Mid Londonderry (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Mid Londonderry was a county constituency comprising the central part of County Londonderry
. It was created in 1929, when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
introduced first-past-the-post
elections throughout Northern Ireland. It was one of five single-member constituencies replacing the former five-member Londonderry constituency
. The constituency survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament until the Parliament of Northern Ireland
was temporarily suspended
in 1972, and then formally abolished
in 1973.
The constituency was primarily rural and included areas between Coleraine
, Limavady
, Derry
and Magherafelt
.
The seat was held until 1969 by Nationalist Party
candidates, and was rarely contested.
, 1933
and 1938 Northern Ireland general election
s, George Leeke
was elected unopposed.
At the 1945 and 1949 Northern Ireland general election
s, Eddie McAteer
was elected unopposed.
At the 1958
, 1962
and 1965 Northern Ireland general election
s, Paddy Gormley
was elected unopposed.
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
. It was created in 1929, when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
The House of Commons Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland; its major provision was to abolish proportional representation for all future elections in Northern Ireland....
introduced first-past-the-post
First-past-the-post
First-past-the-post voting refers to an election won by the candidate with the most votes. The winning potato candidate does not necessarily receive an absolute majority of all votes cast.-Overview:...
elections throughout Northern Ireland. It was one of five single-member constituencies replacing the former five-member Londonderry constituency
Londonderry (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Londonderry was a county constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 - 1929. It returned five MPs, using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.-Boundaries:...
. The constituency survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament until the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
was temporarily suspended
Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972
The Northern Ireland Act 1972 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced direct rule in Northern Ireland with effect from 30 March 1972....
in 1972, and then formally abolished
Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on 18 July 1973...
in 1973.
The constituency was primarily rural and included areas between Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
, Limavady
Limavady
Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It lies east of Derry and south west of Coleraine. It had a population of 12,135 people in the 2001 Census, an increase of some 17% compared to 1991...
, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and Magherafelt
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...
.
The seat was held until 1969 by Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP....
candidates, and was rarely contested.
Members of Parliament
- 1929 - 1939: George LeekeGeorge LeekeGeorge Leeke was an Irish nationalist politician.Leeke owned a hotel and fishery. He was elected to Londonderry County Council for the Nationalist Party. At the Northern Ireland general election, 1921, Leeke was elected in the Londonderry seat, although he did not take his seat until 1926...
, Nationalist PartyNationalist Party (Northern Ireland)The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP.... - 1939 - 1945: vacant
- 1945 - 1953: Eddie McAteerEddie McAteerEddie McAteer was an nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, McAteer's family moved to Derry in Northern Ireland while he was young. In 1930 he joined the Inland Revenue, where he worked until 1944. He then became an accountant and more actively involved in politics...
, Nationalist PartyNationalist Party (Northern Ireland)The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP.... - 1953 - 1969: Paddy GormleyPaddy GormleyPatrick Joseph Gormley, known as Paddy Gormley was an Irish nationalist politician.Born in Claudy, Gormley was educated at St Columb's College and the National University of Ireland. In 1945, he was elected to Londonderry County Council, representing the Nationalist Party...
, Nationalist PartyNationalist Party (Northern Ireland)The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP.... - 1969 - 1972: Ivan CooperIvan CooperIvan Averill Cooper is a former politician from Northern Ireland who was a Member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and founding member of the SDLP...
, Independent NationalistIndependent NationalistIndependent Nationalist was a political title frequently used by Irish nationalists when contesting elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland not as members of the Irish Parliamentary Party, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.In the...
(1969 - 1970); Social Democratic and Labour PartySocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(1970 - 1972)
- Source:
Election results
At the 1929Northern Ireland general election, 1929
-References:*...
, 1933
Northern Ireland general election, 1933
-References:*...
and 1938 Northern Ireland general election
Northern Ireland general election, 1938
-References:*...
s, George Leeke
George Leeke
George Leeke was an Irish nationalist politician.Leeke owned a hotel and fishery. He was elected to Londonderry County Council for the Nationalist Party. At the Northern Ireland general election, 1921, Leeke was elected in the Londonderry seat, although he did not take his seat until 1926...
was elected unopposed.
At the 1945 and 1949 Northern Ireland general election
Northern Ireland general election, 1949
-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1949...
s, Eddie McAteer
Eddie McAteer
Eddie McAteer was an nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, McAteer's family moved to Derry in Northern Ireland while he was young. In 1930 he joined the Inland Revenue, where he worked until 1944. He then became an accountant and more actively involved in politics...
was elected unopposed.
At the 1958
Northern Ireland general election, 1958
-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1958...
, 1962
Northern Ireland general election, 1962
-Seats summary:-References:*...
and 1965 Northern Ireland general election
Northern Ireland general election, 1965
-Seats summary:-References:*...
s, Paddy Gormley
Paddy Gormley
Patrick Joseph Gormley, known as Paddy Gormley was an Irish nationalist politician.Born in Claudy, Gormley was educated at St Columb's College and the National University of Ireland. In 1945, he was elected to Londonderry County Council, representing the Nationalist Party...
was elected unopposed.
- Source: