William O'Malley (politician)

William O'Malley (circa February 1853 – September 1939) was an Irish journalist, sportsman, and politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Galway Connemara from 1895 to 1918.[1]

William O'Malley
Member of Parliament
for Galway Connemara
In office
1895–1918
Preceded byPatrick James Foley
Succeeded byPádraic Ó Máille
Personal details
Bornc. February 1853
Died1939 (aged 85–86)

Life

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O'Malley was born at Ballyconneely, near Clifden, Ireland. He was educated at the Model School, Galway and at St Mary's teacher training college, Hammersmith, London.[1]

He was a journalist and business manager of newspapers.[2] He married Mary O'Connor in 1886, becoming brother-in-law to T. P. O'Connor. She was a Nationalist activist, who spoke at Land League meetings in the 1880s and was imprisoned for six months.[3] One of their sons was killed in action in the First World War.[4]

At the 1895 general election, O'Malley stood for as an Anti-Parnellite Irish National Federation candidate to succeed Patrick James Foley the MP Galway Connemara in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was elected unopposed,[5] and was re-elected unopposed as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1900, 1906, and January and December 1910.[5] He resided in England throughout his parliamentary career, returning to Ireland in 1921.[6]

O'Malley criticised the ITGWU during the Dublin Lockout as engaging in "despotism", while describing Jim Larkin as a "wild egotistical fanatic".[7] In 1918, standing again with the IPP, O'Malley lost to Pádraic Ó Máille of Sinn Féin, winning only 23% of the vote.[5]

His involvement in dubious speculative business ventures was widely criticised.[8]

He died in September 1939, aged 86.

Publication

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  • William O'Malley, Glancing Back (memoirs), London, 1933

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Georgina, Clinton. "O'Malley, William | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  2. ^ The Times, 23 July 1895
  3. ^ The Times, 28 November 1935
  4. ^ Maume (1999), p.239
  5. ^ a b c Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland 1801–1922. A New History of Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 351. ISBN 0901714127. ISSN 0332-0286.
  6. ^ The Times, 29 July 1921
  7. ^ McConnel, James (2003). "The Irish parliamentary party, industrial relations and the 1913 Dublin Lockout". Saothar. 28: 31.
  8. ^ Maume (1999), p.239; e.g. The Times, Mar/Apr 1913

Sources

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  • Patrick Maume, The Long Gestation: Irish Nationalist Life 1891-1918, Dublin, Gill & MacMillan, 1999
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Galway Connemara
18951918
Succeeded by