History of Sinn Féin 218. De Valera resigned and formed a new party, Fianna Fáil, on a platform of republicanising the Free State from within. He took the great majority of Sinn Féin support with him along with most of Sinn Féin's financial support from America. The remains of Sinn Féin fielded only 15 candidates and won only six seats in the June election, sinking to a level support not seen since before 1916. In the August 1927 by-election following the death of Constance Markievicz, SF's Cathal Ó Murchadha gained just 2.5% of the vote. Shortly after Vice-President and de facto leader MacSwiney announced
Elections in Northern Ireland at which nationalists failed to gain any seats. 1959 The nationalist vote fell dramatically (it would take until February 1974 to regain the heights it had reached in 1955), and Sinn Féin failed to hold the seats they had won in 1955. Both their MPs had been disqualified shortly after election anyway. 1955 Sinn Fein contested the full range of seats and united the nationalist vote behind them, winning both the seats won by nationalists in 1951. Labour candidates contested only the four Belfast seats. 1951 This was the last election at which candidates stood unopposed; four Unionist candidates in