Belfast Falls (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

54.592°N 5.963°W / 54.592; -5.963

Belfast Falls
Former Borough constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast Falls 1929-1969
Belfast Falls shown within Belfast and Belfast shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1973
Election methodFirst past the post

Belfast Falls was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

Belfast Falls was a borough constituency comprising part of western Belfast. It was created in 1929, 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.

Belfast Falls was created by the division of Belfast West into four new constituencies. It was formed from the Falls ward and included the Falls Road. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.[1]

Politics

The constituency was the most staunchly nationalist in Belfast. It was initially held by Nationalist Party members, then later by a variety of labour movement activists and members of smaller nationalist parties.[1]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1929 Richard Byrne Nationalist Party
1933
1938
1942 Eamon Donnelly Independent Republican
1945 Harry Diamond Socialist Republican Party
1949
1953
1958 Republican Labour Party
1962
1965
1969 Paddy Devlin Northern Ireland Labour Party
1970 Social Democratic and Labour Party
1973 Constituency abolished

Election results
(1921–72)
Politics of Northern Ireland
The Ulster Banner
Government
Parliament
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
Senate
Elections
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
By-elections
See also
General Election 22 May 1929: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Richard Byrne 6,941 55.8
NI Labour Billy McMullen 5,509 44.2
Majority 1,432 11.6
Turnout 12,450
Nationalist win (new seat)
General Election 30 November 1933: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Richard Byrne Unopposed N/A N/A
Nationalist hold Swing N/A
General Election 9 February 1938: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist Richard Byrne 5,334 53.3 N/A
NI Labour John Glass 4,667 46.7 New
Majority 667 6.6 N/A
Turnout 10,001
Nationalist hold Swing N/A
  • Death of Byrne
By-election 2 April 1942: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Republican Eamon Donnelly 4,595 54.8 New
Nationalist George McGouran 1,971 23.5 -29.8
NI Labour John Glass 1,821 21.7 -25.0
Majority 2,623 31.3 N/A
Turnout 8,387
Independent Republican gain from Nationalist Swing
General Election 14 June 1945: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Socialist Republican Harry Diamond 5,016 42.9 New
Federation of Labour John Collins 3,912 33.5 New
Nationalist James McGlade 2,766 23.6 +0.1
Majority 1,104 9.4 N/A
Turnout 11,694
Socialist Republican gain from Independent Republican Swing
General Election 10 February 1949: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Socialist Republican Harry Diamond Unopposed N/A N/A
Majority N/A N/A
Socialist Republican hold Swing
General Election 22 October 1953: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Harry Diamond 7,510 73.1 N/A
Independent Irish Labour Seamus MacKearney 2,761 26.9 New
Irish Labour Jack MacGougan 1,361 11.8 New
Majority 4,749 46.2 N/A
Turnout 11,632
Republican Labour gain from Socialist Republican Swing
General Election 20 March 1958: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Harry Diamond 7,510 73.1 0.0
Independent Irish Labour Seamus MacKearney 2,761 26.9 0.0
Majority 4,749 46.2 0.0
Turnout 10,271
Republican Labour hold Swing
General Election 31 May 1962: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Harry Diamond 7,662 76.6 +3.5
Ind. Labour Group John Joseph Brennan 2,343 23.4 New
Majority 5,319 53.2 +7.0
Turnout 10,005
Republican Labour hold Swing
General Election 25 November 1965: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Harry Diamond Unopposed N/A N/A
Majority N/A N/A N/A
Republican Labour hold Swing
General Election 24 February 1969: Belfast Falls[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
NI Labour Paddy Devlin 6,275 53.1 New
Republican Labour Harry Diamond 5,549 46.9 N/A
Majority 726 6.2 N/A
Turnout 11,824
NI Labour gain from Republican Labour Swing

References
  1. The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972, Northern Ireland Elections
  2. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Boroughs: Belfast
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