Kilkenny City by-election, 1875

The Kilkenny City by-election of 1875 was fought on 28 April 1875. This arose due to the death of the incumbent Home Rule MP, John Gray.

It was contested by three candidates: Gray's son Edmund Dwyer Gray, Edward Marum, and Benjamin Whitworth, former MP for Drogheda. Gray told the electors that his programme did not differ substantially from that of Whitworth: he was in favour of "Home Rule, denominational education, fixity of tenure at fair rents, and reform of the Grand Jury Laws."^[1]

Whitworth was elected, with 307 votes; Gray received 125 and Marum 112. The Times saw this as a blow to the Home Rule League - who had condemned Whitworth's programme as vague and inadequate - and anticipated that he would act independently of the Home Ruler movement, although "he will probably be often found acting in harmony with the Home Rule Members'.^[2]

The reason for the success of Whitworth, who was seen as having the support of the Protestant voters although he was also proposed by the Roman Catholic vicar-general of the diocese, was considered to be the "promises of material aid which he made to Kilkenny".^[2] His nomination was seconded by the prominent brewer John Francis Smithwick who would later succeed him as MP for the city.^[3]

Marum went on to be elected MP for County Kilkenny and Gray for County Tipperary.

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