90th Anniversary of An Céad Dáil Éireann - the First Dáil Éireann‏

[FutureTaoiseach]

Keith M, the only reason why SF didn't win over 50% of the popular vote was that in the Six Counties, SF often didn't contest seats so as to avoid splitting the nationalist vote and letting Unionists take more seats. That they won 48% despite that makes it a fair assumption their real level of support was an overall majority.

[Rocky]

Keith M, the only reason why SF didn't win over 50% of the popular vote was that in the Six Counties, SF often didn't contest seats so as to avoid splitting the nationalist vote and letting Unionists take more seats. That they won 48% despite that makes it a fair assumption their real level of support was an overall majority.

It's actually more because the Nationalists party didn't contest either 20 or 25 seats in SF strongholds because they knew they would lose. Collins in Cork, Dev in Clare, Griffith, Cosgrave, most seats in the South West for example were all uncontested. Had these seats been contested SF would have destroyed the Home Rule party and thus they would have far more then 50% of the vote.