County Cork (UK Parliament constituency)

County Cork was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Area
This constituency comprised County Cork, except for the city of Cork and the boroughs of Bandon, Kinsale, Mallow and Youghal, which were separately represented. The boroughs of Baltimore, Castlemartyr, Charleville, Clonakilty, Doneraile, Midleton and Rathcormack were disfranchised by the Acts of Union 1800.

Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, the borough constituencies in the county other than Cork City were abolished and the county constituency was replaced by the constituencies of East Cork, Mid Cork, North Cork, North East Cork, South Cork, South East Cork and West Cork, each electing one MP. These constituencies were first used at the 1885 general election.

Elections

 * 1801 (co-option), (1) Henry Boyle, Viscount Boyle, later Earl of Shannon (to 1807), b. 8 August 1771, d. 22 April 1842 aged 70; (2) Robert Uniacke Fitzgerald, b. 17 March 1751, d. 20 December 1814 aged 63
 * 1806 17 November, George Ponsonby (to 1812), b. 1773, d. 5 June 1863 aged 90
 * 1807 16 May, James Bernard, Viscount Bernard, later Earl of Bandon (to 1818), b. 14 June 1785, d. 31 October 1856 aged 71
 * 1812 23 October, Richard Hare, Viscount Ennismore (to 1827), b. 20 March 1773, d. 24 September 1827 aged 54
 * 1818 29 June, Edward King, Viscount Kingsborough,(Whig), b. 16 November 1795, d. 27 February 1837 aged 41
 * 1826, 21 June, Robert Henry King, after Earl of Kingston (to 1832), (Whig), b. 4 October 1796, d. 21 January 1867 aged 70
 * 1827, 4 December, John Boyle, b. 13 March 1803, d. 6 December 1874 aged 71

Elections in the 1830s

 * On petition, O'Connor was declared not qualified and unseated in favour of Longfield

Elections in the 1840s
O'Connell's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s
Power was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Lucia, resigning and causing a by-election.

Roche was elevated to the peerage, becoming 1st Baron Fermoy and causing a by-election.

Deasy was appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1860s
Deasy was appointed Attorney-General for Ireland, requiring a by-election.

Deasy resigned after being appointed a Baron of the Exchequer, causing a by-election.

Barry's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1870s
Downing's death caused a by-election.