Edward Harrington (politician)
Encyclopedia
Edward Harrington was an Irish nationalist
politician, who served as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for West Kerry
from 1885 to 1892, taking his seat in the House of Commons of what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
He was born in Co. Kerry, the youngest son of Dennis Harrington of Castletownbere, Co. Cork, and younger brother of the much better known Timothy Harrington, also an Irish Nationalist M.P. His mother was Ellen O’Sullivan. He was a barrister, though not a member of the Irish bar. He was editor and proprietor of the Kerry Sentinel, and in this role came into conflict with the authorities. In 1883 he was found guilty of posting unlawful notices, and in 1887 was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for publishing the proceedings of the Tralee branch of the National League, which had been 'proclaimed' (banned). In 1888 he was charged with publishing reports of meetings of the National League and inciting people to take part in the Plan of Campaign, and was sentenced to six months with hard labour.
He was first elected at the 1885 general election
as an Irish Parliamentary Party
candidate, when he won nearly 90% of the votes to defeat his only opponent, the Conservative
Lt. Col. William Rowan. Harrington was returned unopposed in 1886
, and when the Irish Party split in 1891, he sided with the minority Parnellite faction. At the 1892 general election
, he was defeated by the Anti-Parnellite Sir Thomas Esmonde
. Esmonde was the outgoing MP for South County Dublin, and had stood in 1892 in both constituencies; he lost his Dublin seat to a Unionist, but won in Kerry.
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician, who served as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for West Kerry
West Kerry (UK Parliament constituency)
West Kerry was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 to 1922 it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....
from 1885 to 1892, taking his seat in the House of Commons of what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
He was born in Co. Kerry, the youngest son of Dennis Harrington of Castletownbere, Co. Cork, and younger brother of the much better known Timothy Harrington, also an Irish Nationalist M.P. His mother was Ellen O’Sullivan. He was a barrister, though not a member of the Irish bar. He was editor and proprietor of the Kerry Sentinel, and in this role came into conflict with the authorities. In 1883 he was found guilty of posting unlawful notices, and in 1887 was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for publishing the proceedings of the Tralee branch of the National League, which had been 'proclaimed' (banned). In 1888 he was charged with publishing reports of meetings of the National League and inciting people to take part in the Plan of Campaign, and was sentenced to six months with hard labour.
He was first elected at the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
as an Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
candidate, when he won nearly 90% of the votes to defeat his only opponent, the Conservative
Irish Conservative Party
The Irish Conservative Party, often called the Irish Tories, was one of the dominant Irish political parties in Ireland in the 19th century...
Lt. Col. William Rowan. Harrington was returned unopposed in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, and when the Irish Party split in 1891, he sided with the minority Parnellite faction. At the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, he was defeated by the Anti-Parnellite Sir Thomas Esmonde
Sir Thomas Esmonde, 11th Baronet
Sir Thomas Henry Grattan Esmonde, 11th Baronet, was an Irish Home Rule nationalist politician.Esmonde was elected Irish Parliamentary Party MP for the constituencies South Dublin 1885–1892, West Kerry 1892–1900 and North Wexford 1900–1918 in the House of Commons of the United...
. Esmonde was the outgoing MP for South County Dublin, and had stood in 1892 in both constituencies; he lost his Dublin seat to a Unionist, but won in Kerry.