There weretwo electionsinIrelandon 24 May 1921, following the establishment of theHouse of Commons of Northern Irelandand theHouse of Commons of Southern Irelandunder theGovernment of Ireland Act 1920.New constituencieswere established for both parliaments. A resolution ofDáil Éireannon 10 May 1921 held that these elections were to be regarded as elections to Dáil Éireann and that all those returned at these elections be regarded as members of Dáil Éireann.[1]According to this theory ofIrish republicanism,these elections provided the membership of theSecond Dáil.The Second Dáil lasted 297 days.
| 2nd Dáil | |||||
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| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Dáil Éireann | ||||
| Jurisdiction | |||||
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| Term | 16 August 1921 – 8 June 1922 | ||||
| Election | 1921 general election | ||||
| Government |
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| Members | 128 | ||||
| Ceann Comhairle | Eoin MacNeill | ||||
| President of Dáil Éireann | Arthur Griffith from 10 January 1922 until 12 August 1922 —Éamon de Valera until 26 August 1921 | ||||
| President of the Irish Republic | Éamon de Valera from 26 August 1921 until 9 January 1922 | ||||
| Chairman of the Provisional Government | W. T. Cosgrave —Michael Collins from 16 January 1922 until 22 August 1922 | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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In theelectionto the area designated asNorthern Ireland,52 members were elected from 9 geographic constituencies andQueen's University of Belfast.TheUlster Unionist Party(UUP) won 40 seats, whileSinn Féinand theNationalist Party(the successor to theIrish Parliamentary Party) won six seats each; 5 of those elected for Sinn Féin were also elected for constituencies in Southern Ireland, while Nationalist Party leader Joseph Devlin was elected to two seats in Northern Ireland. On 7 JuneSir James Craig,leader of the UUP, became the firstPrime Minister of Northern Ireland.
In the election to the area designated asSouthern Ireland,124 Sinn Féin candidates were returned unopposed from 26 geographic constituencies and theNational Universityconstituency.[2]TheDublin Universityconstituency returned fourIndependent Unionistcandidates, also unopposed. The four Independent Unionists met as the House of Commons of Southern Ireland on 28 June 1921, for one meeting only.
Those elected for Sinn Féin sat as the Second Dáil, calling themselvesTeachtaí Dála(TDs). There were 125 TDs, taking into account that five represented two constituencies. The others elected did not respond to the invitation. Although the contemporaneous roll of Dáil membership included all those elected in both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, the database of Oireachtas members includes only those elected for Sinn Féin.[3]For clarity on the representation of constituencies, they are listed here in a single list.
It was during the 2nd Dáil that theAnglo-Irish Treatywas debated, and it was approved in aDáil voteon 7 January 1922.[4]
Election result
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Members by constituency
editOnly those elected forSinn Féinchose to sit as TDs in the Second Dáil.
Vacancies
edit| Constituency | Outgoing TD | Party | Reason for vacancy | Date of vacancy | |
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| Waterford–Tipperary East | Frank Drohan | Sinn Féin (Anti-Treaty) | Resignation | 5 January 1922 | |
| Dublin County | Frank Lawless | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | Death | 16 April 1922 | |
| Longford–Westmeath | Joseph McGuinness | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | Death | 31 May 1922 | |
Footnotes
edit- ^abJoseph Devlin was elected for two constituencies: Antrim and Belfast West.
- ^abMichael Collins was elected for two constituencies: Armagh and Cork Mid, North, South, South East and West.
- ^abArthur Griffith was elected for two constituencies: Cavan and Fermanagh & Tyrone.
- ^abSeán Milroy was elected for two constituencies: Cavan and Fermanagh & Tyrone.
- ^abÉamon de Valera was elected for two constituencies: Clare and Down.
- ^abEoin MacNeill was elected for two constituencies: Londonderry and National University of Ireland.
References
edit- ^"President's Statement. - Elections".Houses of the Oireachtas.10 May 1921.Retrieved25 August2018.
- ^"General Election of 24 May 1921".ElectionsIreland.org.Retrieved4 September2010.
- ^"TDs & Senators".Houses of the Oireachtas.Retrieved25 August2018.
- ^"Dáil Éireann debates".Houses of the Oireachtas.Retrieved14 December2019.
- ^"Appendix 19 Dáil Éireann".Houses of the Oireachtas.16 August 1921.Retrieved4 September2010.