1899 Dublin Corporation election

An election to Dublin Corporation took place in March 1899 as part of that year's Irish local elections.

1899 Dublin Corporation election

March 1899
All 60 seats to Dublin Corporation 31 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party United Irish League Irish National League Seats won 27 18   Third party Fourth party   Party LEA Irish Unionist Seats won 8 7
Map showing results by ward.
Council control before election Redmonites Council control after election No Overall Control

Before the next regular local elections, the jurisdiction of the city of Dublin was expanded under the Dublin Corporation Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. cclxiv). Elections were held for 20 additional seats in this area at the 1901 Dublin Corporation election.

Background

The election, being the first following the 1898 changes to Irish local government, saw substantive changes to the franchise. Prior to these changes, the franchise had been restricted to males over the age of 21 who had maintained a continual residence within the borough for the preceding 2 years and 8 months, thereby preventing Dublin's large lodger and floating tenement population from voting. As a result of the changes the franchise increased from 7,964 in the previous elections to 38,719. Among these voters were 6,500 women who could vote for the first time.

Contest

The 60 seats for election were contested by 120 candidates; 18 Unionists, 10 Labourites, 88 Nationalists, and 1 representative of the Irish Socialist Republican Party.

This was the first time representatives of organised Labour participated in their own right, fighting under the banner of the Labour Electoral Association. Previously the Labour interest had been represented by Nationalist "Labour" spokespersons. That being said, the party only contested 10 of Dublins 60 seats, meaning the party did not even put forward 1 candidate per ward.

Results

The election saw the Redmonites, who had previously dominated the council, substantially reduced. The Redmonites had previously held 44 of the 60 seats in the old council. Following the election the Redmonites held only 18. United Irish League representation increased substantially to 27. Labour representation increased from 3 to 8, whilst Unionist representation declined to 7.

Results by party

Party		Seats	±	Votes	%	±%
	Anti-Redmondite	27
	Irish National League	18
	LEA	8
	Irish Unionist	7
Totals		60			100%	—

Results by ward

Arran Quay Ward

Arran Quay Ward
Electorate: 4,236

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Nationalist	James Cummins (elected Alderman)	1,523
	Irish National League	John Keogh PLG	1,209
	Irish Nationalist / Ratepayers	Richard Jones	865
	Irish National League	William Coffey	830
	Ratepayers	Patrick Monks	782
	Irish National League	James Crozier, VS JP	782
	Ratepayers	Lawrence Mulligan	773
	LEA	George Leahy	756
Turnout			2,965

Fitzwilliam Ward

Fitzwilliam Ward
Electorate: 2,083

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Irish Unionist	William Ireland J.P. (elected Alderman, incumbent councillor)	718
	Irish Unionist	Thomas Anthony Joynt	676
	Irish Unionist	Thomas D. Pile (incumbent councillor)	653
	Irish Nationalist	Patrick W. Corrigan	622
	Irish National League	Joseph Delahunt	558
	Independent	Joseph Hatch (incumbent councillor)	540
	Independent	Thomas Kennedy (incumbent councillor)	520
	Irish National League	Philip Redmond	344
	Irish National League	William Cashen	320
	Irish National League	James Brooks	297
Turnout			1,805

References

Sources

• O'Brien, Joseph Valentine (1982). Dear, Dirty Dublin: A City in Distress, 1899–1916. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039650. Retrieved 18 September 2018.