Eddie McAteer
Encyclopedia
Eddie McAteer was an nationalist politician in Northern Ireland
.
Born in Coatbridge
, Scotland
, McAteer's family moved to Derry
in Northern Ireland
while he was young. In 1930 he joined the Inland Revenue
, where he worked until 1944. He then became an accountant
and more actively involved in politics. While his brother, Hugh
, became a prominent Irish republican, involved in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Sinn Féin
, Eddie chose nationalist politics. He was elected as the Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
Member of Parliament
for Mid Londonderry
in the Northern Ireland general election, 1945. He was a founder member of the Anti-Partition League of Ireland, and became its Vice Chairman in 1947, then its Chairman in 1953.
In 1952, McAteer was elected to Londonderry City Council, and the following year he switched to represent Foyle
in the Northern Ireland House of Commons. He left the City Council in 1958, and became the Deputy Leader of the Nationalist Party at Stormont. He became prominent in the campaign calling for the establishment of a university
in Derry.
In 1964, he became its leader, and the following year accepted the post of Leader of the Opposition
, although he lost his seat in the Northern Ireland general election, 1969
to John Hume
. While in his early career, he had been a militant nationalist, publishing Irish Action - a call for civil disobedience
- with the start of The Troubles
, he repeatedly called for moderation.
In the 1970 United Kingdom general election
, McAteer stood in Londonderry
on the Unity
slate, taking 36.6% of the vote. He again contested Londonderry in the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973 election, taking only 3,712 votes and narrowly missing being elected. With the ascendancy of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
, the Nationalist Party was in disarray. McAteer took his remaining supporters into the Irish Independence Party
in 1978, in which his son Fergus
became prominent.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Born in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, McAteer's family moved to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
while he was young. In 1930 he joined the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
, where he worked until 1944. He then became an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and more actively involved in politics. While his brother, Hugh
Hugh McAteer
Hugh McAteer was a volunteer in, and leader of, the Irish Republican Army.A bookkeeper by profession, McAteer was from Derry. He served as IRA Chief of Staff from 1941 until 12 October 1942, when he was captured and arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He was later sentenced to 15 years...
, became a prominent Irish republican, involved in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and 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...
, Eddie chose nationalist politics. He was elected as the Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP....
Member of Parliament
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,...
for Mid Londonderry
Mid Londonderry
Mid Londonderry may refer to:*The central part of County Londonderry*Mid Londonderry...
in the Northern Ireland general election, 1945. He was a founder member of the Anti-Partition League of Ireland, and became its Vice Chairman in 1947, then its Chairman in 1953.
In 1952, McAteer was elected to Londonderry City Council, and the following year he switched to represent Foyle
Foyle (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Foyle was a single member constituency in the Parliament of Northern Ireland. It was created in 1929 as one of the five single-member constituencies replacing the former five-member Londonderry constituency...
in the Northern Ireland House of Commons. He left the City Council in 1958, and became the Deputy Leader of the Nationalist Party at Stormont. He became prominent in the campaign calling for the establishment of a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Derry.
In 1964, he became its leader, and the following year accepted the post of Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Northern Ireland)
The Leader of the Opposition in Northern Ireland was theoretically the leader of the largest party in the Northern Ireland House of Commons which was not the government...
, although he lost his seat in the Northern Ireland general election, 1969
Northern Ireland general election, 1969
-References:*...
to John Hume
John Hume
John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
. While in his early career, he had been a militant nationalist, publishing Irish Action - a call for civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
- with the start of The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, he repeatedly called for moderation.
In the 1970 United Kingdom general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, McAteer stood in Londonderry
Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)
Londonderry was a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also a constituency in elections to various regional bodies. It was replaced in boundary changes in 1983...
on the Unity
Unity (Northern Ireland)
"Unity" was the political label for a series of electoral pacts by Irish nationalist and Irish Republican candidates in Northern Ireland elections in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
slate, taking 36.6% of the vote. He again contested Londonderry in the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973 election, taking only 3,712 votes and narrowly missing being elected. With the ascendancy of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
, the Nationalist Party was in disarray. McAteer took his remaining supporters into the Irish Independence Party
Irish Independence Party
The Irish Independence Party was an nationalist political party in Northern Ireland, founded in October 1977 by Frank McManus and Fergus McAteer...
in 1978, in which his son Fergus
Fergus McAteer
Fergus McAteer is an accountant and former politician in Northern Ireland.The son of Nationalist Party leader Eddie McAteer, Fergus was active in the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. He was arrested during the events of Bloody Sunday and charged with throwing stones, but the charges were...
became prominent.