Robin Kinahan
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Sir Robert George Caldwell "Robin" Kinahan (24 September 1916 - 2 May 1997) was a politician, businessman and a senior member of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland. He was described as one of the last of the "county elite" to remain a high-ranking member of the Order, when, during the 1970s, it became unpopular and potentially dangerous to belong. [1] On a personal level, however, he deplored sectarian bigotry.
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[edit] Background
Born in Belfast Sir Robin was the son of Henry Kinahan and Blanche Grierson, daughter of the Bishop of Connor and Bishop of Down and Dromore. He was educated at Stowe and, upon leaving, went straight into the family firm with a Vintners' Company scholarship, which took him to Oporto and Bordeaux, this facilitated his knowledge of wine and the French language.
[edit] War years
During World War Two he joined the Royal Artillery, the 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, serving briefly in France before the Dunkirk withdrawal, then in the air defence of Coventry and London before ending up in Burma under General Slim.
[edit] Political career
Following the war he entered politics as councillor for Oldpark Belfast[citation needed], where in 1948 he defeated the Labour activist Billy Blease. He served in the Belfast Corporation for 10 years before becoming a Stormont Member of Parliament for Belfast Clifton, defeating the incumbent independent Unionist Norman Porter. He was an MP for only a few months as he could not resist the opportunity to be Lord Mayor of Belfast. In 1961 he earned the knighthood which accompanied the Lord Mayorship at that time. He was Lord Mayor from 1959 to 1961, the youngest person to have done so at that time.
[edit] Orange Order
In the family firm, Lyle and Kinahan (founded by his grandfather), wine and spirit merchants, there was a large contingent of Roman Catholic workers and Kinahan was always delighted to relate how they turned out to cheer him as, on 12 July, he walked with his lodge to the "field". He was, however, almost expelled from the Order for attending the funeral of a Catholic.[2]
[edit] Personal life
In 1963, following his family firm being taken over in 1961, he acquired Castle Upton and 300 acres (1.2 km²) for £53,000. He and his wife, Carolie de Burgh - an artist (daughter of Captain Charles de Burgh of The Lodge, Seaforde, County Down), set about restoring it from an almost ruinous state. He and his wife had two sons and three daughters. His son, Cllr. Danny Kinahan, stood as an Ulster Unionist Party candidate in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007 having been elected to Antrim Borough Council in 2005.
[edit] Later life
Unlike many Unionists he agreed, reluctantly, to serve on the short-lived Northern Ireland Advisory Commission, set up with seven Protestant and four Catholic members by William Whitelaw, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, after the suspension of Stormont in 1972 and the imposition of direct rule. He served as chairman of the Ulster Bank (1970-1982) - he made a point of visiting every branch of the bank, vice Lord Lieutenant of Belfast (1976-1985), Lord Lieutenant of Belfast (1985-1991). He enjoyed playing tennis and dancing, although suffered from back problems in his later years. He died at age 80 and was cremated.
[edit] Publications
Behind Every Great Man …?, published in 1992.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
| Parliament of Northern Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Norman Porter |
Member of Parliament for Belfast Clifton 1958–1959 |
Succeeded by William James Morgan |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Cecil McKee |
Lord Mayor of Belfast 1959–1961 |
Succeeded by Martin Kelso Wallace |
| Preceded by The Lord Glentoran |
Lord Lieutenant of Belfast 1985–1991 |
Succeeded by Eliott Wilson |
