GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
The 1923 election was more significant than is often recognised. It marked a vigorous effort by interest groups to win control of the Dáil, and to transform the whole basis of the Irish party system. Labour, which was still merely the political wing of the trade union movement, nominated over twice as many candidates as in 1922, and the Farmers’ Party, representing the Farmers’ Union, over four times as many as in 1922.

In Dublin, business interests nominated five candidates who stood under the “Business Men” label (though it does not seem that any formal party organisation was established), and two more business candidates ran in Cork Borough.

A common theme of the interest group campaigns was that it was time to set aside arguments over the Treaty, the oath and the status of the state, and to concentrate on economic growth and the distribution of resources within the state. Had this happened, as contemporary newspaper commentators expected it to, the subsequent shape of the Irish party system would have been very different.

Cumann na nGaedheal held its national share of the vote, and made a major advance in Dublin, where it won over half the votes. In Dublin North, Richard Mulcahy won 22,005 first preferences, which was to remain the highest number ever won by a general election candidate for over a century.

The anti-Treatyites, generally known in this election as the Republicans, proved more popular among the “plain people of Ireland” than among the political commentators of the day, winning more seats than all the interest groups combined. They were not to enter the Dáil for another four years, so Cumann na nGaedheal, with 63 TDs, had a comfortable de facto parliamentary majority. But the anti-Treatyites had demonstrated that they were not going to go away. By their strong performance, they demonstrated the continued vitality of the Treaty division, and ensured that this narrowly political/constitutional cleavage, rather than any socioeconomic cleavage, was to be the dominant influence on the Irish party system.

[Extract: Irish Elections 1922-44:Results and Analysis, Edited by Michael Gallagher, PSAI Press 1993 [revised 2023], p23]

CORK CITY ELECTION
The counting of the votes for the City of Cork commenced at 9am at the Cork Technical School at Sharman Crawford Street, whilst the counting for North Cork County was held at the Central Hall, Academy Street.

City of Cork Borough Results (5 Seats)
James Walsh (Cumman na nGaedheal) 17,151

Alfred O’Rahilly (Cumman na nGaedheal) 2,506

Richard Beamish (Independent) 5,822

Mary MacSwiney (Republican) 6,109

Andrew O’Shaughnessy (Independent) 766

North Cork Results (3 Seats)
‘…It was not until 7:30 pm in the evening that the actual quota was established owing to the number of spoiled and doubtful papers. The total registered poll was 20,482 there being 1,387 rejected paper. The quota was accordingly 5,131.

The result of the first preference count was declared as follows:-

Daniel Corkery  (Republican/Anti-Treaty) 6,290

Daniel Vaughan (Farmers) 4,299

Thomas Nagle (Labour) 3,716

Edward Neville (Farmers) 3,385

John Lynch (Cumman na nGaedheal) 2,792

Mr. [Daniel] Corkery having required the necessary quota, was then declared elected.

The count of the second preferences began at 8:15, and resulted in the return of the following figures:-

3,834 votes were transferred on this count. Mr Lynch was then eliminated, and the third count resulted as follows:-

Nagle….5,224

Vaughan.5,206

Neville …4,701

The Returning Officer then declared Messrs. Corkery, Nagle, and Vaughan elected. They are the three sitting members.’

[Extract from Cork Examiner, 30 August 1923, p5]

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