Antrim — UK General Election Results
Antrim elected 2 MPs at the 1945 general election: Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) and Samuel Gillmor Haughton (Ulster Unionist). This page covers every general election in Antrim from 1832 to 1945.
This constituency elected more than one MP at once in some years. Before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (and in a shrinking number of boroughs through 1948), most UK constituencies elected two or more MPs together by "multi-member plurality" (block vote): each elector could cast one vote per available seat, and the top vote-getters overall were all elected. In those elections below, "Elected" lists every MP returned, "Votes" is the count that secured the last seat, and "Majority" is the gap between that seat and the first candidate who missed out.
Full Election History, 1832–1945
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | John Bruce Richard O'Neill (Conservative); George Hamilton Chichester (Liberal) | 1,654 | 28.9% (top seat) | Edmund McDonnell (Conservative) | 203 (3.4 pts) | 85.4% |
| 1835 | John Bruce Richard O'Neill (Conservative); George Hamilton Chichester (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1837 | John Bruce Richard O'Neill (Conservative); John Irving (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1841 | John Irving (Conservative); Nathaniel Alexander (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | Nathaniel Alexander (Conservative); Edmund Charles Workman-Macnaghten (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1852 | Edward William Pakenham (Conservative); George Hume Macartney (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1857 | Thomas Henry Pakenham (Conservative); George Hume Macartney (Conservative) | 4,341 | 44.4% (top seat) | Henry Hutchinson Hamilton O'Hara (Liberal) | 2,808 (26.6 pts) | 54.6% |
| 1859 | Thomas Henry Pakenham (Conservative); George Frederick Upton (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | Edward O'Neill (Conservative); George Henry Seymour (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1868 | Edward O'Neill (Conservative); George Henry Seymour (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1874 | James Chaine (Conservative); Edward O'Neill (Conservative) | 4,142 | 34.8% (top seat) | Charles Wilson (Liberal) | 133 (1.1 pts) | 59.9% |
| 1880 | James Chaine (Conservative); Edward Macnaghten (Conservative) | 4,936 | 26.3% (top seat) | Charles Wilson (Liberal) | 147 (0.8 pts) | 83.2% |
| 1922 | Charles Curtis Craig (Ulster Unionist); Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1923 | Charles Curtis Craig (Ulster Unionist); Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1924 | Charles Curtis Craig (Ulster Unionist); Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) | 60,764 | 49.0% (top seat) | William McCormick (Sinn Féin) | 58,250 (46.9 pts) | 62.9% |
| 1929 | Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist); Joseph McConnell (Ulster Unionist) | 52,851 | 37.5% (top seat) | George Henderson (NI Liberal) | 33,866 (23.6 pts) | 58.1% |
| 1931 | Joseph McConnell (Ulster Unionist); Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1935 | Joseph McConnell (Ulster Unionist); Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1945 | Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist); Samuel Gillmor Haughton (Ulster Unionist) | 57,232 | 43.1% (top seat) | Henry Holmes (NI Labour) | 38,829 (29.2 pts) | 49.4% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Bruce Richard O'Neill | Conservative | 1,719 | 28.9% | Yes |
| George Hamilton Chichester | Liberal | 1,654 | 27.8% | Yes |
| Edmund McDonnell | Conservative | 1,451 | 24.4% | No |
| John Cromie | Conservative | 1,133 | 19.0% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Bruce Richard O'Neill | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Hamilton Chichester | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Bruce Richard O'Neill | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| John Irving | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Irving | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Nathaniel Alexander | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathaniel Alexander | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Edmund Charles Workman-Macnaghten | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward William Pakenham | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Hume Macartney | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Henry Pakenham | Conservative | 4,686 | 44.4% | Yes |
| George Hume Macartney | Conservative | 4,341 | 41.1% | Yes |
| Henry Hutchinson Hamilton O'Hara | Liberal | 1,533 | 14.5% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Henry Pakenham | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Frederick Upton | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward O'Neill | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Henry Seymour | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward O'Neill | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| George Henry Seymour | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Chaine | Conservative | 4,356 | 34.8% | Yes |
| Edward O'Neill | Conservative | 4,142 | 33.1% | Yes |
| Charles Wilson | Liberal | 4,009 | 32.1% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Chaine | Conservative | 5,124 | 26.3% | Yes |
| Edward Macnaghten | Conservative | 4,936 | 25.4% | Yes |
| Charles Wilson | Liberal | 4,789 | 24.6% | No |
| Samuel Black | Liberal | 4,610 | 23.7% | No |
1922 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Curtis Craig | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1923 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Curtis Craig | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1924 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Curtis Craig | Ulster Unionist | 60,868 | 49.0% | Yes |
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | 60,764 | 48.9% | Yes |
| William McCormick | Sinn Féin | 2,514 | 2.0% | No |
1929 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | 53,864 | 37.5% | Yes |
| Joseph McConnell | Ulster Unionist | 52,851 | 36.8% | Yes |
| George Henderson | NI Liberal | 18,985 | 13.2% | No |
| Robert Boyd | NI Liberal | 17,824 | 12.4% | No |
1931 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph McConnell | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1935 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph McConnell | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1945 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert William Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | 57,259 | 43.1% | Yes |
| Samuel Gillmor Haughton | Ulster Unionist | 57,232 | 43.1% | Yes |
| Henry Holmes | NI Labour | 18,403 | 13.8% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Antrim has been contested at 19 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Conservative, Liberal, Ulster Unionist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Antrim in the 1945 general election?
Robert William Hugh O'Neill (Ulster Unionist), Samuel Gillmor Haughton (Ulster Unionist) won Antrim in 1945.
Which parties have won Antrim since 1832?
Since 1832, Antrim has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Ulster Unionist.
What was the closest result in Antrim?
The closest result on record for Antrim was 1880, when Conservative beat Liberal by just 147 votes (0.8 percentage points).
Did Antrim ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Antrim elected multiple MPs at once in some elections on this page (a system called multi-member plurality, or 'block vote'), each voter casting one vote per available seat.