Michael Lipper

{{Short description|Irish Labour Party politician (1932–1987)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| office = Teachta Dála

| term_start = June 1977

| term_end = June 1981

| constituency = Limerick East

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|6|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Limerick, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|10|18|1931|6|15|df=y}}

| death_place = Limerick, Ireland

| nationality = Irish

| party = {{ubl|Labour Party|Independent|Clann na Poblachta}}

| education =

| alma_mater =

| spouse = {{marriage|Margaret McKeown|1953}}

| children = 6

|}}

Michael Lipper (15 June 1931 – 18 October 1987) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served for four years as an Independent TD for the Limerick East constituency.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Michael-Lipper.D.1977-07-05/|title=Michael Lipper|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=7 January 2013}}

He was born 15 June 1931 in Garryowen, Limerick, fifth of ten children of Dominic Lipper, a locomotive driver, and Catherine Lipper (née McGann).{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/lipper-michael-mick-a4846|title=Lipper, Michael|work=Dictionary of Irish Biography|last=Coleman|first=Marie|access-date=30 March 2023}} A locomotive driver for CIÉ, Lipper was elected to Limerick City Council as a member of Clann na Poblachta at the 1960 local elections. He then joined the Labour Party and was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1968 by-election, the 1969 general election and the 1973 general election, in the general elections trailing behind the incumbent Labour TD Stephen Coughlan.

The relationship between Lipper and Coughlan was always poor and Lipper stood as a "Democratic Labour" candidate at the 1977 general election,The Irish Times, 20 June 1977, p7. unseating Coughlan as TD and gaining a seat in Dáil Éireann.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2935|title=Michael Lipper|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=7 January 2013}} After returning to the Labour Party he lost his seat at the 1981 general election, to the independent socialist candidate and former supporter, Jim Kemmy. At the February 1982 general election Kemmy held the seat with an increased vote. Lipper did not stand for the Dáil again.

He also served as Mayor of Limerick from 1973 to 1974.