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North Kilkenny County constituency
Created:	1885
Abolished:	1922
Type:	House of Commons

North Kilkenny was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the British House of Commons. It returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922.

Contents 1 Boundaries and Boundary Changes 2 First Dáil 3 Politics 4 Members of Parliament 5 Elections 6 References 7 External links 8 See also

This constituency comprised the northern part of County Kilkenny.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 1885 the area was part of the Kilkenny County constituency.

The constituency ceased to be entitled to be represented in the UK House of Commons on the dissolution of 26 October 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State came into legal existence on 6 December 1922.

The constituency was, in Irish republican theory, entitled to return one Teachta Dála (known in English as a Deputy) in 1918 to serve in the Irish Republic's First Dáil. Sinn Féin used the UK general election in 1918 to elect the Dáil. The revolutionary body assembled on 21 January 1919. The list of members read out on that day included everyone elected in Ireland. Only the Sinn Féin Deputies participated in the Dáil, but the other Irish MPs could have done so if they had chosen to adhere to the Republic.

The First Dáil, passed a motion at its last meeting on 10 May 1921, the first three parts of which make explicit the republican view.

1. That the Parliamentary elections which are to take place during the present month be regarded as elections to Dáil Éireann.
2. That all deputies duly returned at these elections be regarded as members of Dáil Éireann and allowed to take their seats on subscribing to the proposed Oath of Allegiance.
3. That the present Dáil dissolve automatically as soon as the new body has been summoned by the President and called to order.

The Second Dáil first met on 16 August 1921, thereby dissolving the First Dáil.

Sinn Féin had decided to use the polls for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as an election for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. No actual voting was necessary in Southern Ireland as all the seats were filled by unopposed returns. Except for Dublin University all other constituencies elected Sinn Féin TDs. As with the First Dáil, the other Deputies could have joined the Dáil if they chose.

From the Third Dáil onwards the Dáil represented only the twenty-six counties which formed the Irish Free State.

In the 2nd and 3rd Dála Kilkenny North formed part of the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency.

The Sinn Féin candidate was elected unopposed in 1918.

Key to party: SF Sinn Féin.

From	To	Name (Party)	Born	Died
1918	1922	W. T. Cosgrave (SF)	6 June 1880	16 November 1965

In 1918 the constituency used the first past the post system. In 1918 the electorate included all men, who were qualified to vote, if they had attained the age of 21. Female electors had to be at least 30 and meet property qualifications to acquire the franchise.

• 1918 general election (1 seat); polling 14 December, result declared 28 December
• 16,113 electors
• William Thomas Cosgrave (SF): Unopposed

• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)

• http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0
• http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/en.toc.dail.html

• Kilkenny (constituency): parliamentary constituencies in County Kilkenny
• List of Dáil Éireann constituencies in Ireland (historic)
• Dáil Éireann (1919-1922)
• Members of the 1st Dáil