1857 United Kingdom general election in Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ← 1852 27 March – 24 April 1857 (1857-03-27 – 1857-04-24) 1859 →
← List of MPs elected in the 1852 United Kingdom general election List of MPs elected in the 1857 United Kingdom general election →
105 of the 670 seats to the House of Commons
First party Second party Third party   Leader Viscount Palmerston Earl of Derby George Henry Moore Party Whig Conservative Independent Irish Party Leader since 6 February 1855 July 1846 October 1855 Leader's seat Tiverton House of Lords Mayo (defeated) Last election 63 seats 42 seats 13 seats Seats won 48 44 13 Seat change 15 2 Popular vote 67,935 61,741 12,099 Percentage 47.8% 43.6% 8.6% Swing 4.9% 2.7%

The 1857 British general election in Ireland was a big event where people in Ireland voted for their representatives in the UK Parliament. This election saw the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, win the most seats in Ireland.

This election was also special because it was the first time the Independent Irish Party officially ran under their own name. This party was formed after the 1852 election. It was made up of politicians who promised to work together as an independent group in parliament if they were elected.

Election Results: Who Won?

The election showed that the Whigs were the most popular party in Ireland at the time. They won the most seats and votes.

Here's a quick look at how each main party did:

• Whigs: They won 48 seats. This was a decrease of 15 seats compared to the last election. They got about 47.8% of all the votes.
• Conservative Party: This party won 42 seats, which was an increase of 2 seats. They received about 43.6% of the votes.
• Independent Irish Party: This party kept their 13 seats. They got about 8.6% of the votes.

Overall, 103 seats were decided in this election.

How People Voted

The charts below show how the votes were split between the different parties.

Seats Won by Each Party

This chart shows how many seats each party won in the parliament.

See also

• History of Ireland (1801–1923)