Independent Nationalist (Irish: Náisiúnach Neamhspleách) is a political title frequently used by Irish nationalists when contesting elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Great Britain and Ireland not as members of the Irish Parliamentary Party, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

In the main, but certainly not always, such Independent Nationalist candidates were either the Healyite Nationalists, supporters of Timothy Michael Healy, or the O'Brienite Nationalists, supporters of William O'Brien.[1]

Some others were elected as Independent Nationalists outside of the above groupings, such as Timothy Harrington (1900 and 1906), Joseph Nolan (1900),[2] D. D. Sheehan (1906),[3] and Laurence Ginnell (in both the January and December 1910 elections).[1][4]

William Redmond and James Cosgrave were elected to Dáil Éireann as Independent Nationalists in 1923,[5][6][7] before going on to form the National League Party.[5]

Later in the twentieth century, Michael O'Neill was elected to the House of Commons as an Independent Nationalist in 1951.[8] John Hume,[9] Paddy O'Hanlon,[10] and Ivan Cooper[11] were elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons as Independent Nationalists in 1969; they formed the Social Democratic and Labour Party in the following year.[9][12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b Murphy, Patrick Joseph (2019). "Chapter One - 'Tuppence Halfpenny Looking Down on Tuppence': The Origins of the All for Ireland League, 1890-1909.". The Banshee’s Kiss: Conciliation, Class and Conflict in Cork and the All for Ireland League (PDF) (PhD of Philosophy thesis). University of Liverpool. pp. 68–69, 83, 89. doi:10.17638/03061037. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  2. ^ "1900 - 1900 General Election - South Louth". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ^ Walker, Brian Mercer (1978). "Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922". New History of Ireland. 4. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 9780901714121.
  4. ^ Maye, Brian (26 April 2023). "From Home Ruler MP to anti-Treaty TD – Brian Maye on Laurence Ginnell". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024. He was the only Irish MP to actively support the women's suffrage movement at Westminster and his frequent criticism of the IPP led to his expulsion from the party in 1909; thereafter, he sat as an independent nationalist.
  5. ^ a b Gallagher, Michael, ed. (2023) [1993]. Irish Elections 1922–44: Results and Analysis (PDF). Limerick: PSAI Press. p. 91. ISBN 0951974815.
  6. ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: Captain William Redmond". www.electionsireland.org. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  7. ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: James Cosgrave". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  8. ^ "1951 - 1951 General Election - Mid Ulster". api.parliament.uk. doi:10.7910/DVN/S83HOA. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b Black, Rebecca (3 August 2020). "From teacher to Nobel Peace Prize winner, a timeline of John Hume's achievements". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 April 2024. 1969: Hume's political career begins when he is elected at the age of 32 as an independent nationalist MP at Stormont. August 1970: Hume becomes a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
  10. ^ "Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Counties: Armagh". election.demon.co.uk. 29 June 2001. Archived from the original on 29 June 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Interview with Ivan Cooper for RTE News in February 1969". www.qmul.ac.uk. 25 February 1969. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies". web.archive.org. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Bloody Sunday leader finds faith in film". 30 January 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2024. Mr Cooper was one of the major figures of the 1960s civil rights movement and a founder member of the nationalist SDLP - a political stance that led many of his own Protestant community to brand him a traitor.

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