On 28 October 1885 he was selected at Carrick-on-Shannon as Nationalist candidate for the new seat of North Leitrim and in the December 1885 general election by almost 10 to 1 over a Conservative.
He appears to have remained resident in Blackburn at least for a time as he was reported as presiding at a Nationalist meeting there on 30 November 1886.
He strongly supported Parnell in the week-long meeting of the Party in Committee Room 15 of the House of Commons.
Lyons[1] commented that he had a ‘futile altercation’ with the Anti-Parnellite Thomas Sexton, and he also clashed with Timothy Healy.
At the general election of 1892, Conway did not contest North Leitrim but fought Mid Tipperary as a Parnellite.