Peter Murnoy was a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

politician and political activist in Northern Ireland. Murnoy was a farmer and was a volunteer in the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

from 1916 until 1922.Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
/ref> In 1926, he was the joint founder of the National Defence Association, which opposed recognition of Stormont. In 1937, Murnoy launched the National Council of Unity, which aimed to apply the new

Constitution of Ireland The Constitution of Ireland ( ga, Bunreacht na hÉireann, ) is the constitution, fundamental law of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. The constitution, based on a system of representative democra ...

to the whole of the island.Brendan Lynn, ''Holding the Ground: The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland, 1945 – 72'' (1997), Murnoy was elected to the

Parliament of Northern Ireland The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended because of its inability to restore ord ...

as the Nationalist Party MP for South Down at the 1945 general election. He was active in the

Irish Anti-Partition 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 ...

, but controversially refused to condemn T. J. Campbell leaving the Parliament to become a judge. Murnoy was defeated at the South Down Nationalist selection convention before the

1949 Northern Ireland general election The 1949 Northern Ireland general election was held on 19 February 1949. The election became known as the Chapel-gate election because collections were held at churches in the Republic of Ireland to support the Nationalist Party campaign. Th ...

, and stood down.

References

Year of birth missing Year of death missing Irish Republican Army (1919–1922) members Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1945–1949 Nationalist Party (Ireland) members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for County Down constituencies {{Parliament-of-Northern-Ireland-member-stub