County Waterford was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the British House of Commons.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008)

Quick Facts 1801–1885, Seats ...

County Waterford
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
County Waterford within Ireland
County	County Waterford
1801–1885
Seats	2
Created from	County Waterford (IHC)
Replaced by	East Waterford West Waterford
1918–1922
Seats	1
Created from	East Waterford West Waterford
Replaced by	Waterford–Tipperary East

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This constituency comprised County Waterford, except for the parliamentary boroughs of Dungarvan (1801–1885) and Waterford City (1801–1885 and 1918–1922). It returned two Members of Parliament 1801–1885 and one 1918–1922.

It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.

Between 1885 and 1918 the area had been divided between the constituencies of East Waterford and West Waterford. From 1922 it was no longer represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

In the 1918 election Sinn Féin defeated by 3 to 1 the Nationalist candidate J. J. O'Shee representing the Irish Parliamentary Party.

The newly elected Sinn Féin MP for the constituency was Cathal Brugha. Like other Sinn Féin MPs elected that year, he did not take his seat at Westminster but instead, took a seat in the revolutionary First Dáil which assembled in Dublin on 21 January 1919. As better known figures were under arrest, Brugha became the first presiding officer (with the title of Ceann Comhairle) and a day later the first head of government (with the title of President of Dáil Éireann), of the Irish Republic.

Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.

The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.

In 1921 Sinn Féin used the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area was part of the five-seat Dáil constituency of Waterford–Tipperary East.

The single-member elections in this constituency took place using the first past the post electoral system. Multi-member elections used the plurality-at-large voting system.

Elections in the 1910s

More information Party, Candidate ...

General Election 14 December 1918: County Waterford

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Sinn Féin	Cathal Brugha	12,890	75.3
	Irish Parliamentary	J. J. O'Shee	4,217	24.7
Majority			8,673	50.6
Turnout			17,107	70.0
Registered electors			24,439
	Sinn Féin win (new seat)

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This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)