The 1887 South Donegal by-election was a parliamentary
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
held for the United Kingdom House of Commons
constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...
of
South Donegal on 2 February 1887. It arose as a result of the death of the sitting member,
Bernard Kelly of the
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish national ...
, on 1 January.
[''The Times'', 21 January 1887]
''The Times'' reported on 21 January that the seat had been offered by the Irish party leader,
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of the ...
, to the former member for
Tyrone,
Thomas Alexander Dickson
Thomas Alexander Dickson PC (12 October 1833 – 17 June 1909) was an Irish Liberal Party politician. He represented a series of Irish constituencies as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain a ...
, but that he had refused unless he could run as an 'independent
Gladstonian
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
Liberal' and would not sign the pledge required of members of the Irish Parliamentary Party; instead, it was reported that
Tim Healy, who had lost his
South Londonderry seat at the last general election, was to be the candidate.
On 24 January, however, it was announced that Mr Parnell had asked
J. G. Swift MacNeill
John Gordon Swift MacNeill (11 March 1849 – 24 August 1926) was an Irish people, Irish Protestant Nationalist politician and Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP, in the British House of Commons, House of Commons of the United Kingdom of ...
, Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law at the
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns ( ir, Cumann Onórach Óstaí an Rí) is the "Inn of Court" for the Bar of Ireland. Established in 1541, King's Inns is Ireland's oldest school of law and one of Ireland's significant historical environment ...
, Dublin, to be the candidate, saying that MacNeill's election, as a Protestant, by the Catholic electors of South Donegal would have a great effect of dispelling the fears and prejudices of Northern Protestants'.
The other nominated candidate in the by-election was Henry Monsell Munster, representing the
Liberal Unionists
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...
. Munster received 933 votes; MacNeill received 4,604 and was duly declared elected.
[''The Times'', 4 February 1887]