Unity (Northern Ireland) Explained

"Unity" was the political label for a series of electoral pacts by Irish nationalist, Irish Republican and socialist candidates in Northern Ireland elections in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It also contested elections as a party in its own right, electing six councillors in the 1973 local council elections in the Fermanagh and Dungannon areas,[1] although this was reduced to two members of Fermanagh council in the next election in 1977.[2]

The first victory came in 1969 in the Mid Ulster by-election which was won by 21-year old student Bernadette Devlin.[3] She held her seat in the 1970 general election,[4] when Fermanagh and South Tyrone was won by her colleague Frank McManus.[5] Both lost their seats in the February 1974 general election.[6] Bernadette would later go on to join the IRSP. [7]

In the October 1974 general election the spirit of Unity was revived, if not the name, when Frank Maguire won Fermanagh and South Tyrone as an agreed independent Republican.[8] He held the seat until his death in 1981.[9] In 1978 Unity merged with the remnants of the Nationalist Party to form the Irish Independence Party.[10]

Election Results

By-election

ElectionFirst-Preference VotesFPv%
1969 Mid Ulster by-election33,64853.3%
gain from UUP

General elections

Westminster!Election!First-Preference Votes!FPv%!±%!Seats!Seats %!±%
1966 United Kingdom general election14,6452.5%New0.00%
1970 United Kingdom general election140,93018.1% 15.6%16.67% 1
Feb 1974 United Kingdom General Election17,5932.4% 15.70.00% 2

Local elections

!Election!First-Preference Votes!FPv%!±%!Seats!Seats %!±%
1973 Northern Ireland local elections10,2811.5%New1.30%New
1977 Northern Ireland local elections5,5281.0% 0.50.43% 4

References

  1. Web site: Local Government Elections 1973 . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. Web site: Local Government Elections 1973 - 1981: Fermanagh . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk.
  3. Web site: Bernadette Devlin Wins Election . 2024-02-03 . RTÉ Archives . en.
  4. Web site: 1970 Westminster Elections . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk.
  5. Web site: Fermanagh and South Tyrone 1950-1970 . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk.
  6. News: 1974-03-01 . Hard‐Line Protestants Win 11 of the 12 Northern Ireland Seats . 2024-02-03 . The New York Times . 10 . en-US . 1974-03-02 . 0362-4331.
  7. Web site: Holland . Kitty . 2016-11-22 . Bernadette McAliskey: ‘I am astounded I survived. I made mad decisions’ . 2024-02-03 . The Irish Times . en.
  8. Web site: Fermanagh and South Tyrone 1973-1982 . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk . Westminster Election, 10 October 1974 (one seat). Frank Maguire (Independent) 32,795 (51.8%).
  9. News: 1981-03-06 . Frank Maguire, Ulster M.P., Dies; Helped Defeat Callaghan in 1979 . 2024-02-03 . The New York Times . 16 . en-US . 0362-4331.
  10. Web site: Local Government Elections 1981 . 2024-02-03 . www.ark.ac.uk . On the Nationalist side, the Irish Independence Party emerged from the remnants of the old Nationalist Party and the Unity movement..