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1877 Clare by-election

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The 1877 Clare by-election was fought on 13 August 1877. The by-election was fought due to the death of the incumbent Home Rule MP, Sir Colman O'Loghlen. It was won by the Home Rule candidate Sir Bryan O'Loghlen.[1] The result was remarkable in that O'Loghlen did not seek the nomination and was elected without his consent. He refused to take his seat as he was Attorney-General of Victoria. This position was considered an office of profit and thus disqualified him from membership of the House of Commons. A select committee was established to consider the issue and reported in 1879. They found that this was the case and the seat was declared vacant.[2] Some controversy remained because O'Loghlen's position was in a colony and not in the United Kingdom.[3] A writ was moved for another by-election in 1879.

Clare by-election, 1877[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Home Rule Sir Bryan O'Loghlen 1,721 47.2
Ind. Nationalist O'Gorman Mahon 1,149 31.5
Irish Conservative Robert Carey Reeves 764 20.9 +2.9
Home Rule Francis Burton 15 0.4
Majority 572 15.7 −3.5
Turnout 3,649 68.9
Home Rule hold Swing -18.9

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
  2. ^ "CLARE COUNTY WRIT". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 25 April 1879. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  3. ^ "THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CONSTITUENCIES BEGINNING WITH "C" Sir Bryan O'Loghlen,3rd baronet, MP for Clare 1877-1879 (bottom of page)". Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Clare Election". Leicester Daily Mercury. 14 August 1877. Retrieved 6 October 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.