Belfast West (Dáil Éireann constituency)

Coordinates: 54°35′42″N 5°57′50″W / 54.595°N 5.964°W / 54.595; -5.964

Belfast West, was a former potential Dáil Éireann parliamentary constituency located in Northern Ireland despite being outside the Dáil's jurisdiction. It was a Dáil constituency from 1921 to 1922.

Representation

The constituency was entitled to return four Teachtaí Dála (known in English as Deputies) in 1921 to serve in the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. None of the four took their seat in the Dáil.

The First Dáil, passed a motion at its last meeting on 10 May 1921, the first three parts of which make explicit the republican view.

1. That the Parliamentary elections which are to take place during the present month be regarded as elections to Dáil Éireann.
2. That all deputies duly returned at these elections be regarded as members of Dáil Éireann and allowed to take their seats on subscribing to the proposed Oath of Allegiance.
3. That the present Dáil dissolve automatically as soon as the new body has been summoned by the President and called to order.

Sinn Féin used the elections in 1921 to elect the Dáil. The Second Dáil first met on 16 August 1921. It last met on 8 June 1922.

From the Third Dáil onwards the Dáil represented only the twenty-six counties which formed the Irish Free State.

Belfast West is also a United Kingdom Parliament constituency. It has been represented by one member from 1922. The constituency sent four MPs to the Northern Ireland House of Commons 1921-1929.

Boundaries and Boundary Changes

Belfast West was a borough constituency comprising part of the county borough of Belfast. It included Court, Falls, St. Anne's, St. George's, Smithfield and Woodvale wards.

Between 1918-1921 the area was divided into three single-member constituencies, Belfast Falls, Belfast St Anne's and Belfast Woodvale.

Politics of the constituency

In 1921 the area was predominantly Unionist, with the party winning three seats. The Nationalists won the remaining seat (the only non Unionist one in Belfast). Sinn Féin's combined vote did not amount to a quota of more than one-fifth of the ballots.

Thomas Burn was a member of the Ulster Unionist Labour Association. He sat in the United Kingdom House of Commons as a Labour Unionist.

Joe Devlin, the Nationalist leader, was also elected for Antrim. Although he was more associated with Belfast and preferred to represent this seat, as he did not take either seat in the Northern Ireland House of Commons, he could not formally disclaim one.

William Twaddell was assassinated in 1922. The by-election to fill the vacancy in the Parliament of Northern Ireland did not take place until after the election of the Third Dáil, so it is not relevant for this article.

TDs

Election	Member (Party)		Member (Party)		Member (Party)		Member (Party)
TDs (1921)		Thomas Henry Burn (Ulster Unionist Party)		Joseph Devlin (Nationalist Party)		Robert John Lynn (Ulster Unionist Party)		William Twaddell (Ulster Unionist Party)

Elections

In 1921 parliamentary representatives of the constituency were elected using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.

24 May 1921 General Election: Belfast West (4 seats)
Party		Candidate	% 1st Pref	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4
	UUP	Thomas Henry Burn	24.88	13,298
	UUP	Robert John Lynn	17.43	9,315	11,646
	UUP	William Twaddell	19.30	10,316	10,558	11,509
	Nationalist	Joseph Devlin	19.87	10,621	10,628	10,629	10,632
	Sinn Féin	D. McCullough	11.73	6,270	6,272	6,274	6,274
	Sinn Féin	Seán MacEntee	5.53	2,954	2,954	2,955	2,955
	Belfast Labour	John Hanna	0.69	367	380	380	383
	Nationalist	Richard Byrne	0.58	311	323	323	323
Electorate: 57,914 Valid: 53,452 Quota: 10,691 Turnout: 92.3%

Seat vacant, before the last sitting of the Second Dáil, due to the killing of Twaddell

References

Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results 1921-1972, compiled and edited by Sydney Elliott (Political Reference Publications 1973)