Meath was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which from 1801 to 1885 returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Boundaries This constituency comprised the whole of County Meath.
Members of Parliament Election1st Member1st Party2nd Member2nd Party 1801 Hamilton Gorges Sir Marcus Somerville, 4th Baronet Whig 1802 Thomas Cherburgh Bligh Whig 1812 Thomas Taylour, Earl of Bective (later Marquess of Headfort) Whig Feb 1830 Arthur Plunkett, Baron Killeen, later Earl of Fingall Whig Aug 1831 Henry Grattan Repeal Association 1832 Morgan O'ConnellRepeal Association Feb 1840 Matthew Corbally Whig 1841 Daniel O'ConnellO'Connell was also returned for County Cork and chose to sit for Cork Repeal Association Jun 1842 Matthew Corbally Whig 1852 Ind. Irish Frederick Lucas Ind. Irish 1855 Edward McEvoy Ind. Irish1859 Liberal Liberal 1871 John MartinInd. Nationalist 1874 Home Rule League Nicholas Ennis Home Rule League 1875 Charles Stewart ParnellAt the 1880 general election, Parnell was also returned for both Mayo and Cork City. He chose to sit for Cork Home Rule League Apr 1880 Robert Henry Metge Home Rule League May 1880 Alexander Martin Sullivan Home Rule League Feb 1882 Michael DavittAs a convicted felon, Davitt was held to be incapable of taking his seat. A by-election was held in April 1882 Home Rule League Apr 1882 Edward Sheil Home Rule League Feb 1884 William Meagher Home Rule League 1885 Constituency divided: see South Meath and North Meath
Elections Elections in the 1830s Taylour succeeded to the peerage, becoming 2nd Marquess of Headfort and causing a by-election.
Somerville's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1840s O'Connell resigned after being appointed assistant registrar of deeds, causing a by-election.
O'Connell was also elected for County Cork and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.
Elections in the 1850s
Lucas' death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1860s
Elections in the 1870s Corbally's death caused a by-election.
Martin's death caused a by-election.
Elections in the 1880s
Parnell was also elected MP for Cork City and opted to sit there, causing a by-election.
Sullivan resigned, causing a by-election.
Davitt was disqualified because he was in prison, causing a by-election.
Metge resigned, causing a by-election.
Notes
References The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)