Alexander Haslett (24 July 1883 – 17 January 1951) was an Irish

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

politician. He was an independent

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...

(TD) for the

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7 ...

constituency in

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from June 1927 to 1932 and from 1933 to 1937. He stood as an "unofficial Protestant candidate". His failure to be elected in both 1937 and 1943 was due to the continuing decline in numbers of the Protestant population in County Monaghan.

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

also ran a Protestant candidate ( Ernest Blythe). He was born on 24 July 1883 in Glaslough, County Monaghan, the youngest son among four sons and one daughter of James Haslett, farmer, and Mary Haslett (née Watt). He was educated at Glaslough national school, while each of his siblings emigrated to the US, he farmed the family holding at Derryvane, selling it in 1921 to purchase a substantially larger farm at Mulladuff. Elected in 1912 to Monaghan rural council and board of guardians, he was secretary until 1920 of the Monaghan branch of the

Ulster Farmers' Union The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) is a member organisation/industry association for farmers in Northern Ireland. The UFU was formed in 1918 and currently claims over 12,500 members. Presidency Previous Presidents of the UFU included Sir Basil Broo ...

. In the mid-1920s he launched an auctioneering business in Glaslough and Monaghan town, and served as council member and sometime president of the Irish Auctioneers' Association. He was active in the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...

, he became prominent locally in the affiliated Protestant Defence Association (organised in 1920 amid the political violence of the time) at a time when unionists in Monaghan and throughout the twenty-six southern counties were assessing their position in the face of devolved government, and the exclusion of three Ulster counties from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. Haslett was a Presbyterian – a member of the Ballyalbany Congregation in

Monaghan town Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Letterken ...

– who had purchased his own small farm under the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903. He was a very prominent member of the Orange Order and served as Deputy County Grand Master for Monaghan. He has been described as one of those who "were determined not only to stay but with dignity to play their part and make a contribution to the local commercial and political life" "On 12 July 1923 the only Orange demonstration to be held in the Free State that year took place at Killacoonagh near Clones. Alexander Haslett ... addressing the Orangemen that day said: 'We are not going to be sulking in a corner. We have to live in this country and we are going to make the best of it.'",The Northern Standard, 20 July 1923 cited in.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haslett, Alexander 1883 births 1951 deaths Independent TDs Irish Presbyterians Members of the 5th Dáil Members of the 6th Dáil Members of the 8th Dáil Politicians from County Monaghan