Northern Ireland Parliament constituencies

The Northern Ireland House of Commons existed from 1921 to 1973 as the lower House of the devolved legislature of the part of the United Kingdom called Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies
Map of Northern Ireland's Parliamentary Constituencies from 1929-1969
CategoryElectoral district
LocationNorthern Ireland
Number48+4 (from QUB)
Government

As in the UK Parliament the constituencies were classified as borough, county or university constituencies.

In 1921–29 the 52 provincial Members of Parliament were elected using proportional representation by the single transferable vote in multi member constituencies. The constituencies which returned one or two members to the UK Parliament, between 1922 and 1950, were used for Northern Ireland devolved elections in the 1921–29 period.

Between 1929 and 1969 there were 48 single member constituencies, using the first past the post method of election. The non-territorial University constituency continued to return 4 members using the single transferable vote.

For the 1969 election 4 new territorial constituencies were created to replace the University seats. The 52 constituencies ceased to exist after the Parliament of Northern Ireland was suspended in 1972 and abolished in 1973.

Period Constituency Type Notes
1921–1929 Antrim county 7 MPs
1929–1973 Antrim Borough county
1929–1973 Bann Side county
1929–1973 Carrick county
1969–1973 Larkfield county
1929–1973 Larne county
1929–1973 Mid Antrim county
1969–1973 Newtownabbey county
1929–1973 North Antrim county
1929–1973 South Antrim county
1921–1929 Armagh county 4 MPs
1929–1973 Central Armagh county
1929–1973 Mid Armagh county
1929–1973 North Armagh county
1929–1973 South Armagh county
1929–1973 Belfast Ballynafeigh borough
1929–1973 Belfast Bloomfield borough
1929–1973 Belfast Central borough
1929–1973 Belfast Clifton borough
1929–1973 Belfast, Cromac borough
1929–1973 Belfast Dock borough
1929–1973 Belfast Duncairn borough
1921–1929 Belfast East borough 4 MPs
1929–1973 Belfast Falls borough
1921–1929 Belfast North borough 4 MPs
1929–1973 Belfast Oldpark borough
1929–1973 Belfast Pottinger borough
1929–1973 Belfast St Anne's borough
1929–1973 Belfast Shankill borough
1921–1929 Belfast South borough 4 MPs
1929–1973 Belfast Victoria borough
1921–1929 Belfast West borough 4 MPs
1929–1973 Belfast Willowfield borough
1929–1973 Belfast Windsor borough
1929–1973 Belfast Woodvale borough
1921–1929 Down county 8 MPs
1929–1973 Ards county
1969–1973 Bangor county
1929–1973 East Down county
1929–1973 Iveagh county
1969–1973 Lagan Valley county
1929–1973 Mid Down county
1929–1973 Mourne county
1929–1973 North Down county
1929–1973 South Down county
1929–1973 West Down county
1921–1929 Fermanagh and Tyrone county 8 MPs
1929–1973 Enniskillen county
1929–1973 Lisnaskea county
1929–1973 South Fermanagh county
1921–1929 Londonderry county 5 MPs
1929–1973 City of Londonderry borough
1929–1973 Foyle borough
1929–1973 Mid Londonderry county
1929–1973 North Londonderry county
1929–1973 South Londonderry county
1921–1969 Queen's University, Belfast university 4 MPs
1929–1973 East Tyrone county
1929–1973 Mid Tyrone county
1929–1973 North Tyrone county
1929–1973 South Tyrone county
1929–1973 West Tyrone county

Historical representation by party

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Antrim

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 37 1938 39 43 45 1945 46 1949 50 51 1953 1958 60 1962 1965 68 1969 70 71 72
Antrim / South Antrim (1929) Barbour U McConnell U Ferguson U Beattie PU --> DUP
Antrim / Antrim Borough (1929) H. O'Neill U H. Minford U N. Minford U
Antrim / Larne (1929) Hanna U Robinson U Topping U Craig U
Antrim / Mid Antrim (1929) Crawford U J. Patrick U Wilson U Simpson U
Antrim / Bann Side (1929) Megaw U Henderson UnbT Young U M. Patrick U T. O'Neill U Paisley PU --> DUP
Antrim / Carrick (1929) Gordon U Campbell U Curran U Hunter U Ardill U Dickson U
Antrim / North Antrim (1929) Devlin N McAllister N Lynn U McCleery U P. O'Neill U --> A

Belfast

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 34 37 1938 40 42 43 1945 49 1949 50 1953 56 1958 59 60 61 1962 1965 1969 70 71
East Belfast / B Pottinger (1929) Bates U Beattie NIL JB IndL JB NIL JB InL JB FL JB InL Rodgers U Boyd NIL Cardwell U
East Belfast / B Bloomfield (1929) H. Dixon U D. Dixon U Scott U
East Belfast / B Dock (1929) Donald U Gyle IU Blakiston-Houston U Midgley NIL Clark U Downey NIL Cole U Morgan IL Oliver U Fitt IL GF RL GF SDLP
East Belfast / B Victoria (1929) Duff U Bates U Alexander U W. Henderson U Bleakley NIL Bradford U
North Belfast / B Clifton (1929) Campbell U S. Hall-Thompson U Porter IU Kinahan U Morgan U L. Hall-Thompson IU
North Belfast / B Oldpark (1929) McGuffin U Kyle NIL Hungerford U Getgood NIL Morgan U Simpson NIL
North Belfast / B Duncairn (1929) Grant U Hanna U Fitzsimmons U
North Belfast / B Shankill (1929) McKeown U T. Henderson IU TH IUA TH IU Holmes U Boal U DB IU DB DUP
South Belfast Moles U
South Belfast Pollock U
South Belfast McCullagh U
South Belfast McMordie U
West Belfast Burn U
West Belfast Lynn U
West Belfast Twaddell U
West Belfast Devlin U

Down

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 1938 1945 1949 1953 1958 1962 1965 1969
Down Craig U
Down de Valera SF
Down Andrews U
Down Lavery U
Down Mulholland U
Down McBride U
Down McMullan U
Down O'Neill N

Fermanagh and Tyrone

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 1938 1945 1949 1953 1958 1962 1965 1969
Fermanagh and Tyrone Griffith SF
Fermanagh and Tyrone Archdale U
Fermanagh and Tyrone Coote U
Fermanagh and Tyrone Milroy SF
Fermanagh and Tyrone Miller U
Fermanagh and Tyrone Cooper U
Fermanagh and Tyrone O'Mahony SF
Fermanagh and Tyrone Harbison N

Londonderry

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 1938 1945 1949 1953 1958 1962 1965 1969
Londonderry Anderson U
Londonderry MacNeill SF
Londonderry Chichester U
Londonderry Mark U
Londonderry Leeke N

Queen's University

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Constituency 1921 1925 1929 1933 1938 1945 1949 1953 1958 1962 1965 1969
Queen's University of Belfast Campbell U
Queen's University of Belfast Johnstone U
Queen's University of Belfast Robb U
Queen's University of Belfast Morrison U

Sources: