of Antrim

## History

South Antrim is an overwhelmingly unionist constituency which once had the strongest vote for the Ulster Unionist Party anywhere in the province. From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party, and they continuously represented South Antrim.
In 1951, it was one of the last four seats to be uncontested in a British General Election. In the 1979 general election James Molyneaux had the largest majority of any MP in the entire of the United Kingdom, helped also by having one of the largest electorates.
The boundary changes in 1983 reduced the Ulster Unionist vote somewhat, with a significant portion now contained in the new Lagan Valley (which Molyneaux then contested) but the constituency still gave strong results for the party.
However, in April 2000 the Ulster Unionist incumbent, Clifford Forsythe, died suddenly. The ensuing by-election took place amidst a fierce political struggle between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party over the Good Friday Agreement, an agreement that the UUP were themselves split over. The DUP had not contested the seat at the previous general election but on this occasion stood William McCrea, the former MP for Mid Ulster, who campaigned strongly on the DUP's refusal to co-operate with Sinn Féin in the absence of arms decommissioning by the IRA. The local UUP branch selected David Burnside to contest the seat who declared that he had supported the Good Friday Agreement at the time that it was signed but had since become disillusioned with its implementation. As a result, many commentators predicted that whatever the outcome of the election it was a severe blow for the UUP's leader David Trimble. On a low turnout amidst a fierce contest McCrea narrowly won the seat.
Burnside was nominated again to contest the seat in the 2001 general election in which he overturned McCrea's majority, aided by tactical voting by SDLP and Alliance voters. However the DUP were eager to regain the seat and in the 2003 Assembly election they outpolled the UUP by 298 votes. In the 2005 general election McCrea defeated Burnside in their third contest, but with a noticeably lower swing than those garnered by other DUP candidates who ousted UUP MPs. McCrea held the seat in the 2010 general election with a reduced majority. The seat was won by the UUP at the 2015 general election following the defeat of McCrea by Danny Kinahan. The DUP regained the seat following the 2017 general election with the defeat of Kinahan by Paul Girvan. Girvan would hold the seat until 2024, when Robin Swann, a former Health Minister who led Northern Ireland's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, retook the seat for the UUP on a 12.3% swing, giving them a seat in the Commons for the first time in 7 years.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | William Ellison-Macartney | Conservative |
| | 1891 | William Ellison-Macartney | Irish Unionist |
| | 1903 by-election | Charles Craig | Irish Unionist |
| | 1921 | Charles Craig | Ulster Unionist |
| 1922 | 1922 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
| 1950 | 1950 | constituency recreated | constituency recreated |
| | 1950 | Douglas Lloyd Savory | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1955 | Knox Cunningham | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1970 | James Molyneaux | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1983 | Clifford Forsythe | Ulster Unionist |
| | 2000 by-election | William McCrea | Democratic Unionist |
| | 2001 | David Burnside | Ulster Unionist |
| | 2003 | David Burnside | Independent Unionist |
| | 2004 | David Burnside | Ulster Unionist Party |
| | 2005 | William McCrea | Democratic Unionist |
| | 2015 | Danny Kinahan | Ulster Unionist |
| | 2017 | Paul Girvan | Democratic Unionist |
| | 2024 | Robin Swann | Ulster Unionist |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robin Swann | 16,311 | 38.0 | +8.9 |
| | DUP | Paul Girvan | 8,799 | 20.5 | −15.7 |
| | Sinn Féin | Declan Kearney | 8,034 | 18.7 | +7.3 |
| | Alliance | John Blair | 4,574 | 10.7 | −7.7 |
| | TUV | Mel Lucas | 2,693 | 6.3 | New |
| | SDLP | Roisin Lynch | 1,589 | 3.7 | −1.3 |
| | Green (NI) | Lesley Veronica | 541 | 1.3 | New |
| | Aontú | Siobhán McErlean | 367 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,512 | 17.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,908 | 55.7 | −4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,058 | | |
| | UUP gain from DUP | UUP gain from DUP | Swing | +12.3 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Paul Girvan | 15,149 | 35.3 | ―2.9 |
| | UUP | Danny Kinahan | 12,460 | 29.0 | ―1.8 |
| | Alliance | John Blair | 8,190 | 19.1 | +11.7 |
| | Sinn Féin | Declan Kearney | 4,887 | 11.4 | ―6.7 |
| | SDLP | Roisin Lynch | 2,288 | 5.3 | ―0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,689 | 6.3 | ―1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,974 | 59.9 | ―3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,743 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | ―0.6 | |
General election 2017: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Paul Girvan | 16,508 | 38.2 | +8.1 |
| | UUP | Danny Kinahan | 13,300 | 30.8 | ―1.9 |
| | Sinn Féin | Declan Kearney | 7,797 | 18.1 | +5.2 |
| | Alliance | Neil Kelly | 3,203 | 7.4 | ―2.4 |
| | SDLP | Roisin Lynch | 2,362 | 5.5 | ―2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,208 | 7.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,292 | 63.3 | +9.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,244 | | |
| | DUP gain from UUP | DUP gain from UUP | Swing | +5.0 | |
General election 2015: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Danny Kinahan | 11,942 | 32.7 | +2.3 |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 10,993 | 30.1 | ―3.8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Declan Kearney | 4,699 | 12.9 | ―1.0 |
| | Alliance | Neil Kelly | 3,576 | 9.8 | +2.1 |
| | SDLP | Roisin Lynch | 2,990 | 8.2 | ―0.5 |
| | TUV | Rick Cairns | 1,908 | 5.2 | ―0.2 |
| | NI Conservatives | Alan Dunlop | 415 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 949 | 2.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,523 | 54.2 | +0.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,425 | | |
| | UUP gain from DUP | UUP gain from DUP | Swing | +3.1 | |
General election 2010: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 11,536 | 33.9 | ―4.3 |
| | UCU-NF | Reg Empey | 10,353 | 30.4 | +1.3 |
| | Sinn Féin | Mitchel McLaughlin | 4,729 | 13.9 | +2.3 |
| | SDLP | Michelle Byrne | 2,955 | 8.7 | ―3.7 |
| | Alliance | Alan Lawther | 2,607 | 7.7 | ―0.9 |
| | TUV | Mel Lucas | 1,829 | 5.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,183 | 3.5 | ―5.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,009 | 53.9 | ―2.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,054 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | ―2.8 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 14,507 | 38.2 | +3.4 |
| | UUP | David Burnside | 11,059 | 29.1 | −8.0 |
| | SDLP | Noreen McClelland | 4,706 | 12.4 | +0.3 |
| | Sinn Féin | Henry Cushinan | 4,407 | 11.6 | +2.2 |
| | Alliance | David Ford | 3,278 | 8.6 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,448 | 9.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,957 | 56.7 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,580 | | |
| | DUP gain from UUP | DUP gain from UUP | Swing | +5.7 | |
General election 2001: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | David Burnside | 16,366 | 37.1 | −20.4 |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 15,355 | 34.8 | New |
| | SDLP | Sean A. McKee | 5,336 | 12.1 | −4.1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Martin Meehan | 4,160 | 9.4 | +3.9 |
| | Alliance | David Ford | 1,969 | 4.5 | −7.1 |
| | NI Unionist | Norman Boyd | 972 | 2.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,011 | 2.3 | −39.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,158 | 62.5 | +4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,651 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | −10.2 | |
By-election 2000: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 11,601 | 38.0 | New |
| | UUP | David Burnside | 10,779 | 35.3 | −22.2 |
| | SDLP | Donovan McClelland | 3,496 | 11.4 | −4.8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Martin Meehan | 2,611 | 8.5 | +3.0 |
| | Alliance | David Ford | 2,031 | 6.6 | −5.0 |
| | Natural Law | David H. Collins | 49 | 0.2 | −0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 822 | 2.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,567 | 43.0 | −14.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 71,047 | | |
| | DUP gain from UUP | DUP gain from UUP | Swing | −5.7 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | 23,108 | 57.5 | −13.9 |
| | SDLP | Donovan McClelland | 6,497 | 16.2 | +3.4 |
| | Alliance | David Ford | 4,668 | 11.6 | +0.7 |
| | PUP | Hugh Smyth | 3,490 | 9.0 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Henry Cushinan | 2,229 | 5.5 | +2.5 |
| | Natural Law | Barbara A. Briggs | 203 | 0.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,611 | 41.3 | −16.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,195 | 57.8 | −5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 69,512 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | −8.2 | |
General election 1992: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | 29,956 | 70.9 | +1.1 |
| | SDLP | Donovan McClelland | 5,397 | 12.8 | +2.9 |
| | Alliance | John Blair | 5,244 | 12.4 | −3.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Henry Cushinan | 1,220 | 2.9 | −1.5 |
| | Independent | Denis Martin | 442 | 1.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 24,559 | 58.1 | +4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,259 | 62.9 | +0.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 67,192 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | 25,395 | 69.8 | +24.1 |
| | Alliance | Gordon Mawhinney | 5,808 | 16.0 | +4.1 |
| | SDLP | Donovan McClelland | 3,611 | 9.9 | +1.2 |
| | Sinn Féin | Henry Cushinan | 1,592 | 4.4 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,587 | 53.8 | +36.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,406 | 62.9 | −2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,649 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
By-election 1986: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | 30,087 | 94.1 | +48.4 |
| | "For the Anglo-Irish Agreement" | "Peter Barry" (Wesley Robert Williamson) | 1,870 | 5.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28,217 | 88.2 | +70.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,957 | 53.5 | −12.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 60,780 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1983: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | 17,727 | 45.7 | −23.3 |
| | DUP | Roy Thompson | 10,935 | 28.2 | New |
| | Alliance | Gordon Mawhinney | 4,612 | 11.9 | −4.3 |
| | SDLP | Alban Maginness | 3,377 | 8.7 | −1.4 |
| | Sinn Féin | Sean H. Laverty | 1,629 | 4.2 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Kevin Smyth | 549 | 1.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,792 | 17.5 | −35.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,829 | 65.5 | +7.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,233 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | James Molyneaux | 50,782 | 69.0 | −2.5 |
| | Alliance | Charles Kinahan | 11,914 | 16.2 | +0.9 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Rowan | 7,432 | 10.1 | −3.1 |
| | United Labour | Bob Kidd | 1,895 | 2.6 | New |
| | Republican Clubs | Kevin Smyth | 1,615 | 2.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38,868 | 52.8 | −3.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 73,638 | 58.2 | +0.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 126,444 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | James Molyneaux | 48,892 | 71.5 | +3.9 |
| | Alliance | Charles Kinahan | 10,460 | 15.3 | −2.3 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Rowan | 9,061 | 13.2 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 38,432 | 56.2 | +6.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 68,413 | 58.1 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 117,834 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | James Molyneaux | 48,203 | 67.6 | +6.4 |
| | Alliance | Charles Kinahan | 12,559 | 17.6 | New |
| | SDLP | Patrick John Rowan | 8,769 | 12.3 | New |
| | Independent | Bob Kidd | 1,801 | 2.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 35,644 | 50.0 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 71,332 | 61.1 | −6.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 118,483 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | James Molyneaux | 59,589 | 61.2 | −3.1 |
| | NI Labour | Robert Johnston | 19,971 | 20.5 | −15.2 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Tom Caldwell | 10,938 | 11.2 | New |
| | National Democratic | Daniel MacAllister | 6,037 | 6.2 | New |
| | Ulster Liberal | Rodney Smith | 913 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 39,618 | 40.7 | +12.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 97,448 | 68.0 | +12.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 143,274 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Knox Cunningham | 40,840 | 64.3 | −5.6 |
| | NI Labour | Sydney Stewart | 22,672 | 35.7 | +11.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,168 | 28.6 | −16.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 63,512 | 55.9 | −8.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 113,645 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Knox Cunningham | 47,325 | 69.9 | −25.2 |
| | NI Labour | Sydney Stewart | 16,531 | 24.4 | New |
| | Ind. Republican | Leo Wilson | 3,830 | 5.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30,794 | 45.5 | −13.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 67,686 | 64.3 | +5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 105,304 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Knox Cunningham | 52,786 | 95.1 | +4.4 |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Traynor | 2,745 | 4.9 | −4.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 50,041 | 90.2 | +8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,531 | 59.3 | −6.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 93,634 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Knox Cunningham | 50,347 | 90.7 | N/A |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Traynor | 5,155 | 9.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 45,192 | 81.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 55,502 | 65.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 84,939 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Douglas Savory | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,533 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1950: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Douglas Savory | 41,023 | 83.6 | |
| | NI Labour | Edward Brown | 8,068 | 16.4 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 32,955 | 67.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 49,091 | 63.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 77,499 | | |
| | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1910s

1918 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles Craig | 13,270 | 85.1 | N/A |
| | Sinn Féin | Kevin O'Shiel | 2,318 | 14.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,952 | 70.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,558 | 67.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
December 1910 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles Craig | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,900 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
January 1910 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles Craig | 5,310 | 69.41 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Moffat Clow | 2,340 | 30.59 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,970 | 38.82 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,650 | 77.27 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,900 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1906 general election: South Antrim$^{:326–327,383}$ :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles Craig | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1903 South Antrim by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles Craig | 4,464 | 55.25 | +0.86 |
| | Russellite Unionist | Samuel Robert Keightley | 3,615 | 44.75 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 849 | 10.50 | +1.72 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,079 | 78.93 | +13.86 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,236 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1900 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Ellison-Macartney | 3,674 | 54.39 | N/A |
| | Ind. Unionist | Samuel Lawther | 3,081 | 45.61 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 593 | 8.78 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,755 | 65.07 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,381 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1895 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Ellison-Macartney | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1892 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Ellison-Macartney | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

1886 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | William Ellison-Macartney | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,824 | | |
| | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold | Irish Conservative hold |
1885 general election: South Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | William Ellison-Macartney | 5,047 | 57.8 | |
| | Liberal | John Dougherty Barbour | 3,680 | 42.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,367 | 15.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,727 | 80.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,824 | | |
| | 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) |