Paddy Duffy (politician)

Patrick A. Duffy (July 1934 – 1996), known as Paddy Duffy, was an Irish nationalist politician.

Born in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Duffy studied at St Patrick's Academy in Dungannon and then Queen's University Belfast before becoming a solicitor.^[1] He became politically active in the Nationalist Party,^[2] then in the Unity movement, acting as agent for Frank McManus, the successful candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the 1970 UK general election.^[1]

After the election, Duffy was a key founder member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and served as its first treasurer.^[1] He was elected to Cookstown District Council at the Northern Ireland local elections, 1973, and then at the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973 he won a seat in Mid Ulster,^[1] which he successfully defended on the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975. He also retained his council seat in 1977 and 1981.^[3] However, he proved less successful on the national stage, taking second place in Mid Ulster at the 1979 UK general election.^[4]

In the late 1970s, Duffy became known for his outspoken support of Northern Irish independence,^[5] although he did concede that there would need to be some form of federal structure covering the entire island.^[6] He objected to the arrangements for the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1982, refused to stand, and unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the SDLP to boycott the election,^[7] and called for its assembly members to withdraw after Seamus Mallon was disqualified.^[8] Following this, he withdrew from involvement in the SDLP, although he was re-elected as a nominal party member to Cookstown District Council in 1985 and 1989.^[2][9]

Outside politics, Duffy built up a large legal practice, with offices in small towns across Northern Ireland. He was also active in the credit union and co-operative movements. At the time of his death in 1996, he was a member of the board of the International Fund for Ireland.^[10]

References

1. 1 2 3 4 Ted Nealon, Ireland: a Parliamentary Directory 1973-1974, p.207
2. 1 2 Fionnuala O'Connor, In search of a state: Catholics in Northern Ireland, pp.154, 203
3. ↑ "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Cookstown", Northern Ireland Elections
4. ↑ "Mid-Ulster 1973-1982", Northern Ireland Elections
5. ↑ Sean Cronin, Irish nationalism: a history of its roots and ideology, p.301
6. ↑ Bernard Crick, Political thoughts and polemics, p.72
7. ↑ Sydney Elliot et al, The 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, p.23
8. ↑ Keesing's Contemporary Archives (1983), p.150
9. ↑ "Local Government Elections 1985 -1989: Cookstown", Northern Ireland Elections
10. ↑ The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America (1996), p.486

Ulster nationalism Organisations British Ulster Dominion Party New Ulster Political Research Group Official National Front Ulster Clubs Ulster Democratic Party Ulster Independence Movement Ulster Independence Party Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee Ulster Movement for Self-Determination Ulster Third Way Ulster Workers' Council People Glenn Barr Paddy Duffy Willie Frazer David Kerr Kennedy Lindsay Tommy Lyttle W. F. McCoy Jackie McDonald Billy McFarland John McKeague John McMichael Hugh Ross Ray Smallwoods Andy Tyrie Related topics Repartition of Ireland Ulster Workers' Council Strike