William McKillop
Encyclopedia
William McKillop was an Ayrshire
-born grocer and restaurant-owner in Glasgow
who became an Irish nationalist
politician, serving for the last decade of his life as an Irish Parliamentary Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) for constituencies in Ireland
. He was a founding member of the committee which established the Glasgow Celtic football club, but is probably better known for the William McKillop Cup, which he donated to Armagh Gaelic Athletic Association
.
in Antrim
. William and his brother had moved to Glasgow, where in time they set up a licensed grocers, and were successful enough to buy out other businesses including the Royal Restaurant.
The by-now prosperous McKillop family were involved in several Irish political organisations in Glasgow. William's obituary in the Freeman's Journal
described him as "a staunch Irish nationalist who took a lively interest in the Irish movement in Glasgow and was a leading member of the home Government Branch to which he always gave splendid financial support." In those days, Members of Parliament were not paid, and the Irish Party therefore had to find candidates wealthy enough to support themselves. William McKillop was asked to stand as the nationalist candidate for North Sligo
at the 1900 general election
, and readily agreed. He was elected unopposed and soon became Treasurer of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
For reasons that are unclear, McKillop switched seats at the 1906 general election
, from North Sligo to South Armagh
, where he was returned unopposed. He held the seat until his death on 6 August 1909.
in 1907 as "very valuable one" and "a triumph of the silversmith's art". Made of solid silver
and weighing over 82 ounces, the cup is over two feet high.
The William McKillop cup was first presented to the winners of the 1906-07 League, and since 1931 it been awarded to the county's Senior Championship winners.
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
-born grocer and restaurant-owner in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
who became an Irish 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, serving for the last decade of his life 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...
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,...
(MP) for constituencies in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was a founding member of the committee which established the Glasgow Celtic football club, but is probably better known for the William McKillop Cup, which he donated to Armagh Gaelic Athletic Association
Armagh GAA
The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...
.
Career
His father Daniel McKillop emigrated to Ayrshire from GlenarmGlenarm
Glenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It had a population of 582 people in the 2001 Census. Glenarm takes it name from the glen in which it lies,...
in Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. William and his brother had moved to Glasgow, where in time they set up a licensed grocers, and were successful enough to buy out other businesses including the Royal Restaurant.
The by-now prosperous McKillop family were involved in several Irish political organisations in Glasgow. William's obituary in the Freeman's Journal
Freeman's Journal
The Freeman's Journal was the oldest nationalist newspaper in Ireland. It was founded in 1763 by Charles Lucas and was identified with radical 18th century Protestant patriot politicians Henry Grattan and Henry Flood...
described him as "a staunch Irish nationalist who took a lively interest in the Irish movement in Glasgow and was a leading member of the home Government Branch to which he always gave splendid financial support." In those days, Members of Parliament were not paid, and the Irish Party therefore had to find candidates wealthy enough to support themselves. William McKillop was asked to stand as the nationalist candidate for North Sligo
North Sligo (UK Parliament constituency)
North Sligo was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1922....
at the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, and readily agreed. He was elected unopposed and soon became Treasurer of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
For reasons that are unclear, McKillop switched seats at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, from North Sligo to South Armagh
South Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)
South Armagh was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland.-Boundaries and boundary changes:This constituency comprised the southern part of County Armagh....
, where he was returned unopposed. He held the seat until his death on 6 August 1909.
Personal life
William McKillop's first wife, a Miss Fisher, died in 1892, a few year after their marriage. He remarried in 1908, to a Rose Dalton, a sister-in-law of the Willie Redmond MP from Orange, EW South Wales. Their first and only child (Margaret Mary) was born in May 1909, only three months before his death. His requiem mass was held in St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow, and he was buried in Dalbleth Cemetery. After his death, Rose returned with the baby to Australia. His daughter, later known as Peggy, became a pioneer of Australian aviationMcKillop Cup
In March 1906, shortly after McKillop's election in January as MP for South Armagh, the Armagh County Committee of the GAA accepted his offer to "present a cup and set of medals for competition amongst Gaelic Football clubs in Armagh." The cup was made in Scotland, and was described by the Dundalk DemocratDundalk Democrat
The Dundalk Democrat is a regional newspaper printed in Dundalk, Republic of Ireland. Established in 1849, it primarily serves County Louth. It also serves County Monaghan, as well as parts of County Armagh, County Down, County Cavan and County Meath. The paper is owned by the holding company...
in 1907 as "very valuable one" and "a triumph of the silversmith's art". Made of solid silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and weighing over 82 ounces, the cup is over two feet high.
The William McKillop cup was first presented to the winners of the 1906-07 League, and since 1931 it been awarded to the county's Senior Championship winners.