Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981

Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election

← 1979 9 April 1981 1981 →
Candidate Bobby Sands Harry West Party Anti H-Block UUP Popular vote 30,493 29,046 Percentage 51.2% 48.8%
MP before election Frank Maguire Independent Republican Subsequent MP Bobby Sands Anti H-Block

Frank Maguire
Independent Republican

Bobby Sands
Anti H-Block

The by-election held in Fermanagh and South Tyrone on 9 April 1981 is considered by many to be the most significant by-election held in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It saw the first electoral victory for militant Irish republicanism, which the following year entered electoral politics in full force as Sinn Féin. The successful candidate was the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands who died twenty-six days later.

The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting MP, Frank Maguire.

The constituency, based on the districts of Fermanagh and Dungannon, was created in 1950 and had seen a series of closely fought elections between unionist and Irish nationalist candidates, with several elections being won due to the absence of competing candidates on one side or the other. Nationalists of various hues had won the constituency in the 1950, 1951 and 1955 general elections, while the Ulster Unionist Party had won in 1959, 1964 and 1966. As the Troubles gathered pace, nationalists agreed the Unity pact to run agreed candidates in border seats, with Frank McManus capturing Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 1970 general election.

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