Bobby McKee, MBE (1941 – 24 January 2021) was a Unionist politician in

Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is administered by Mid ...

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 ...

and former member of the

Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign ...

. McKee was a Democratic Unionist Party councillor and a member of Larne Borough Council since 1989. He served as a Mayor of Larne in 2004 and 2008. His brother

Jack McKee Jack McKee (4 September 1943 – 4 October 2015) was a Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) politician in Larne, Northern Ireland.Sydney Elliott and W. D. Flackes, ''Northern Ireland: A Political Directory, 1968-1999'', p.333 Early life McKee was bo ...

, who died in 2015, was a DUP councillor in Larne and subsequently a member of the Traditional Unionist Voice. He lost both his legs in 1974 as the result of an

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 th ...

car bomb when he was a member of the UVF. A founder member and chairman of the N.I. Amputees Association he was also chairman of Larne Disabled Fitness Suite. Bobby was Vice chairman of C.A.B. and was a member for 10 years. A member of N.I. Housing Council for 15 years he served as a board member for 6 years. He received the MBE in 2004 in recognition of his work in politics. In 2009, McKee led a welcoming delegation to the Catholic

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in N ...

at Larne Borough Council headquarters in an attempt to boost cross community relations in the area in what was described as a historic day. In 2010 McKee condemned a

British National Party The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...

leafleting campaign in Larne regarding a new refugee centre being built in the town and accused the BNP of whipping up racial tension. In January 2011, he was involved in a car crash where his car went through the front window of an insurance shop in Larne. No one was injured in the incident.

References

1941 births 2021 deaths British amputees Democratic Unionist Party councillors Mayors of places in Northern Ireland Ulster Volunteer Force members Members of the Order of the British Empire Car bomb victims British terrorism victims {{NorthernIreland-mayor-stub