Michael O'Neill (7 October 1909 – 4 October 1976) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

politician in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. O'Neill was educated at Dromore National School and Bellisle Academy. He was a farmer and a chairman of the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

. He served as a councillor on

Tyrone County Council Tyrone County Council was the authority responsible for local government in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. History Tyrone County Council was formed under orders issued in accordance with the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 which came into ef ...

and resigned as a member of

Omagh Omagh (; from ga, An Ómaigh , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. North ...

rural council as a protest about the allocation of housing. O'Neill was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for the Mid Ulster constituency in 1951 as an

Independent Nationalist Independent Nationalist ( ga, Náisiúnach Neamhspleách) is a political title frequently used by Irish Nationalism, Irish nationalists when contesting elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the United Kingd ...

, serving in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

. He was later associated with the

Anti-Partition of Ireland League The Irish Anti-Partition League (APL) was a political organisation based in Northern Ireland which campaigned for a united Ireland from 1945 to 1958. Foundation Prior to the establishment of the League, there had been no rank-and-file organis ...

. He retired at the 1955 general election and the Mid Ulster seat was narrowly won by Tom Mitchell of

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...

. At the

1956 Mid Ulster by-election The by-election held in Mid Ulster on 8 May 1956 was called because both candidates in the 1955 Mid Ulster by-election The by-election held in Mid Ulster on 11 August 1955 was called as a result of a vote in the British parliament on 18 July ...

the League stood O'Neill in an attempt to unseat the

abstentionist Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in ...

Mitchell, but this split the nationalist vote and independent Unionist George Forrest was elected.Brendan Lynn, ''Holding the Ground: The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland, 1945 - 72'' (1997),

References

External links

* Politicians from Northern Ireland Members of Tyrone County Council Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Mid Ulster Politicians from County Tyrone Independent members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1951–1955 1909 births 1976 deaths {{NorthernIreland-UK-MP-stub