1899 Dublin Corporation election

An election to Dublin Corporation took place in March 1899 as part of that year's Irish local elections.

1899 Dublin Corporation election

← 1898 March 1899 1902 →

All 60 seats to Dublin Corporation
31 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Party United Irish League Irish National League
Seats won 27 18

  Third party Fourth party
 
Party LEA Irish Unionist
Seats won 8 7

Map showing results by ward.

Council control before election

Redmonites

Council control after election

No Overall Control

Before the next regular local elections, the jurisdiction of the city of Dublin was expanded under the Dublin Corporation Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. cclxiv). Elections were held for 20 additional seats in this area at the 1901 Dublin Corporation election.

Background

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The election, being the first following the 1898 changes to Irish local government, saw substantive changes to the franchise. Prior to these changes, the franchise had been restricted to males over the age of 21 who had maintained a continual residence within the borough for the preceding 2 years and 8 months, thereby preventing Dublin's large lodger and floating tenement population from voting.[1] As a result of the changes the franchise increased from 7,964 in the previous elections to 38,719. Among these voters were 6,500 women who could vote for the first time.[2]

Contest

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The 60 seats for election were contested by 120 candidates; 18 Unionists, 10 Labourites, 88 Nationalists, and 1 representative of the Irish Socialist Republican Party.[3]

This was the first time representatives of organised Labour participated in their own right, fighting under the banner of the Labour Electoral Association. Previously the Labour interest had been represented by Nationalist "Labour" spokespersons. That being said, the party only contested 10 of Dublins 60 seats, meaning the party did not even put forward 1 candidate per ward.[3]

Results

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The election saw the Redmonites, who had previously dominated the council, substantially reduced. The Redmonites had previously held 44 of the 60 seats in the old council.[2] Following the election the Redmonites held only 18. United Irish League representation increased substantially to 27. Labour representation increased from 3 to 8, whilst Unionist representation declined to 7.[4]

Results by party

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Party Seats ± Votes % ±%
Anti-Redmondite 27
Irish National League 18
LEA 8
Irish Unionist 7
Totals 60 100%

Results by ward

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Arran Quay Ward

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Arran Quay Ward[5][6]
Electorate: 4,236[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Nationalist James Cummins (elected Alderman) 1,523
Irish National League John Keogh PLG 1,209
Irish Nationalist / Ratepayers Richard Jones 865
Irish National League William Coffey 830
Ratepayers Patrick Monks 782
Irish National League James Crozier, VS JP 782
Ratepayers Lawrence Mulligan 773
LEA George Leahy 756
Turnout 2,965

Fitzwilliam Ward

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Fitzwilliam Ward[5][6]
Electorate: 2,083[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Ireland J.P. (elected Alderman, incumbent councillor) 718
Irish Unionist Thomas Anthony Joynt 676
Irish Unionist Thomas D. Pile (incumbent councillor) 653
Irish Nationalist Patrick W. Corrigan 622
Irish National League Joseph Delahunt 558
Independent Joseph Hatch (incumbent councillor) 540
Independent Thomas Kennedy (incumbent councillor) 520
Irish National League Philip Redmond 344
Irish National League William Cashen 320
Irish National League James Brooks 297
Turnout 1,805

References

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Sources

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  • O'Brien, Joseph Valentine (1982). Dear, Dirty Dublin: A City in Distress, 1899–1916. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039650. Retrieved 18 September 2018.

Citations

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