Alfred Byrne
Encyclopedia
Alfred Byrne also known as Alfie Byrne, was an Irish
nationalist
politician
, who served as both an MP
in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and as a Teachta Dála
in Dáil Éireann
. As Lord Mayor
of Dublin he was known as the "shaking hand of Dublin".
He was born in Dublin in 1882. He was the son of a docker, who died when Alfred was only thirteen years old. Byrne worked as a theatre programme seller and barman before buying his own pub, The Vernon in Talbot Street
, Dublin. He entered politics at the age of twenty-seven, being elected to Dublin Corporation
for North Dock ward with a large majority.
Byrne became an Alderman
on Dublin Corporation in 1914. He was a member of the Dublin Port and Docks Board, a significant position for a politician from the Dublin Harbour constituency. In the records of the Oireachtas
his occupation is given as company director.
He was elected MP for Dublin Harbour
in a by-election on 1 October 1915, as an Irish Parliamentary Party
candidate. He was defeated by Philip Shanahan
of Sinn Féin
, in the 1918 general election.
Byrne's constituent Philip Shanahan (the man who defeated him in 1918) had legal problems following the Easter Rising
. Shanahan consulted the lawyer and Nationalist politician Timothy Healy
. Byrne attended this conference between Shanahan and his Parliamentary colleague. Healy commented:
The rapid decline of the Irish Parliamentary Party and the rise of Sinn Féin
, even in the formerly immensely safe Dublin Harbour constituency, followed the Rising. Byrne continued his political career in independent Ireland. He was elected as an independent
TD for the Dublin Mid
constituency in the election
to the Third Dáil
in 1922. In the Fourth to Sixth Dála
(1923–1928) he represented Dublin North. He was an elected a member of Seanad Éireann
, for a six year term, in 1928. He vacated his Dáil seat on 4 December 1928. He resigned from the Seanad on 10 December 1931. Byrne returned to the Dáil in 1932 and sat there until his death in 1956. He represented Dublin North (1932–1937) and Dublin North East
(1937–1956).
He was elected the Lord Mayor
an unprecedented nine times without a break from 1930 until 1939. He also served as the Lord Mayor in 1954 and 1955. The by-election caused by his death, was won by his son Patrick Byrne
. Two other sons Alfred P. Byrne
and Thomas Byrne
were also TDs for various Dublin constituencies.
Alfie Byrne died in Dublin in March 1956 and his funeral attracted thousands, especially from the ranks of the poor in the inner city and docklands whose cause he championed through a long and colourful career.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who served as both an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
in Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
. As Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
of Dublin he was known as the "shaking hand of Dublin".
He was born in Dublin in 1882. He was the son of a docker, who died when Alfred was only thirteen years old. Byrne worked as a theatre programme seller and barman before buying his own pub, The Vernon in Talbot Street
Talbot Street
Talbot Street is a city-centre street located on Dublin's Northside and is one of the principal shopping streets of Dublin, running from Connolly station and the IFSC at Amiens Street in the east to Marlborough Street in the west. The street is named after Charles Chetwynd, 3rd Earl of Talbot,...
, Dublin. He entered politics at the age of twenty-seven, being elected to Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
for North Dock ward with a large majority.
Byrne became an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on Dublin Corporation in 1914. He was a member of the Dublin Port and Docks Board, a significant position for a politician from the Dublin Harbour constituency. In the records of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
his occupation is given as company director.
He was elected MP for Dublin Harbour
Dublin Harbour (UK Parliament constituency)
Dublin Harbour, a division of Dublin, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1922....
in a by-election on 1 October 1915, as an Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
candidate. He was defeated by Philip Shanahan
Philip Shanahan
Philip Shanahan was an Irish Sinn Féin politician, who was elected to the United Kingdom House of Commons in 1918 and served as a Teachta Dála in Dáil Éireann from 1919 to 1922....
of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, in the 1918 general election.
Byrne's constituent Philip Shanahan (the man who defeated him in 1918) had legal problems following the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
. Shanahan consulted the lawyer and Nationalist politician Timothy Healy
Timothy Michael Healy
Timothy Michael Healy, KC , also known as Tim Healy, was an Irish nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and one of the most controversial Irish Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. Byrne attended this conference between Shanahan and his Parliamentary colleague. Healy commented:
The rapid decline of the Irish Parliamentary Party and the rise of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, even in the formerly immensely safe Dublin Harbour constituency, followed the Rising. Byrne continued his political career in independent Ireland. He was elected as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
TD for the Dublin Mid
Dublin Mid (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin Mid was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1921 to 1923...
constituency in the election
Irish general election, 1922
The Irish general election of 1922 took place in Southern Ireland on 16 June 1922, under the provisions of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to elect a constituent assembly paving the way for the formal establishment of the Irish Free State...
to the Third Dáil
Third Dáil
The Third Dáil, also known as the Provisional Parliament or the Constituent Assembly, was:*the "provisional parliament" or "constituent assembly" of Southern Ireland from 9 August 1922 until 6 December 1922; and...
in 1922. In the Fourth to Sixth Dála
Dala
Dala may refer to:*Dala , a Canadian acoustic-folk music duo*Dala, Angola*Dala, Bhutan*Dalahäst, traditional Swedish wooden horse statuettes*Dala Fur sheep, a Swedish breed of sheep...
(1923–1928) he represented Dublin North. He was an elected a member of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)
Seanad Éireann was the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922–1936. It has also been known simply as the Senate, or as the First Seanad. The Senate was established under the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State but a number of constitutional amendments were...
, for a six year term, in 1928. He vacated his Dáil seat on 4 December 1928. He resigned from the Seanad on 10 December 1931. Byrne returned to the Dáil in 1932 and sat there until his death in 1956. He represented Dublin North (1932–1937) and Dublin North East
Dublin North East (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin North–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
(1937–1956).
He was elected the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor of Dublin
The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...
an unprecedented nine times without a break from 1930 until 1939. He also served as the Lord Mayor in 1954 and 1955. The by-election caused by his death, was won by his son Patrick Byrne
Patrick Byrne (Irish politician)
Patrick Byrne was an Irish politician. An accountant by profession, he was first elected to Dáil Éireann as an independent Teachta Dála for Dublin North East at a by-election on 30 April 1956. The by-election was caused by the death of his father, Alfred Byrne. In 1957 he joined Fine Gael and was...
. Two other sons Alfred P. Byrne
Alfred P. Byrne
Alfred Patrick Byrne was an Irish politician. A clerk by profession, he as first elected to Dáil Éireann as an independent Teachta Dála for Dublin North West at the 1937 general election. He was re-elected at the 1938 and 1943 general elections but lost his seat at the 1944 general election...
and Thomas Byrne
Thomas Byrne (Dublin politician)
Thomas N. Byrne was an Irish independent politician. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Dublin North West at a by-election on 12 November 1952. The by-election was caused by the death of his brother, Alfred P. Byrne. He was re-elected at the 1954 and 1957 general elections...
were also TDs for various Dublin constituencies.
Alfie Byrne died in Dublin in March 1956 and his funeral attracted thousands, especially from the ranks of the poor in the inner city and docklands whose cause he championed through a long and colourful career.
External links
- Alfred Byrne's electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)
- Historical Dáil debates from official Oireachtas website.
- The 1916 Rising