54°26′24″N 7°07′44″W / 54.440°N 7.129°W / 54.440; -7.129

South Tyrone
Former County constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
South Tyrone shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election methodFirst past the post

South Tyrone was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

South Tyrone was a county constituency comprising the central part of County Tyrone. It was created 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. South Tyrone was created by the division of Fermanagh and Tyrone into eight new constituencies, of which five were in County Tyrone. 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 seat was made up from parts of the rural districts of Clogher and Dungannon as well as the town of Dungannon.[1]

Politics

County Tyrone had five Stormont MPs from 1929 until 1972. The seats in the North and South of the county were Unionist, the constituency covering the East could be considered marginal, whilst those in the West and centre of the county were nationalist.

South Tyrone was contested by the Nationalist Party once, in 1949. All other contests were triggered by either an independent unionist or member of the Northern Ireland Labour Party standing against the Ulster Unionist Party, which consistently held the seat.

MPs for the area included Stormont's last Minister of State for Home Affairs, John Taylor, and William Frederick McCoy who served briefly as Speaker to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland from 25 January 1956 until 23 April 1956.[2]

Members of Parliament

Year Member Party
1929 Rowley Elliott Ulster Unionist
1944 William Frederick McCoy Ulster Unionist
1965 John Taylor Ulster Unionist

Election results

General Election 1929: South Tyrone[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rowley Elliott 8,743 65.0
Ind. Unionist J. J. Hazlett 4,699 35.0
Majority 4,044 30.0
Turnout 17,486 74.2
Ulster Unionist win (new seat)
At the 1933 Northern Ireland general election, Rowley Elliott was elected unopposed.[3]
General Election 1938: South Tyrone[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Rowley Elliott 9,478 71.6 N/A
NI Labour A. Graham 3,754 28.4 New
Majority 5,724 43.2 N/A
Turnout 13,232 75.0 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
South Tyrone by-election, 1945[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Frederick McCoy 6,352 81.9 +10.3
NI Labour William Leeburn 1,400 18.1 -10.3
Majority 4,952 63.8 +20.6
Turnout 7,752 44.8 -30.2
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
At the 1945 Northern Ireland general election, William Frederick McCoy was elected unopposed.[3]
General Election 1949: South Tyrone[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Frederick McCoy 8,855 61.1 N/A
Nationalist James Slevin 5,630 38.9 New
Majority 3,225 22.2 N/A
Turnout 14,485 84.3 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
At the 1953, 1958 and 1962 Northern Ireland general elections, William Frederick McCoy was elected unopposed.[3]
General Election 1965: South Tyrone[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist John Taylor 8,935 64.8 N/A
NI Labour Jack Hassard 4,862 35.2 New
Majority 4,073 29.6 N/A
Turnout 13,797 77.5 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1969: South Tyrone[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist John Taylor 7,683 54.0 -10.8
Ind. Unionist Thomas Gerard Eakins 6,533 46.0 New
Majority 1,150 8.0 -21.6
Turnout 14,216 83.0 +5.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

References

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