Mid Armagh was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act and first used at the 1885 general election. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) until it was abolished with effect from the 1922 general election.

Boundaries Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the constituency of County Armagh was divided into three divisions and the parliamentary borough of Armagh lost its separate representation. The county constituency of Mid Armagh comprised the central part of County Armagh. To the north was North Armagh, to the west were South Tyrone and North Monaghan, to the south were South Monaghan and South Armagh and to the east was West Down.

1885–1922: The baronies of Armagh and Tiranny, that part of the barony of Oneilland West not contained within the constituency of North Armagh, that part of the barony of Fews Lower contained within the parishes of Kildarton and Mullaghbrack, the parish of Lisnadill excluding the townlands of Ballymacnab, Cashel, Foley and Seagahan, and the townlands of Corhammock and Edenykennedy in the parish of Kilclooney, that part of the barony of Orior Lower consisting of that part of the parish of Kilmore not contained within the constituency of North Armagh and the townlands of Aughlish, Ballymore, Ballysheil Beg, Ballysheil More, Cargans, Clare, Cloghoge, Coolyhill, Derryallen, Drumnaleg, Druminure, Drumnaglontagh, Lisbane, Lisnakea, Mavemacullen, Monclone, Moodoge, Mullantur, Mullaghglass, Terryhoogan, Tullyhugh and Tullymacann in the parish of Ballymore, and that part of the barony of Fews Upper consisting of the townland of Lisnadill.

After the dissolution of Parliament in 1922 the area was part of the Armagh constituency.

Politics The constituency was a predominantly Conservative then Unionist area, although not as strongly so as some other parts of Northern Ireland. There were few contested elections and no instance of the same two parties contending against each other more than once.

In 1918, Sinn Féin contested the election on a manifesto of abstention from Westminster. In Mid Armagh, the Unionists defeated Sinn Féin by a solid margin. This was the first contested election for the seat since a 1900 by-election.

Members of Parliament Constituency created (1885)

ElectionMemberParty 1885 John McKane Conservative February 1886 (by) Sir James Corry, Bt. Conservative 1891 Sir Dunbar Barton Irish Unionist 1900 (by) John Lonsdale Irish Unionist 1918 (by) James Rolston Lonsdale Irish Unionist 1921 Henry Armstrong Ulster Unionist

Constituency abolished (1922)

Elections

1920s

1910s

1900s

1890s

1880s

Caused by McKane's death.

See also List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies in Ireland

References

Sources

Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886-1918, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978) Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume III 1919-1945, edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1979)