Richard Byrne

Richard Byrne (died 28 August 1942) was a Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.

Byrne worked as a publican and was also a landlord. He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1910, serving until his death. At the Northern Ireland general election, 1921, Byrne unsuccessfully contested Belfast West. [ [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies] ]

Byrne contested Belfast Falls at the Northern Ireland general election, 1929. This came with the reluctant support of party leader Joseph Devlin, who described Byrne as a "Tory" and an "old pisspot". The contest was bitter, with Northern Ireland Labour Party opponent Billy McMullen producing a newspaper, the "Northern Worker", claiming that Byrne was a slum landlord. Byrne secured an injunction to stop distribution two days before the election, and beat McMullen by around 1,400 votes.Michael Farrell, "Northern Ireland: The Orange State"]

From 1937 until his death, Byrne and Thomas Joseph Campbell were the only Nationalist Party members to regularly attend the Parliament. Byrne held the seat until his death in 1942.

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