Richard Byrne (politician)
Richard Byrne (died 28 August 1942) was an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.
Byrne worked as a publican and was also a landlord. He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1910, serving until his death. At the Northern Ireland general election, 1921, Byrne unsuccessfully contested Belfast West.[1]
Byrne contested Belfast Falls at the Northern Ireland general election, 1929. This came with the reluctant support of party leader Joseph Devlin, who described Byrne as a "Tory" and an "old pisspot". The contest was bitter, with Northern Ireland Labour Party opponent Billy McMullen producing a newspaper, the Northern Worker, claiming that Byrne was a slum landlord. Byrne secured an injunction to stop distribution two days before the election, and beat McMullen by around 1,400 votes.[2]
From 1937 until his death, Byrne and Thomas Joseph Campbell were the only Nationalist Party members to regularly attend the Parliament. Byrne held the seat until his death in 1942.[2]
References
- ↑ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Michael Farrell, Northern Ireland: The Orange State
| Parliament of Northern Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by constituency created |
Member of Parliament for Belfast Falls 1929 - 1942 |
Succeeded by Eamon Donnelly |
Template:Irish-poli-bio-stub