[4] The Liberals chose William Pirrie Sinclair, a 38-year-old, Belfast born merchant and ship owner with business interests in Glasgow, Liverpool and elsewhere.
There was a reduced turnout over the previous general election in 1880 and it was felt that the voters too were underwhelmed by the prospect of going to the polls twice in quick succession.
Thomas Alexander Dickson Liberal MP for Tyrone said he had spoken at one of Sinclair's campaign meetings and had been enthusiastically received on this issue.
[10] The Times newspaper was sceptical on this as an explanation, which, it reported, could have been down to numerous factors; but it did point to the Coercion question as one which could prove fruitful for the Irish Party at the forthcoming general election and problematic for the Liberals.
The Liberals failed to win any seat in what is today Northern Ireland at the 1885 general election, while the Conservatives won sixteen and the Nationalists eight.
[14] Sinclair did however return to the House of Commons at the 1886 general election as Liberal Unionist Party member for Falkirk Burghs in the central Scottish Lowlands.