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1859 United Kingdom general election in Ireland

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1859 United Kingdom general election in Ireland
← 1857 28 April – 18 May 1859 (1859-04-28 – 1859-05-18) 1865 →

105 of the 670 seats to the House of Commons
  First party Second party
 
Leader Earl of Derby Viscount Palmerston
Party Conservative Whig
Leader since July 1846 6 February 1855
Leader's seat House of Lords Tiverton
Seats before 42 48
Seats won 55 50
Seat change Increase11 Increase2
Popular vote 35,258 57,409
Percentage 38.9% 61.1%
Swing Decrease4.7% Increase 13.3%

Results of the 1859 election in Ireland

The 1859 United Kingdom general election in Ireland produced the last overall victory for the Conservatives in Ireland. They won a majority of seats on the island despite the Liberals receiving over 60% of the vote; this was partly due to a disproportionately large number of Conservative candidates standing unopposed. The franchise was restricted to the middle and upper classes.

Electoral reform in subsequent decades saw something of a rise in the Tory vote in Ireland accompanied by a diminution in the number of seats the party won. This was again due in some degree to the relative numbers of candidates standing unopposed for the two parties.

Results

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1859 general election in Ireland[1]
Party Candidates Unopposed Seats Seats change Votes % % Change
Irish Conservative 67 36 55 Increase11 35,258 38.9 Decrease4.7
Whig 73 26 50 Increase2 57,409 61.1 Increase13.3
Total 140 62 105 Steady 92,667 100
Popular vote
Whigs
61.95%
Irish Conservative
38.05%
Parliamentary seats
Irish Conservative
52.38%
Whigs
47.62%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. British Electoral Facts: 1832–2012. p. 8.