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Clontarf, a division of Dublin, was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1918–1922.
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Boundaries and boundary changes
Prior to the 1918 general election, the city of Dublin was divided into four constituencies: Dublin College Green, Dublin Harbour, Dublin St Patrick's, and Dublin St Stephen's Green. In 1918, the city was allocated seven seats: the pre-existing four constituencies, Dublin Clontarf, Dublin St James's and Dublin St Michan's.
The Clontarf area was to the north of the city. The constituency included the then Municipal Wards of Clontarf East, Clontarf West and Drumcondra as well as part of Mountjoy.
Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 new Parliamentary constituency boundaries were enacted. Each new constituency was intended to function as a multi member seat for a devolved Parliament (elected in 1921) and (in most cases) as a single member district to return a member to the United Kingdom Parliament. The latter provision was due to take effect upon the dissolution of the Parliament elected in 1918. However, before that dissolution took place it was agreed that the Irish Free State would become a dominion outside the United Kingdom.
The proposed change affecting this area was to combine it with the St. James's and St. Michan's divisions, to form a Dublin North West constituency. In the event, from the dissolution on 26 October 1922, the district was no longer represented in the UK Parliament.
Politics
The constituency traditionally voted for a moderately nationalist or unionist candidate, and the defeat of Irish Parliamentary Party's Sir Patrick Shortall by Sinn Féin by almost two to one was met with sincere shock. Mulcahy, like other Sinn Féin MPs elected in 1918, did not take his seat at Westminster but became a member of the revolutionary Dáil Éireann.