1899 Dublin Corporation election

Background

Contest

Results

Results by ward

References

Results by party

Arran Quay Ward

Fitzwilliam Ward

Inns Quay Ward

Mansion House Ward

Merchants' Quay Ward

Mountjoy Ward

North City Ward

North Dock Ward

Rotunda Ward

Royal Exchange Ward

South City Ward

South Dock Ward

Trinity Ward

Usher's Quay Ward

Wood Quay Ward

Sources

Citations

1899 Dublin Corporation election
16 January 1899
All 60 seats to Dublin Corporation; 31 seats needed for a majority
	Map showing results by ward.
Council control before election; Redmondites;	Council control after election ; No Overall Control;

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

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.

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

The election was characterised by the divide among Nationalist voters. Redmondite candidates, including Lord Mayor Daniel Tallon and Nationalist member of parliament William Redmond, criticised some nationalist members of the council for voting for the Unionist candidate, Robert Sexton, for Lord Mayor. An Anti-Redmondite ticket led by Alderman Thomas D. Pile opposed the Redmondites, although some candidates were nominated by both tickets.^[5]^[6]

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. Some of the party's candidates were additionally nominated by one of the nationalist tickets.^[4]

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

^ *: Incumbent councillor.
^ **: Incumbent alderman.
^ A: Elected alderman.

Arran Quay Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 4,236^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	James Cummins^[A]	1,523
	Irish National League	John Keogh	1,209
	Anti-Redmondite	*Richard Jones^[]**	865
	Irish National League	William Coffey	830
	Irish Unionist	James Crozier	782
	Anti-Redmondite	Patrick Monks^[*]	782
	Anti-Redmondite	Lawrence Mulligan^[**]	773
	LEA (Anti-Redmondite)	George Leahy	756
	Irish National League	Francis Keegan	734
Turnout			2,965

Fitzwilliam Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 2,083^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Irish Unionist	*William Ireland^[]^[A]**	718
	Irish Unionist	Thomas Anthony Joynt	676
	Anti-Redmondite	Thomas Pile^[]**	653
	Anti-Redmondite	Patrick W. Corrigan	622
	Irish National League	Joseph Delahunt	558
	Anti-Redmondite	Joseph Hatch^[*]	540
	Anti-Redmondite	Thomas Kennedy^[*]	520
	Irish National League	Philip Redmond	344
	Irish National League	William Cashen	320
	Irish National League	James Brooks	297
Turnout			1,686

Inns Quay Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,768^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	*Thomas Lenehan^[]^[A]**	1,493
	Anti-Redmondite	Joseph Downes^[]**	1,263
	Anti-Redmondite	*E. L. Richardson^[]**	1,071
	Anti-Redmondite	T. J. O'Neill	1,037
	Irish National League	Michael Doyle	797
	Irish National League	Laurence O'Rourke	719
	Irish National League	James Hopkins	508
	Irish Unionist	Loftus J. Nuzum	233
Turnout			2,301

Mansion House Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 1,558^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	LEA (Irish National League)	Patrick Dowd^[A]	749
	Irish National League	Thomas Kelly	748
	Irish National League	*Daniel Tallon^[]**	741
	Anti-Redmondite	*Philip Little^[]**	730
	Irish Unionist	Henry Cochrane	438
	Irish Unionist	Robert Mitchell	341
	Independent	Augustine Bonham	139
Turnout

Merchants' Quay Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,682^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	*John Keogh Hendrick^[A]^[]**	1,237
	Irish National League	John Park Cox	1,073
	Anti-Redmondite	*Michael McGovern^[]**	1,039
	Irish National League	*James Hutchinson^[]**	775
	Irish National League	Robert O'Reilly^[**]	681
	LEA (Anti-Redmondite)	John Simmons	604
	Irish National League	James Vaughan	553
	Irish Unionist	John Stewart Goodfellow	243
	Ind. Nationalist	Albert L. Altman	158
Turnout

Mountjoy Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,269^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	John J. Farrell^[A]	952
	LEA	Joseph Clarke	894
	Ind. Nationalist	*William J. Leahy^[]**	657
	Irish National League	John Kennedy^[]**	619
	Irish National League	Thomas Sherlock^[*]	608
	Irish National League	William Buckley^[*]	564
	Independent	Thomas J. O'Reilly	391
	Irish Unionist	Francis Donaldson	253
	Irish Unionist	Andrew W. Noble	222
	Independent	Thomas Fanning	76
Turnout			1,821

North City Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 1,814^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Irish National League	James Hennessy^[A]	752
	Irish National League	Patrick White	653
	Irish National League	John Long	639
	LEA (Irish National League)	Michael Canty	605
	Anti-Redmondite	Joseph F. McCarthy^[*]	503
	Anti-Redmondite	Christopher Grimes^[*]	470
	Anti-Redmondite	John Irwin	415
	Anti-Redmondite	Michael Rowan	406
Turnout

North Dock Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,850^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	LEA	Edward Fleming^[A]	732
	Ind. Nationalist	*Timothy Harrington^[]**	723
	Irish National League	*Edward Holohan^[]**	639
	Irish National League	*Daniel J. Bergin^[]**	613
	Irish National League	P.J. McCabe^[**]	592
	Irish Socialist Republican	E.W. Stewart	468
Turnout

Rotunda Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 2,093^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	LEA	William Doyle^[A]	823
	Anti-Redmondite	*Joseph Nannetti^[]**	810
	Irish National League	Hugh B. Kennedy	754
	Ind. Nationalist	*Peter O'Hara^[]**	726
	Irish National League	Thomas McAuley^[A]	687
	Irish National League	James Brangan	530
	Irish National League	Joseph Bonass	267
	Ind. Nationalist	Thomas Galloway Rigg	28
Turnout

Royal Exchange Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 1,291^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Irish Nationalist	William Russell^[A]	510
	Irish Nationalist	Michael Murray	420
	Irish Unionist	Andrew Beattie^[]**	412
	Irish Nationalist	James Brady	409
	Irish Nationalist	John Gibson Moore	398
	Irish Unionist	A. G. Thornton^[*]	385
	Irish Unionist	George Thompson^[*]	370
	Irish Unionist	J. G. McEntaggart	356
Turnout

South City Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 1,108^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Irish Unionist	Robert Sexton^[]^[A]**	451
	Irish Unionist	*Henry Brown^[]**	375
	Irish Unionist	*George Healy^[]**	395
	Irish Unionist	*George Macnie^[]**	378
	Independent	Joseph J. Goggins	209
	Ind. Nationalist	Thomas Read	113
	Independent	R. H. Davis	102
	Ind. Unionist	John A. Walker	62
Turnout			705	63.63

South Dock Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 2,088^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Ind. Nationalist	William Francis Cotton^[A]	1,121
	Irish National League	Daniel Burke^[]**	748
	Irish National League	John Clancy	696
	Irish National League	*J. J. O'Meara^[]**	663
	Irish National League	Joseph P. Camac^[*]	643
	Ind. Unionist	John Latimer	248
Turnout			705

Trinity Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 2,241^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Irish National League	Joseph Meade^[]^[A]**	932
	Irish National League	*Laurence Doyle^[]**	729
	Irish National League	*Gerald O'Reilly^[]**	635
	Irish National League	*J. Philip Meagher^[]**	591
	LEA (Anti-Redmondite)	Alexander Blane	537
	Irish Unionist	John Byrne	203
Turnout

Usher's Quay Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,367^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	Michael Flanagan^[]^[A]**	1,060
	Irish National League	William Redmond	1,035
	Anti-Redmondite	*Bernard Gorevan^[]**	933
	LEA	John Gibbons	673
	Irish National League	John Noonan	646
	Anti-Redmondite	Hugh Doyle^[*]	643
	Irish National League	Ambrose Walsh	560
	Anti-Redmondite	William H. Beardwood^[*]	434
	Ind. Nationalist	Albert L. Altman	127
Turnout

Wood Quay Ward^[8]^[9]
Electorate: 3,286^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Anti-Redmondite	John J. Davin^[A]	1,368
	Anti-Redmondite	*Patrick Joseph McCall^[]**	1,345
	Anti-Redmondite	*Michael G. Kernan^[]**	1,278
	Anti-Redmondite	Reuben Dodd	1,266
	Ind. Unionist	John Keys^[*]	1,099
	Ind. Nationalist	Laurence Jackson (withdrawn)	151
Turnout			2,375

O'Brien, Joseph Valentine (1982). Dear, Dirty Dublin: A City in Distress, 1899–1916. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039650. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
"Local Government Elections: County Boroughs. Dublin. Declaration of the Poll". The Irish Times. 18 January 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 21 March 2026.

Anti-Redmondite

Irish National League

Irish Unionist

Totals

↑ Irish Times. 16 January 1899. p. 5
↑ O'Brien 1982 p.72
1 2 "First Irish Voting Under New System". Auckland Star. Vol. XXX, no. 60. 13 March 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
1 2 O'Brien 1982 p.78
↑ "Ward Notes: Facts for Parnellites". Evening Herald. 16 January 1899. p. 4.
↑ "Municipal Elections, 1899". 14 January 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
↑ O'Brien 1982 pp.285–294
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
- Deverell, William (16 January 1899). "Borough of Dublin Elections". p. 5. [Unionist candidates]
- "Last Word to Electors: Plump Solidly for the Parnellite "Ticket." No Tory Lord Mayor. Rallies of Independent Candidates". Irish Daily Independent. pp. 5–6. [Redmondite candidates]
- "Municipal Elections, 1899". Evening Telegraph (Dublin). p. 5. [Anti-Redmondite candidates]
- "The Municipal Elections". Freeman's Journal. 13 January 1899. p. 4. [Labour candidates]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Local Government Elections: County Boroughs. Dublin. Declaration of the Poll". The Irish Times. 18 January 1899. p. 5.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Local Government Elections: County Boroughs. Dublin". The Irish Times. 17 January 1899. p. 5.

[IT16Jan-1] Irish Times. 16 January 1899. p. 5

[O'Brien_72-2] O'Brien 1982 p.72

[Auckland_Star-3] 1 2 "First Irish Voting Under New System". Auckland Star. Vol. XXX, no. 60. 13 March 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 18 September 2018.

[O'Brien_78-4] 1 2 O'Brien 1982 p.78

[EH18Jan-5] "Ward Notes: Facts for Parnellites". Evening Herald. 16 January 1899. p. 4.

[DET14Jan-6] "Municipal Elections, 1899". 14 January 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 5 May 2026.

[O'Brien_285-294-7] O'Brien 1982 pp.285–294

[Tickets-8] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Deverell, William (16 January 1899). "Borough of Dublin Elections". p. 5. [Unionist candidates]
"Last Word to Electors: Plump Solidly for the Parnellite "Ticket." No Tory Lord Mayor. Rallies of Independent Candidates". Irish Daily Independent. pp. 5–6. [Redmondite candidates]
"Municipal Elections, 1899". Evening Telegraph (Dublin). p. 5. [Anti-Redmondite candidates]
"The Municipal Elections". Freeman's Journal. 13 January 1899. p. 4. [Labour candidates]

[mwAcA] Deverell, William (16 January 1899). "Borough of Dublin Elections". p. 5. [Unionist candidates]

[mwAcU] "Last Word to Electors: Plump Solidly for the Parnellite "Ticket." No Tory Lord Mayor. Rallies of Independent Candidates". Irish Daily Independent. pp. 5–6. [Redmondite candidates]

[mwAc0] "Municipal Elections, 1899". Evening Telegraph (Dublin). p. 5. [Anti-Redmondite candidates]

[mwAdU] "The Municipal Elections". Freeman's Journal. 13 January 1899. p. 4. [Labour candidates]

[IT18Jan-9] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Local Government Elections: County Boroughs. Dublin. Declaration of the Poll". The Irish Times. 18 January 1899. p. 5.

[IT17Jan-10] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Local Government Elections: County Boroughs. Dublin". The Irish Times. 17 January 1899. p. 5.

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Local elections in Dublin City and County Dublin
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