Patrick Aloysius Duffy (19 July 1933 – 19 August 1995), known as Paddy Duffy, was an Irish nationalist politician.[1]

Born in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Duffy studied at St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon and then Queen's University Belfast before becoming a solicitor.[2] He became politically active in the Nationalist Party,[3] then in the Unity movement, acting as agent for Frank McManus, the successful candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the 1970 general election.[2]

After the election, Duffy was a key founder member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and served as its first treasurer.[2] He was elected to Cookstown District Council at the 1973 Northern Ireland local elections, and then at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election he won a seat in Mid Ulster,[2] which he successfully defended on the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975. He also retained his council seat in 1977 and 1981.[4] However, he proved less successful on the national stage, taking second place in Mid Ulster at the 1979 general election.[5]

In the late 1970s, Duffy became known for his outspoken support of Northern Irish independence,[6] although he did concede that there would need to be some form of federal structure covering the entire island.[7] He objected to the arrangements for the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, refused to stand, and unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the SDLP to boycott the election,[8] and called for its assembly members to withdraw after Seamus Mallon was disqualified.[9] 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.[3][10]

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.[11]

He died on 19 August 1995, and was survived by his wife Mary and their three sons.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Lynn, Brendan. "Duffy, Patrick Aloyisius". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Ted Nealon, Ireland: a Parliamentary Directory 1973-1974, p.207
  3. ^ a b Fionnuala O'Connor, In search of a state: Catholics in Northern Ireland, pp.154, 203
  4. ^ "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Cookstown", Northern Ireland Elections
  5. ^ "Mid-Ulster 1973-1982", Northern Ireland Elections
  6. ^ Sean Cronin, Irish nationalism: a history of its roots and ideology, p.301
  7. ^ Bernard Crick, Political thoughts and polemics, p.72
  8. ^ Sydney Elliot et al, The 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, p.23
  9. ^ Keesing's Contemporary Archives (1983), p.150
  10. ^ "Local Government Elections 1985 -1989: Cookstown", Northern Ireland Elections
  11. ^ The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America (1996), p.486
Northern Ireland Assembly (1973) New assembly Assembly Member for Mid-Ulster 1973–1974 Assembly abolished Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention New convention Member for Mid-Ulster 1975–1976 Convention dissolved
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