Joe Byrne (Northern Ireland politician)

Joe Byrne (born 29 November 1953) is a Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for West Tyrone between 1998 and 2003, and again from 2011 to 2015.

Joe Byrne
Joe Byrne in 2012
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for West Tyrone
In office
25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003
Preceded byNew Creation
Succeeded byKieran Deeny
In office
5 May 2011 – 31 December 2015
Preceded byKieran Deeny
Succeeded byDaniel McCrossan
Member of
Omagh District Council
In office
7 June 2001 – 5 May 2005
Preceded byVicent Campbell
Succeeded byMarty McColgan
ConstituencyOmagh Town
In office
21 May 1997 – 7 June 2001
Preceded byBrian McGrath
Succeeded byBarney McAteer
ConstituencyMid Tyrone
In office
19 May 1993 – 21 May 1997
Preceded byStanley Johnston
Succeeded byVincent Campbell
ConstituencyOmagh Town
Northern Ireland Forum Member
for West Tyrone
In office
30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Preceded byNew forum
Succeeded byForum dissolved
Personal details
Born (1953-11-29) 29 November 1953 (age 70) [1]
Political partySDLP
Alma materQueen's University Belfast

Political biography

edit

After studying economics at Queen's University Belfast, Byrne became a college lecturer. He also joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and in 1993 was elected to Omagh District Council, becoming chairman in 1997.[2]

In 1996, Byrne was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum representing West Tyrone.[2] He was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and was only 1,161 votes away from taking the Westminster seat of West Tyrone at the 1997 general election.[3]

He held his seat at the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election,[2] but was not re-elected in 2003.[3] In 2005, he also lost his seat on the council.[4] In 2009, he was appointed Chairperson of the SDLP and was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2011.

References

edit
  1. ^ "The Northern Ireland Assembly". www.niassembly.gov.uk.
  2. ^ a b c "Biography – Joe Byrne". Northern Ireland Assembly. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Big names missing from new Assembly". UTV. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  4. ^ "Omagh Council Election, 1997–2005". Northern Ireland Elections.
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for West Tyrone
1996–1998
Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly MLA for West Tyrone
1998–2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by MLA for West Tyrone
2011–2015
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairperson of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
2009–2012
Incumbent