Michael O'Neill (politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael O'Neill was an Irish
politician in the United Kingdom
.
O'Neill was educated at Dromore National School and Bellisle Academy. He was a farmer and a chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Association
. He served as a councillor on Tyrone
County Council
and resigned as a member of Omagh
rural council protesting about the allocation of housing.
O'Neill was elected Member of Parliament
for the Mid Ulster
constituency in 1951 as Independent Nationalist
, serving in the House of Commons
.
He was later associated with the Anti-Partition of Ireland League
. He retired at the 1955 election
and the Mid Ulster seat was narrowly won by Tom Mitchell of Sinn Féin
. At the Mid Ulster by-election, 1956
, the League stood O'Neill in an attempt to unseat abstentionist MP Mitchell, but this split the nationalist vote and independent Unionist George Forrest
was elected.
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...
politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
O'Neill was educated at Dromore National School and Bellisle Academy. He was a farmer and a chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. He served as a councillor on Tyrone
Tyrone
The name Tyrone can refer to:*County Tyrone, a county in Northern Ireland, roughly corresponding to the ancient kingdom of Tír Eogain*An Earl of Tyrone*A small steam train which runs between Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland-Places:...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
and resigned as a member of Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
rural council protesting about the allocation of housing.
O'Neill was elected 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 the Mid Ulster
Mid Ulster (UK Parliament constituency)
Mid Ulster is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons.-Boundaries:The constituency was created in 1950 when the old two-seat constituency of Fermanagh and Tyrone was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats...
constituency in 1951 as Independent Nationalist
Independent Nationalist
Independent Nationalist was a political title frequently used by Irish nationalists when contesting elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland not as members of the Irish Parliamentary Party, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.In the...
, serving 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...
.
He was later associated with the Anti-Partition of Ireland League
Anti-Partition of Ireland League
The Irish Anti-Partition League was a political organisation based in Northern Ireland which campaigned for a united Ireland.-Foundation:...
. He retired at the 1955 election
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
and the Mid Ulster seat was narrowly won by Tom Mitchell of 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...
. At the Mid Ulster by-election, 1956
Mid Ulster by-election, 1956
The by-election held in Mid Ulster on 8 May 1956 was called because both candidates in the Mid Ulster by-election, 1955 were disqualified. Tom Mitchell was disqualified from assuming office because he was a convicted felon. Charles Beattie was awarded the seat but he was also disqualified because...
, the League stood O'Neill in an attempt to unseat abstentionist MP Mitchell, but this split the nationalist vote and independent Unionist George Forrest
George Forrest (politician)
George Forrest was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland who served as MP for Mid Ulster from 1956 until his death...
was elected.