Armagh — UK General Election Results
Armagh was won by Ulster Unionist at the 1979 general election, with a majority of 8,123 votes over SDLP. This page covers every general election in Armagh from 1832 to 1979.
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, 1832–1979
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | William Verner (Conservative); Archibald Acheson (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1835 | William Verner (Conservative); Archibald Acheson (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1837 | William Verner (Conservative); Archibald Acheson (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1841 | William Verner (Conservative); Archibald Acheson (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | William Verner (Conservative); James Molyneux Caulfeild (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1852 | William Verner (Conservative); James Molyneux Caulfeild (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1857 | Maxwell Charles Close (Conservative); William Verner (Conservative) | 928 | 50.2% (top seat) | James Molyneux Caulfeild (Liberal) | 922 (49.2 pts) | 16.7% |
| 1859 | Maxwell Charles Close (Conservative); William Verner (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1865 | James Matthew Stronge (Conservative); William Verner (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1868 | James Matthew Stronge (Conservative); William Verner (Conservative) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1874 | Edward Wingfield Verner (Conservative); Maxwell Charles Close (Conservative) | 3,469 | 40.7% (top seat) | Frederick William McBlaine (Liberal) | 1,796 (20.7 pts) | 61.5% |
| 1880 | James Nicholson Richardson (Liberal); Maxwell Charles Close (Conservative) | 2,654 | 29.0% (top seat) | St John Thomas Blacker (Conservative) | 379 (4.0 pts) | 68.1% |
| 1922 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1923 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1924 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | 29,021 | 71.2% | James McKee (Sinn Féin) | 17,265 (42.3 pts) | 75.0% |
| 1929 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | 29,966 | 69.7% | William Todd (NI Liberal) | 16,914 (39.3 pts) | 64.7% |
| 1931 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1935 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | 34,002 | 67.6% | Charles McGleenan (Independent Republican) | 17,718 (35.2 pts) | 73.3% |
| 1945 | William James Allen (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1950 | James Richard Edwards Harden (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1951 | James Richard Edwards Harden (Ulster Unionist) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1955 | Christopher Wyborne Armstrong (Ulster Unionist) | 38,617 | 64.4% | Tomás Mac Curtain (Sinn Féin) | 17,254 (28.8 pts) | 82.7% |
| 1959 | John Maginnis (Ulster Unionist) | 40,325 | 85.5% | John Lynch (Sinn Féin) | 33,502 (71.1 pts) | 64.2% |
| 1964 | John Maginnis (Ulster Unionist) | 35,223 | 65.0% | John Lynch (Independent Republican) | 22,800 (42.1 pts) | 73.0% |
| 1966 | John Maginnis (Ulster Unionist) | 34,687 | 72.0% | Charles McGleenan (Independent Republican) | 21,220 (44.1 pts) | 63.3% |
| 1970 | John Maginnis (Ulster Unionist) | 37,667 | 55.3% | Hugh Lewis (Unity) | 15,971 (23.4 pts) | 78.5% |
| Feb 1974 | Harold McCusker (Ulster Unionist) | 33,194 | 53.7% | Paddy O'Hanlon (SDLP) | 15,104 (24.5 pts) | 68.4% |
| Oct 1974 | Harold McCusker (Ulster Unionist) | 37,518 | 60.0% | Seamus Mallon (SDLP) | 17,663 (28.3 pts) | 68.7% |
| 1979 | Harold McCusker (Ulster Unionist) | 31,668 | 48.5% | Seamus Mallon (SDLP) | 8,123 (12.4 pts) | 70.1% |
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Archibald Acheson | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Archibald Acheson | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Archibald Acheson | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| Archibald Acheson | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| James Molyneux Caulfeild | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| James Molyneux Caulfeild | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Charles Close | Conservative | 940 | 50.2% | Yes |
| William Verner | Conservative | 928 | 49.5% | Yes |
| James Molyneux Caulfeild | Liberal | 6 | 0.3% | No |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Charles Close | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Matthew Stronge | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Matthew Stronge | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
| William Verner | Conservative | Unopposed | Yes | |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Wingfield Verner | Conservative | 3,527 | 40.7% | Yes |
| Maxwell Charles Close | Conservative | 3,469 | 40.0% | Yes |
| Frederick William McBlaine | Liberal | 1,673 | 19.3% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Nicholson Richardson | Liberal | 2,738 | 29.0% | Yes |
| Maxwell Charles Close | Conservative | 2,654 | 28.1% | Yes |
| St John Thomas Blacker | Conservative | 2,275 | 24.1% | No |
| William Edward Hercules Verner | Conservative | 1,781 | 18.9% | No |
1922
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1923
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1924
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | 29,021 | 71.2% | Yes |
| James McKee | Sinn Féin | 11,756 | 28.8% | No |
1929
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | 29,966 | 69.7% | Yes |
| William Todd | NI Liberal | 13,052 | 30.3% | No |
1931
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1935
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | 34,002 | 67.6% | Yes |
| Charles McGleenan | Independent Republican | 16,284 | 32.4% | No |
1945
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William James Allen | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1950
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Richard Edwards Harden | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1951
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Richard Edwards Harden | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Yes | |
1955
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Wyborne Armstrong | Ulster Unionist | 38,617 | 64.4% | Yes |
| Tomás Mac Curtain | Sinn Féin | 21,363 | 35.6% | No |
1959
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | 40,325 | 85.5% | Yes |
| John Lynch | Sinn Féin | 6,823 | 14.5% | No |
1964
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | 35,223 | 65.0% | Yes |
| John Lynch | Independent Republican | 12,423 | 22.9% | No |
| Samuel Ewart | NI Labour | 6,523 | 12.0% | No |
1966
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | 34,687 | 72.0% | Yes |
| Charles McGleenan | Independent Republican | 13,467 | 28.0% | No |
1970
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | 37,667 | 55.3% | Yes |
| Hugh Lewis | Unity | 21,696 | 31.8% | No |
| Erskine Holmes | NI Labour | 8,781 | 12.9% | No |
Feb 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | 33,194 | 53.7% | Yes |
| Paddy O'Hanlon | SDLP | 18,090 | 29.3% | No |
| Robin Glendinning | Alliance | 4,983 | 8.1% | No |
| Thomas Moore | Republican Clubs | 4,129 | 6.7% | No |
| Hugh Lewis | Unity | 1,364 | 2.2% | No |
Oct 1974
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | 37,518 | 60.0% | Yes |
| Seamus Mallon | SDLP | 19,855 | 31.8% | No |
| Malachy McGurran | Republican Clubs | 5,138 | 8.2% | No |
1979
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | 31,668 | 48.5% | Yes |
| Seamus Mallon | SDLP | 23,545 | 36.1% | No |
| Davy Calvert | DUP | 5,634 | 8.6% | No |
| Thomas Moore | Republican Clubs | 2,310 | 3.5% | No |
| William Ramsay | Alliance | 2,074 | 3.2% | No |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Armagh has been contested at 29 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 Armagh in the 1979 general election?
Ulster Unionist won Armagh in 1979 with 31,668 votes (48.5%), a majority of 8,123 votes over SDLP in second place.
Which parties have won Armagh since 1832?
Since 1832, Armagh has been won by: Conservative, Liberal, Ulster Unionist.
What was the closest result in Armagh?
The closest result on record for Armagh was 1880, when Liberal beat Conservative by just 379 votes (4.0 percentage points).
Did Armagh ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Armagh 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.