Limerick City — UK General Election Results
Michael Colivet (Sinn Féin) were elected unopposed for Limerick City at the 1918 general election. This page covers every general election in Limerick City from 1832 to 1918.
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, 1832–1918
| Election | Elected | Votes | Vote Share | Runner-up | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1832 | William Roche (Repeal Association); David Vandeleur Roche (Repeal Association) | 1,285 | 38.1% (top seat) | John Vereker (Conservative) | 180 (4.2 pts) | 75.4% |
| 1835 | William Roche (Repeal Association and Whig); David Vandeleur Roche (Repeal Association and Whig) | 12 | 46.2% (top seat) | Henry Watson (Conservative) | 10 (38.5 pts) | 40.0% |
| 1837 | William Roche (Repeal Association and Whig); David Vandeleur Roche (Repeal Association and Whig) | 960 | 40.2% (top seat) | William Monsell (Conservative) | 573 (23.7 pts) | 34.3% |
| 1841 | John O'Brien (Radical); David Roche (Repeal Association) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1847 | John O'Connell (Repeal Association); John O'Brien (Repeal Association) | 537 | 50.4% (top seat) | Richard O'Gorman (Irish Confederation) | 500 (43.2 pts) | 28.0% |
| 1852 | Robert Potter (Independent Irish); Francis William Russell (Liberal) | 461 | 33.6% (top seat) | James O'Brien (Liberal) | 4 (0.3 pts) | 66.6% |
| 1857 | Francis William Russell (Liberal); James O'Brien (Liberal) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1859 | Francis William Russell (Liberal); George Gavin (Liberal) | 902 | 41.4% (top seat) | James Spaight (Conservative) | 95 (3.3 pts) | 72.5% |
| 1865 | George Gavin (Liberal); Francis William Russell (Liberal) | 838 | 40.3% (top seat) | James Spaight (Conservative) | 190 (7.6 pts) | 62.2% |
| 1868 | George Gavin (Liberal); Francis William Russell (Liberal) | 794 | 37.6% (top seat) | Peter Tait (Conservative) | 74 (2.7 pts) | 67.1% |
| 1874 | Isaac Butt (Irish Parliamentary Party); Richard O'Shaughnessy (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 848 | 30.3% (top seat) | James Spaight (Conservative) | 261 (9.2 pts) | 70.5% |
| 1880 | Richard O'Shaughnessy (Irish Parliamentary Party); Daniel Fitzgerald Gabbett (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 989 | 40.8% (top seat) | James Spaight (Conservative) | 369 (13.6 pts) | 70.3% |
| 1885 | Henry Joseph Gill (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 3,098 | 83.0% | James Spaight (Irish Unionist) | 2,463 (66.0 pts) | 62.1% |
| 1886 | Henry Joseph Gill (Irish Parliamentary Party) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1892 | Francis Arthur O'Keefe (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 1,878 | 55.8% | Patrick O'Brien (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 388 (11.5 pts) | 66.2% |
| 1895 | John Daly (Irish Parliamentary Party) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| 1900 | Michael Joyce (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 2,521 | 84.2% | Francis Edgar Kearney (Irish Unionist) | 2,047 (68.3 pts) | 56.5% |
| 1906 | Michael Joyce (Irish Parliamentary Party) | Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record | 0.0% | |||
| Jan 1910 | Michael Joyce (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 2,137 | 68.7% | John Rice (All-for-Ireland) | 1,164 (37.4 pts) | 66.4% |
| Dec 1910 | Michael Joyce (Irish Parliamentary Party) | 2,452 | 78.2% | John Rice (All-for-Ireland) | 1,770 (56.5 pts) | 66.9% |
| 1918 | Michael Colivet (Sinn Féin) | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Roche | Repeal Association | 1,648 | 38.1% | Yes |
| David Vandeleur Roche | Repeal Association | 1,285 | 29.7% | Yes |
| John Vereker | Conservative | 1,105 | 25.5% | No |
| Samuel Dickson | Repeal Association | 184 | 4.3% | No |
| Ralph Westropp | Conservative | 104 | 2.4% | No |
1835 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Roche | Repeal Association and Whig | 12 | 46.2% | Yes |
| David Vandeleur Roche | Repeal Association and Whig | 12 | 46.2% | Yes |
| Henry Watson | Conservative | 2 | 7.7% | No |
1837 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Roche | Repeal Association and Whig | 973 | 40.2% | Yes |
| David Vandeleur Roche | Repeal Association and Whig | 960 | 39.7% | Yes |
| William Monsell | Conservative | 387 | 16.0% | No |
| Thomas Wilson | Conservative | 101 | 4.2% | No |
1841 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John O'Brien | Radical | Unopposed | Yes | |
| David Roche | Repeal Association | Unopposed | Yes | |
1847 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John O'Connell | Repeal Association | 583 | 50.4% | Yes |
| John O'Brien | Repeal Association | 537 | 46.4% | Yes |
| Richard O'Gorman | Irish Confederation | 37 | 3.2% | No |
1852 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Potter | Independent Irish | 512 | 33.6% | Yes |
| Francis William Russell | Liberal | 461 | 30.2% | Yes |
| James O'Brien | Liberal | 457 | 30.0% | No |
| Thadeus McDonnell | Conservative | 94 | 6.2% | No |
1857 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis William Russell | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
| James O'Brien | Liberal | Unopposed | Yes | |
1859 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis William Russell | Liberal | 1,208 | 41.4% | Yes |
| George Gavin | Liberal | 902 | 30.9% | Yes |
| James Spaight | Conservative | 807 | 27.7% | No |
1865 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Gavin | Liberal | 1,004 | 40.3% | Yes |
| Francis William Russell | Liberal | 838 | 33.6% | Yes |
| James Spaight | Conservative | 648 | 26.0% | No |
| Josh Seaward | Conservative | 4 | 0.2% | No |
1868 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Gavin | Liberal | 1,026 | 37.6% | Yes |
| Francis William Russell | Liberal | 794 | 29.1% | Yes |
| Peter Tait | Conservative | 720 | 26.4% | No |
| Richard Pigott | Irish Nationalist | 187 | 6.9% | No |
1874 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac Butt | Irish Parliamentary Party | 856 | 30.3% | Yes |
| Richard O'Shaughnessy | Irish Parliamentary Party | 848 | 30.0% | Yes |
| James Spaight | Conservative | 587 | 20.8% | No |
| Peter Tait | Irish Parliamentary Party | 291 | 10.3% | No |
| Charles Smyth Vereker | Irish Parliamentary Party | 242 | 8.6% | No |
1880 (2 seats)
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard O'Shaughnessy | Irish Parliamentary Party | 1,109 | 40.8% | Yes |
| Daniel Fitzgerald Gabbett | Irish Parliamentary Party | 989 | 36.4% | Yes |
| James Spaight | Conservative | 620 | 22.8% | No |
1885
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Joseph Gill | Irish Parliamentary Party | 3,098 | 83.0% | Yes |
| James Spaight | Irish Unionist | 635 | 17.0% | No |
1886
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Joseph Gill | Irish Parliamentary Party | Unopposed | Yes | |
1892
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Arthur O'Keefe | Irish Parliamentary Party | 1,878 | 55.8% | Yes |
| Patrick O'Brien | Irish Parliamentary Party | 1,490 | 44.2% | No |
1895
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Daly | Irish Parliamentary Party | Unopposed | Yes | |
1900
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Joyce | Irish Parliamentary Party | 2,521 | 84.2% | Yes |
| Francis Edgar Kearney | Irish Unionist | 474 | 15.8% | No |
1906
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Joyce | Irish Parliamentary Party | Unopposed | Yes | |
Jan 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Joyce | Irish Parliamentary Party | 2,137 | 68.7% | Yes |
| John Rice | All-for-Ireland | 973 | 31.3% | No |
Dec 1910
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Joyce | Irish Parliamentary Party | 2,452 | 78.2% | Yes |
| John Rice | All-for-Ireland | 682 | 21.8% | No |
1918
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Colivet | Sinn Féin | Unopposed | Yes | |
Margin Over Time
Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.
Trend
Limerick City has been contested at 21 general elections on record since 1832. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Repeal Association, Repeal Association and Whig, Radical, Independent Irish, Liberal, Irish Parliamentary Party, Sinn Féin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Limerick City in the 1918 general election?
Michael Colivet (Sinn Féin) were elected unopposed for Limerick City in 1918 -- no other candidate stood.
Which parties have won Limerick City since 1832?
Since 1832, Limerick City has been won by: Independent Irish, Irish Parliamentary Party, Liberal, Radical, Repeal Association, Repeal Association and Whig, Sinn Féin.
What was the closest result in Limerick City?
The closest result on record for Limerick City was 1852, when Independent Irish beat Liberal by just 4 votes (0.3 percentage points).
Did Limerick City ever elect more than one MP at a time?
Yes -- like most UK constituencies before the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Limerick City 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.