Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30
John Philip Nolan (Irish Parliamentary Party) and Mitchell Henry (Irish Parliamentary Party) were elected unopposed for County Galway at the 1880 general election. This page covers every general election in County Galway from 1832 to 1880.
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, 1832–1880
Election
Elected
Votes
Vote Share
Runner-up
Majority
Turnout
1832
Thomas Barnwall Martin (Liberal); James Daly (Conservative)
1,368
31.2% (top seat)
John Burke (Liberal)
12 (0.3 pts)
76.2%
1835
John James Bodkin (Liberal); Thomas Barnwall Martin (Liberal)
383
51.5% (top seat)
John D'Arcy (Conservative)
371 (45.5 pts)
12.2%
1837
Thomas Barnwall Martin (Liberal); John James Bodkin (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1841
Thomas Barnwall Martin (Liberal); John James Bodkin (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1847
Thomas John Burke (Repeal Association); Christopher St George (Conservative)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1852
Thomas John Burke (Independent Irish); Thomas Arthur Bellew (Independent Irish)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1857
Thomas John Burke (Liberal); William Henry Gregory (Peelite)
1,464
46.7% (top seat)
Thomas Arthur Bellew (Independent Irish)
708 (17.0 pts)
49.0%
1859
Thomas John Burke (Liberal); William Henry Gregory (Liberal)
2,435
39.2% (top seat)
Richard Somerset Le Poer Trench (Conservative)
939 (14.5 pts)
63.6%
1865
Ulick Canning de Burgh (Liberal); William Henry Gregory (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1868
Hubert George de Burgh-Canning (Liberal); William Henry Gregory (Liberal)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
1874
John Philip Nolan (Irish Parliamentary Party); Mitchell Henry (Irish Parliamentary Party)
2,270
41.2% (top seat)
Hyacinth D'Arcy (Irish Parliamentary Party)
1,190 (20.9 pts)
56.5%
1880
John Philip Nolan (Irish Parliamentary Party); Mitchell Henry (Irish Parliamentary Party)
Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record
0.0%
Full Result Breakdown by Election
1832 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas Barnwall Martin
Liberal
1,456
31.2%
Yes
James Daly
Conservative
1,368
29.3%
Yes
John Burke
Liberal
1,356
29.1%
No
Xaverius Blake
Conservative
482
10.3%
No
1835 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John James Bodkin
Liberal
420
51.5%
Yes
Thomas Barnwall Martin
Liberal
383
47.0%
Yes
John D'Arcy
Conservative
12
1.5%
No
1837 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas Barnwall Martin
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
John James Bodkin
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1841 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas Barnwall Martin
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
John James Bodkin
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1847 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas John Burke
Repeal Association
Unopposed
Yes
Christopher St George
Conservative
Unopposed
Yes
1852 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas John Burke
Independent Irish
Unopposed
Yes
Thomas Arthur Bellew
Independent Irish
Unopposed
Yes
1857 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas John Burke
Liberal
1,948
46.7%
Yes
William Henry Gregory
Peelite
1,464
35.1%
Yes
Thomas Arthur Bellew
Independent Irish
756
18.1%
No
1859 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Thomas John Burke
Liberal
2,536
39.2%
Yes
William Henry Gregory
Liberal
2,435
37.7%
Yes
Richard Somerset Le Poer Trench
Conservative
1,496
23.1%
No
1865 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Ulick Canning de Burgh
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
William Henry Gregory
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1868 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
Hubert George de Burgh-Canning
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
William Henry Gregory
Liberal
Unopposed
Yes
1874 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Philip Nolan
Irish Parliamentary Party
2,348
41.2%
Yes
Mitchell Henry
Irish Parliamentary Party
2,270
39.8%
Yes
Hyacinth D'Arcy
Irish Parliamentary Party
1,080
19.0%
No
1880 (2 seats)
Candidate
Party
Votes
Share
Elected
John Philip Nolan
Irish Parliamentary Party
Unopposed
Yes
Mitchell Henry
Irish Parliamentary Party
Unopposed
Yes
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
County Galway has been contested at 12 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Liberal, Conservative, Repeal Association, Independent Irish, Peelite, Irish Parliamentary Party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won County Galway in the 1880 general election?
John Philip Nolan (Irish Parliamentary Party), Mitchell Henry (Irish Parliamentary Party) were elected unopposed for County Galway in 1880 -- no other candidate stood.
Which parties have won County Galway since 1832?
Since 1832, County Galway has been won by: Conservative, Independent Irish, Irish Parliamentary Party, Liberal, Peelite, Repeal Association.
What was the closest result in County Galway?
The closest result on record for County Galway was 1832, when Liberal beat Liberal by just 12 votes (0.3 percentage points).
Did County Galway ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, County Galway 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.