Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
Encyclopedia
The Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons was the presiding officer
of the lower house of Parliament
in Northern Ireland
from 1921 to 1972.
The Speaker
had an official residence, Stormont House
. All the Speakers were members of the Ulster Unionist Party
on their election.
There was initially one Deputy Speaker, also invariably an Ulster Unionist, who was also the Chairman of Ways and Means. In 1958 a second Deputy Speaker was appointed, and given the title Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means. From 1963 onwards, this post was often given to members of the Nationalist Party
or Northern Ireland Labour Party
.
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the lower house of Parliament
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...
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...
from 1921 to 1972.
The Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
had an official residence, Stormont House
Stormont House
Stormont House is the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Office, it is situated in the Stormont Estate in Belfast in Northern Ireland....
. All the Speakers were members of the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
on their election.
There was initially one Deputy Speaker, also invariably an Ulster Unionist, who was also the Chairman of Ways and Means. In 1958 a second Deputy Speaker was appointed, and given the title Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means. From 1963 onwards, this post was often given to members of the Nationalist Party
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....
or Northern Ireland Labour Party
Northern Ireland Labour Party
The Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland...
.
Speakers
- 1921 - 29: Hugh O'Neill
- 1929 - 45: Harry MulhollandSir Henry Mulholland, 1st BaronetSir Henry George Hill Mulholland, 1st Baronet PC , was a Northern Ireland politician.Mulholland was the third son of Henry Lyle Mulholland, 2nd Baron Dunleath, and Norah Louisa Fanny Ward...
- 1945 - 56: Sir Norman StrongeNorman StrongeCaptain Sir Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge, 8th Baronet, MC, PC , JP was a senior Unionist politician in Northern Ireland....
- 1956: William Frederick McCoy
- 1956 - 69: Sir Norman StrongeNorman StrongeCaptain Sir Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge, 8th Baronet, MC, PC , JP was a senior Unionist politician in Northern Ireland....
- 1969 - 72: Ivan Neill
Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker
- 1921 - 37: Thomas MolesThomas MolesThomas Moles was an Ulster Unionist politician. Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1871, he was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena....
- 1937: John Clarke DavisonJohn Clarke DavisonJohn Clarke Davison was a barrister and Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Davison was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution and Trinity College, Dublin and was called to the Irish Bar in 1898. He was a legal adviser to the Government of Northern Ireland from 1922-1925, and Senior...
- 1937 - 45: Robert John Lynn
- 1945: Howard Stevenson
- 1945 - 48: Thomas BailieThomas BailieThomas Bailie was an Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament in the Parliament of Northern Ireland, based at Stormont, during which time he was Deputy Speaker....
- 1948 - 50: Robert Nichol WilsonRobert Nichol WilsonRobert Nichol Wilson, known as R. N. Wilson, was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Wilson studied at Malvern College and served in the Royal Artillery during World War II. After the war, he became a director of a textile company and joined the Ulster Unionist Party...
- 1950 - 53: Samuel Hall-ThompsonSamuel Hall-ThompsonLt-Col. Samuel Hall-Thompson was a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.Hall-Thompson was born in Crawfordsburn and studied at Dulwich College. His father, Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson, DL, was also an MP...
- 1953 - 55: Terence O'NeillTerence O'NeillTerence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party...
- 1955 - 69: Thomas LyonsThomas Lyons (politician)Thomas Lyons was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Lyons studied at Albert Agricultural College in Glasnevin, then emigrated to Australia in 1922. He returned to Ireland in 1939, and was elected for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Tyrone in 1943. At the 1945 UK general election, he...
- 1969 - 72: Walter ScottWalter Scott (Northern Ireland politician)Walter Scott was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Scott worked as a building contractor, and was elected to Belfast City Council in 1959, for the Ulster Unionist Party. In 1961, he won a by-election in Belfast Bloomfield and was elected to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, holding his...
Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker
- 1958 - 62: Joseph William Morgan
- 1962 - 63: Brian McConnellBrian McConnell, Baron McConnellRobert William Brian McConnell, Baron McConnell was an Ulster Unionist MP in the Northern Ireland House of Commons....
- 1963 - 65: Billy BoydBilly Boyd (politician)Billy Boyd was a politician from Northern Ireland.Boyd worked in the shipyards of Belfast and became active in the Northern Ireland Labour Party and stood unsuccessfully in Belfast Woodvale in the Northern Ireland general election, 1953, then again in a 1955 by-election...
- 1966: James O'ReillyJames O'Reilly (Irish politician)James O'Reilly, also known as Seamas O'Reilly, was a nationalist politician in Ireland.O'Reilly was a farmer and an activist in the Nationalist Party and was elected to Kilkeel Rural District Council...
- 1966 - 67: Paddy GormleyPaddy GormleyPatrick Joseph Gormley, known as Paddy Gormley was an Irish nationalist politician.Born in Claudy, Gormley was educated at St Columb's College and the National University of Ireland. In 1945, he was elected to Londonderry County Council, representing the Nationalist Party...
- 1967 - 69: James O'ReillyJames O'Reilly (Irish politician)James O'Reilly, also known as Seamas O'Reilly, was a nationalist politician in Ireland.O'Reilly was a farmer and an activist in the Nationalist Party and was elected to Kilkeel Rural District Council...
- 1969 - 72: Vivian SimpsonVivian SimpsonFrederick Vivian Simpson, known as Vivian Simpson was a politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Dublin, Simpson worked as a draper and footwear manufacturer, and also became a lay preacher....