Garrett Byrne (MP)
Encyclopedia
Garrett Michael Byrne was an Irish
nationalist
and MP
in the House of Commons
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
represented Co. Wexford
, 1880-83, and West Wicklow, 1885-92. He was a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
.
Byrne was born at Arklow
, Co. Wicklow, in 1829. He was a great-grandson of Garrett Byrne of Ballymanus, a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. He was the second son of Joseph Byrne of Ballybrack
, Co. Dublin and of Mary Anne Byrne, second daughter of Garrett Byrne of Dungarvstown, Co. Wicklow. He was educated privately and at Leopardstown College. In 1855 he married Sarah Dillon, second daughter of James Dillon, a Wicklow merchant. She died in 1875.
At an early age Byrne was overseer for the contractors building the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway. He was then the Liverpool agent for a Dublin brewery. In 1856 he was appointed an officer of Customs and Surveyor to the Board of Trade at Liverpool.
He was selected as one of two Irish Home Rule Parnellite candidates for Wexford at the general election of 1880
over the sitting Home Ruler Keyes O'Clery
, who was backed by the Catholic clergy. This led to a serious outbreak of violence at a meeting at Enniscorthy
on Easter Sunday, 28 March 1880, in which Parnell himself was physically attacked. O’Clery went on to contest the election the following month, but Byrne was elected by a majority of over 2,000. In the vital vote of 17 May 1880 in which Parnell displaced William Shaw
as chairman of the Home Rule League
, Byrne voted for Parnell. He took part in the subsequent Parnellite campaign of Parliamentary obstruction. He resigned in June 1883 after just over three years owing to ill-health, to be replaced in his Wexford seat by another Home Ruler, John Francis Small, who was returned unopposed.
Byrne stood for Parliament again for West Wicklow in the general election of December 1885
, when he defeated the Conservative candidate by more than 4 to 1. When the Irish Parliamentary Party split in December 1890 over Parnell’s leadership, Byrne supported Parnell. Shortly afterwards he was declared bankrupt, in January 1891, as a result of the insolvency of the estate and mortgage broking business which he had set up in 1885. This had been established with a capital of £10,000 and owned various properties in London, Liverpool and Dublin. It had failed owing to inability to realise property due to depreciation in its value, and losses through bad debts. Byrne’s ill-health was also mentioned as a factor. Although the business was insolvent, it had a surplus of assets and after this was realised, Byrne’s bankruptcy was discharged in August 1891.
Byrne retired from Parliament at the 1892 general election, aged about 63; his West Wicklow seat was contested in the Parnellite interest by Charles Stewart Parnell’s brother John Howard Parnell
, but was won by an Anti-Parnellite, James O'Connor
.
Byrne died in Mercer's Hospital, Dublin, on 3 March 1897 of septicaemia contracted as a result of a head wound sustained in an accident on the previous 13 February in Grafton Street, Dublin, when he was run down by a Hackney carriage. The inquest on 4 March was conducted by his former Parnellite Parliamentary colleague Dr Joseph Kenny
, by then City Coroner.
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...
and 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
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
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 member of the 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...
represented Co. Wexford
Wexford County (UK Parliament constituency)
Wexford County was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, which returned two Members of Parliament to the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:...
, 1880-83, and West Wicklow, 1885-92. He was a strong supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
.
Byrne was born at Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
, Co. Wicklow, in 1829. He was a great-grandson of Garrett Byrne of Ballymanus, a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. He was the second son of Joseph Byrne of Ballybrack
Ballybrack
Ballybrack or Ballybrac is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county. It is south of Killiney and northeast of Loughlinstown....
, Co. Dublin and of Mary Anne Byrne, second daughter of Garrett Byrne of Dungarvstown, Co. Wicklow. He was educated privately and at Leopardstown College. In 1855 he married Sarah Dillon, second daughter of James Dillon, a Wicklow merchant. She died in 1875.
At an early age Byrne was overseer for the contractors building the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway. He was then the Liverpool agent for a Dublin brewery. In 1856 he was appointed an officer of Customs and Surveyor to the Board of Trade at Liverpool.
He was selected as one of two Irish Home Rule Parnellite candidates for Wexford at the general election of 1880
United Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
over the sitting Home Ruler Keyes O'Clery
Keyes O'Clery
Count Patrick Keyes O'Clery, The O'Clery , was a barrister and was Conservative Home Rule M.P. for Co. Wexford.Patrick Keyes O'Clery was the son of John Walsh O'Clery, The O'Clery. He was born in County Limerick and educated at Trinity College Dublin. He was called to the bar by the Middle Temple...
, who was backed by the Catholic clergy. This led to a serious outbreak of violence at a meeting at Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
on Easter Sunday, 28 March 1880, in which Parnell himself was physically attacked. O’Clery went on to contest the election the following month, but Byrne was elected by a majority of over 2,000. In the vital vote of 17 May 1880 in which Parnell displaced William Shaw
William Shaw (Irish politician)
William Shaw was an Irish Protestant nationalist politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and one of the founders of the Irish home rule movement....
as chairman of the Home Rule League
Home Rule League
The Home Rule League, sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was a political party which campaigned for home rule for the country of Ireland from 1873 to 1882, when it was replaced by the Irish Parliamentary Party.-Origins:...
, Byrne voted for Parnell. He took part in the subsequent Parnellite campaign of Parliamentary obstruction. He resigned in June 1883 after just over three years owing to ill-health, to be replaced in his Wexford seat by another Home Ruler, John Francis Small, who was returned unopposed.
Byrne stood for Parliament again for West Wicklow in the general election of December 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, when he defeated the Conservative candidate by more than 4 to 1. When the Irish Parliamentary Party split in December 1890 over Parnell’s leadership, Byrne supported Parnell. Shortly afterwards he was declared bankrupt, in January 1891, as a result of the insolvency of the estate and mortgage broking business which he had set up in 1885. This had been established with a capital of £10,000 and owned various properties in London, Liverpool and Dublin. It had failed owing to inability to realise property due to depreciation in its value, and losses through bad debts. Byrne’s ill-health was also mentioned as a factor. Although the business was insolvent, it had a surplus of assets and after this was realised, Byrne’s bankruptcy was discharged in August 1891.
Byrne retired from Parliament at the 1892 general election, aged about 63; his West Wicklow seat was contested in the Parnellite interest by Charles Stewart Parnell’s brother John Howard Parnell
John Howard Parnell
John Howard Parnell was an older brother of the Irish Nationalist leader Charles Stewart Parnell and after his brother’s death was himself a Parnellite Nationalist Member of Parliament, for South Meath from 1895 to 1900...
, but was won by an Anti-Parnellite, James O'Connor
James O'Connor (Irish politician)
James O'Connor was an Irish journalist and nationalist politician who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a Member of Parliament from 1892 to 1910, first for the anti-Parnellite Irish National Federation and then for the re-united Irish Parliamentary Party .He was born in the...
.
Byrne died in Mercer's Hospital, Dublin, on 3 March 1897 of septicaemia contracted as a result of a head wound sustained in an accident on the previous 13 February in Grafton Street, Dublin, when he was run down by a Hackney carriage. The inquest on 4 March was conducted by his former Parnellite Parliamentary colleague Dr Joseph Kenny
J. E. Kenny
Joseph Edward Kenny was an Irish physician, Coroner of the City of Dublin, nationalist politician and Member of Parliament...
, by then City Coroner.
Sources
- Irish Times, 5 March 1897
- F. S. L. LyonsF. S. L. LyonsFrancis Stewart Leland Lyons was one of Ireland's premier historians.-Biography:Lyons was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1923, but soon moved to Boyle in County Roscommon where his father was a bank official...
, Charles Stewart Parnell, London, Collins, 1977 - T. P. O’Connor, The Parnell Movement, London, Kegan Paul Trench & Co., 1886
- Thomas Pakenham, The Year of Liberty: The story of the great Irish Rebellion of 1798, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1969
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 6 October and 27 November 1885, 15 January, 19 & 25 February, 12 March, 13 August 1891, 20 May 1892 - Brian M. Walker (ed.), Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 1978