Talk:Nationalist Party (Ireland)

When did it disintegrate?

According to [1] the party seems to have lasted long enough to contest the 1973 Sunningdale Assembly elections (losing abyssmally). What's the basis for the 1969 claim here? Timrollpickering 19:52, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)

As pointed out they never actually disintegrated as such maintaining a council presence on Londonderry council until 1978 when all their remaining 4 councillors joined the Irish Indepence party which superseded the Nationalist Party. Valenciano 11:22, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Irish Parliamentary Party to Nationalist Party

Is there any information available on when the Irish Party of Parnell and Redmond became known as the Nationalist Party in the north? Was the NP an official direct continuation of the IP, did its name change officially, or was it just members of the former Irish Party who decided to reorganise under the name 'Nationalist Party'? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 62.25.106.209 (talk) 10:17, 7 December 2006 (UTC).

No need/justification for a seperate National Party article

I've suggested that National Party be merged into this article as it's virtually a mirror of this page. Furthermore where are the sources that say that there was such a thing as the 'National Party' ?? In virtually every reliable source including CAIN [2] , Nicholas Whyte's elections site [3] , the two books on the 1973 local elections by James Knight and Sidney Elliott and most important of all, the official 1973 results sheets themselves, the candidates are described as 'Nationalist Party'. Accordingly I would suggest that that page be merged into this (there's hardly anything different on there anyhow) with appropriate notes/redirects if necessary to say that in some sources they were called National Party (references needed.) Valenciano 09:29, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Many thanks for hightlighting this. I never heard of the Nationalist Party (the one that operated in Northern Ireland) being referred to as the "National Party of Northern Ireland". Indeed, including "of Northern Ireland" suggests that this was some kind of official title, which I very much doubt considering that most of its members would have had difficulty in saying the word "Northern Ireland", "North of Ireland" being far more common for Nationalists at the time.

I would oppose, however the proposed merger. The existing article, Nationalist Party (Ireland) is a broad, disambiguation page which directs users to the many organisations that have been and are described as the Nationalist Party, such as the Home Rule League, the Irish Parliamentary Party, and the post-Partition Nationalist Party in the North. Perhaps, we should rename National Party of Northern Ireland to Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland).--Damac 10:47, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

See 'Modern Irish History Since 1800 - the Longman handbook of. ISBN 0 582 08102 5 there are other references but that is the only one I have at hand at present. Your missing the point nationalist party was a term used to discribe all these parties but none of them where ever officially named as such.--padraig3uk 12:20, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Which certainly seems to imply that the longman handbook got it wrong since every other source that I can find lists the party as 'Nationalist Party' See for example the following

Brendan Lynn. (1997) Holding the Ground: The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland, 1945-1972. Aldershot: Ashgate.

CAIN [4]

BBC [5]

Ark [6]

David Boothroyd. - Politico's Guide to the History of British Political Parties

James Knight - The Local government elections of 1973

Flackes and Elliott - Northern Ireland A political directory

The official results sheets themselves where candidates provided the descriptions themselves.

Are you seriously saying that *all* the above which include the most respected authorities on NI elections got it wrong?! Valenciano 12:38, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

The term Nationalist Party was in common usage when refering to them, just as provisional and official Sinn Féin was used in relation to those parties none of them ever used the name officially though.--padraig3uk 13:02, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

The party did use the term. Check out the Linen Hall library, where you'll find publications issued by the "Nationalist Party" in Belfast. Here's one[7] published between 1967 and 1973.--Damac 15:10, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Padraig, the party *did* use it officially. They ran candidates in 1973 under the name 'Nationalist Party' and that's why journalistic sources have them listed that way. I'll be happy to scan and email you the actual official copies of the results if you want. You've provided no proof whatsoever that anyone described the party as National Party of NI apart from one source which is inaccessible online and is likely to be a 'rogue source' anyway. Valenciano 13:08, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is refered to as Alliance or Alliance Party on ballot papers and results, that dosent change the name of that party, same with the Green Party in Northern Ireland is refered to as the the Green Party, so that dosent prove anything. Can we keep this debate on this page, so its easier to follow.--

Can you produce a single source which we can see online that shows that the party itself or any contemporary journalistic source described it as 'National Party of Northern Ireland' ?? Valenciano 13:15, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

Attempts to reform in the South

Some of the later parties in the South are often described as "an attempt to reform the old Nationalist Party" - does anyone have any more details on this? Timrollpickering 17:35, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

William Archer Redmond's National League which had members elected to the Dáil merged into Cumann na nGaedheal who later formed part of Fine gael.--padraig3uk 17:46, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

That's the National League Party.--Damac 17:59, 21 May 2007 (UTC)