Cork Borough was a
parliamentary 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 (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
represented in
Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or
Oireachtas from 1921 to 1969, and as Cork City from 1977 to 1981. The method of election was
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
by means of the
single transferable vote
Single transferable vote (STV) is a multi-winner electoral system in which voters cast a single vote in the form of a ranked-choice ballot. Voters have the option to rank candidates, and their vote may be transferred according to alternate ...
(PR-STV).
TDs
History and boundaries
The constituency was created by the
Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 67) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill ...
as a 4-seat constituency for the
Southern Ireland House of Commons
The Parliament of Southern Ireland was a Home Rule legislature established by the British Government during the Irish War of Independence under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was designed to legislate for Southern Ireland,"Order in Co ...
from the
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city's ...
constituency in which
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
had been
represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons at Westminster since 1801. The constituency would have continued as a single-seat constituency at Westminster.
At the
1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the four seats were won uncontested by Sinn Féin, who treated it as part of the election to the
Second Dáil
The Second Dáil () was Dáil Éireann as it convened from 16 August 1921 until 8 June 1922. From 1919 to 1922, Dáil Éireann was the revolutionary parliament of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic. The Second Dáil consisted of members elect ...
. It was never used as a Westminster constituency; under s. 1(4) of the
Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922
The Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. 5 c. 4) was an Act of the British Parliament passed on 31 March 1922. It gave the force of law to the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which was scheduled to the Act.
Main provisions
Section 1(1) of th ...
, no writ was to be issued "for a constituency in Ireland other than a constituency in Northern Ireland".
Therefore, no vote was held in Cork at the
1922 United Kingdom general election on 15 November 1922, shortly before the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
left the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
on 6 December 1922.
Under the
Electoral Act 1923
The Electoral Act 1923 was a law in Ireland which established the electoral law of the Irish Free State and provided for parliamentary constituencies in Dáil Éireann.
Franchise
Article 14 of the Constitution of the Irish Free State adopted o ...
, it became a 5-seat constituency and was first used at the
1923 general election.
Its representation fluctuated between 4 and 5 seats until its abolition for the
1969 general election. The constituency was recreated under the
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974 (No. 7) was a law in Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies. It was a review of parliamentary constituencies passed in Ireland by the governing Fine Gael– Labour Party National Coalition. It was intended ...
as Cork City.
It was only used for the
1977 general election and a by-election in 1979.
It was abolished under the
Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980
The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980 (No. 17) was a law of Ireland which revised Dáil constituencies. It took effect on the dissolution of the 21st Dáil on 21 May 1981 and a general election for the 22nd Dáil on the revised constituencies too ...
and replaced at the
1981 general election by
Cork North-Central and
Cork South-Central.
Elections
1979 by-election
Following the death of
Labour Party TD
Patrick Kerrigan
Patrick Kerrigan (21 February 1928 – 4 July 1979) was an Irish Labour Party Senator and later a Teachta Dála (TD).
A trade union official, Kerrigan was an unsuccessful candidate in the Cork City North-West constituency at the 1969 gene ...
, a by-election was held on 7 November 1979. The seat was won by the
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil à ...
candidate Liam Burke.
1977 general election
1967 by-election
Following the death of Labour Party TD
Seán Casey
Seán Casey (9 May 1922 – 29 April 1967) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork Borough constituency at the 1954 general elec ...
, a by-election was held on 9 November 1967. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Seán French.
1965 general election
1964 by-election
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD
John Galvin, a by-election was held on 19 February 1964. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Sheila Galvin, widow of the deceased TD.
The surplus votes of the elected candidate were distributed after being declared elected because there was a possibility another candidate could have reached the threshold of a third of a quota which would have meant their election deposit was returned to them.
1961 general election
1957 general election
1956 by-election
Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD
Patrick McGrath, a by-election was held on 2 August 1956. The seat was won by Fianna Fáil candidate John Galvin.
1954 general election
1954 by-election
Following the death of Fine Gael TD
Thomas F. O'Higgins
Thomas Francis O'Higgins (20 November 1890 – 1 November 1953) was an Irish Fine Gael politician and medical practitioner who served as Minister for Defence from 1948 to 1951, Minister for Industry and Commerce from March 1951 to June 1951 an ...
, a by-election was held on 3 March 1954. The seat was won by the Fine Gael candidate Stephen Barrett.
1951 general election
1948 general election
1946 by-election
Following the resignation of Independent TD
William Dwyer, a by-election was held on 14 June 1946. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Patrick McGrath.
The surplus votes of the elected candidate were distributed after being declared elected because there was a possibility another candidate could have reached the threshold of a third of a quota which would have meant their election deposit was returned to them.
1944 general election
1943 general election
Information on the number of transfers received by
Richard Anthony on the fifth and sixth counts is unavailable so his number of votes on the fifth count is unknown.
1938 general election
1937 general election
1933 general election
1932 general election
September 1927 general election
June 1927 general election
1924 by-election
Following the resignation of Cumann na nGaedheal TD
Alfred O'Rahilly
Alfred O'Rahilly, KSG (1 October 1884 – 1 August 1969) was an academic with controversial views on both electromagnetism and religion. He briefly served in politics, as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Cork City, and was later the president of Unive ...
, a by-election was held on 19 November 1924. The seat was won by the Cumann na nGaedheal candidate Michael Egan.
1923 general election
The Business and Professional Group candidates were members of the Cork Progressive Association.
1922 general election
1921 general election
See also
*
Politics of the Republic of Ireland
Ireland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member state of the European Union. While the head of state is the popularly elected President of Ireland, it is a largely ceremonial position, with real political power bein ...
*
Historic Dáil constituencies
This page lists Dáil constituencies that have been used for elections to Dáil Éireann from the 1918 election to the next general election.
Overview of legislation and seat distribution
In the case of the First Dáil, the constituencies were ...
*
Elections in the Republic of Ireland
In Ireland, direct elections by universal suffrage are used for the President, the ceremonial head of state; for Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas or parliament; for the European Parliament; and for local government. ...
References
External links
Oireachtas Members Database
{{coord missing, County Cork
Dáil constituencies in the Republic of Ireland (historic)
Historic constituencies in County Cork
Politics of Cork (city)
1921 establishments in Ireland
1969 disestablishments in Ireland
Constituencies established in 1921
Constituencies disestablished in 1969