Queen's University of Belfast (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Queen's University of Belfast was a university constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 until 1969. It returned four MPs, using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. In 1969 the constituency was abolished under the reforms carried out by the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Terence O'Neill.

Queen's University of Belfast
Former University constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast QUB Constituency 1929-1969
Queen's University of Belfast Constituency
Former constituency
Created1921
Abolished1969
Election methodSingle transferable vote

Franchise

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The constituency was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and its four MPs were elected by the graduates of Queen's University of Belfast.

Second Dáil

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In May 1921, Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the self-declared Irish Republic run by Sinn Féin, passed a resolution declaring that elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for the Second Dáil.[1] All those elected were on the roll of the Second Dáil, but as no Sinn Féin MP was elected for Queen's University, it was not represented there.[2]

Members of Parliament

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Election Member Party Member Party Member Party Member Party
MPs
(1921)
John Campbell UUP John Hanna Robb UUP Robert James Johnstone UUP Hugh Morrison UUP
MPs
(1929)
Robert Corkey UUP Robert McNeill Ind. Unionist
MPs
(1935)
Arthur Brownlow Mitchell UUP
MPs
(1938)
John MacDermott UUP
MPs
(1938)
Howard Stevenson UUP
MPs
(1942)
William Lyle UUP
MPs
(1943)
John W. Renshaw UUP
MPs
(1944)
Herbert Quin UUP
MPs
(1945)
Frederick McSorley Independent Irene Calvert Independent
MPs
1948
Samuel Irwin UUP
MPs
(1949)
Eileen M. Hickey Independent William Lyle UUP
MPs
(1949)
Frederick Lloyd-Dodd UUP
MPs
(1953)
Elizabeth Maconachie UUP
MPs
(1958)
Charles Stewart Independent
MPs
(1961)
Sheelagh Murnaghan Ulster Liberal
MPs
(1962)
Ian McClure UUP
MPs
(1966)
Robert Porter UUP

Election results

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Elections in the 1920s

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1921 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
UUP John Campbell 43.35 835    
UUP John Hanna Robb 19.11 368 438  
UUP Professor Robert James Johnstone 14.49 279 602  
UUP Hugh Smith Morrison 12.62 243 296 564
Sinn Féin Sean B. Dolan 10.44 201 204 204
Electorate: 2,528   Valid: 1,926   Quota: 386   Turnout: 76.19%  
At the 1925 Northern Ireland general election, John Campbell, Robert James Johnstone, Hugh Morrison and John Hanna Robb were elected unopposed.
1929 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
UUP John Hanna Robb 24.9 528    
UUP Robert Corkey 24.0 510    
Ind. Unionist Robert McNeill 20.8 441    
UUP Robert James Johnstone 16.0 340 397 438
UUP Arthur Brownlow Mitchell 14.2 302 348 392
Electorate: 3,324   Valid: 2,121   Quota: 425   Turnout: 63.8%  

Elections in the 1930s

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1933 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
UUP Robert James Johnstone 29.5 695  
UUP Robert Corkey 21.7 512  
UUP John Hanna Robb 19.1 451 472
Ind. Unionist Robert McNeill 15.6 368 604
Independent Frederick McSorley 14.0 331 337
Electorate: 3,800   Valid: 2,357   Quota: 472   Turnout: 62.0%  
At the 1935 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, Arthur Brownlow Mitchell was elected unopposed.
1938 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
UUP Robert Corkey 608 24.8 1 1
UUP Robert James Johnstone 600 24.5 2 1
UUP Arthur Brownlow Mitchell 369 14.7 3 5
Independent Frederick McSorley 359 5
Ind. Unionist S. Sims 259 10.6 3
UUP John MacDermott 253 10.3 4 5
Turnout 2,448 61.1 – 0.9
At the 1938 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, Howard Stevenson was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1940s

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At the 1942 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, William Lyle was elected unopposed.
At the 1943 Queen's University of Belfast by-election, John W. Renshaw was elected unopposed.
1944 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Herbert Quin 1,178 53.6 −20.7
Independent Irene Calvert 1,020 46.4 N/A
Majority 158 71.8
Turnout 2,198 46.7 – 14.4
UUP hold Swing N/A
1945 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
Independent Frederick McSorley 649 21.6 1 1
UUP Howard Stevenson 580 19.3 2 1
Independent Irene Calvert 570 18.9 3 1
UUP Herbert Quin 535 17.8 4 3
UUP E. B. Wallace 286 9.5 3
UUP William Lyle 279 9.3 3
Ind. Unionist S. Sims 109 3.6 2
Turnout 3,008 59.1 – 2.0
1948 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Samuel Irwin 2,735 70.8 +13.9
Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,126 29.2 N/A
Majority 1,609 41.7
Turnout 3,861 57.4 – 1.7
UUP hold Swing N/A
1949 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
UUP Samuel Irwin 1,662 31.7 1 1
Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,073 20.5 2 1
Independent Irene Calvert 955 18.2 3 3
UUP E. B. Wallace 620 11.8 3
UUP William Lyle 588 11.2 4 3
UUP Howard Stevenson 339 6.5 2
Turnout 5,237 75.0 + 15.9
1949 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 2,100 54.0 −7.2
Ind. Unionist N. S. Dickson 1,312 33.7 New
Independent E. Reid 479 12.3 New
Majority 749 19.2
Turnout 3,891 54.2 – 20.8
UUP hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s

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1953 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
UUP Samuel Irwin 1,840 32.9 1 1
Independent Eileen M. Hickey 1,206 21.6 2 1
UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 940 16.8 4 2
UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 706 12.6 3 2
Independent R. Appleton 539 9.6 2
NI Labour Sam Napier 297 5.3 2
Turnout 5,586 63.7 – 11.3
1958 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
UUP Samuel Irwin 1,640 28.3 1 1
Independent Charles Stewart 1,218 21.0 2 1
UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 1,131 19.5 3 2
Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 759 13.1 4
UUP Frederick Lloyd-Dodd 706 12.2 4 4
NI Labour S. J. Watt 345 5.9 2
Turnout 5,799 52.9 – 10.8

Elections in the 1960s

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1961 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Liberal Sheelagh Murnaghan 2,622 52.5 +39.4
UUP Samuel Rodgers 2,370 47.5 −12.5
Majority 252 5.0 N/A
Turnout 4,992 45.1 – 7.8
Ulster Liberal gain from UUP Swing N/A
1962 General Election: Queen's University of Belfast (4 seats)
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
UUP Ian McClure 2,040 30.0 1 1
Ulster Liberal Sheelagh Murnaghan 1,698 24.9 2 1
UUP Elizabeth Maconachie 1,252 18.4 3 2
Independent Charles Stewart 1,220 17.9 4 3
UUP H. R. Brown 597 8.8 3
Turnout 6,807 53.8 + 0.9
At the 1965 Northern Ireland general election, Harold McClure, Elizabeth Maconachie, Sheelagh Murnaghan and Charles Stewart were elected unopposed.
1966 Queen's University of Belfast by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Robert Porter 3,717 55.6 N/A
Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 2,968 44.4 N/A
Majority 749 11.2 N/A
Turnout 6,685 48.7 N/A
UUP gain from Independent Swing N/A

References

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  1. ^ "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 May 1921 - PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  2. ^ "APPENDIX 19 DÁIL ÉIREANN". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 August 1921. Retrieved 20 February 2019.