Peter Fitzpatrick

{{Short description|Irish former politician and sportsman (born 1962)}}

{{for|the Australian rules footballer|Peter Fitzpatrick (footballer)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Peter Fitzpatrick.jpg

| caption = Fitzpatrick in 2016

| office = Teachta Dála

| term_start = February 2011

| term_end = November 2024

| constituency = Louth

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|5|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland

| death_date =

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| party = Independent (since 2018)

| otherparty = Fine Gael (2011–2018)

| spouse =

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| allegiance = Ireland

| branch = 25px Army

| unit = 27 Infantry Battalion

| serviceyears = 1987–1990

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}}

{{Infobox Gaelic games player

| image =

| name = Peter Fitzpatrick

| irish =

| birth_place =

| nickname =

| feet = 6

| inches = 0

| sport = Gaelic football

| code = Football

| province = Leinster

| club = Clan na Gael

| clposition =

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| clcounty =

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| county = Louth

| counties = Louth

| icyears = 1980–1995

| icposition = Left half-Back

| icprovince = 0

| allstars = 0

|}}

{{Infobox GAA manager

| image =

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| sport = Gaelic football

| clyears =

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| clprovince =

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| county = Louth

| icyears = 2009–2012

|}}

Peter Fitzpatrick (born 11 May 1962) is an Irish former independent and Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency from 2011 to 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Peter-Fitzpatrick.D.2011-03-09/|title=Peter Fitzpatrick|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=15 October 2011}}{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Stephen|author-link=Stephen Collins (journalist)|title=Nealon's Guide to the 31st Dáil and 24th Seanad|year=2011|publisher=Gill & Macmillan|location=Dublin|page=149|isbn=9780717150595}}

He was a former soldier in the 27 Infantry Battalion{{cite news|url=https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/home/374284/louth-s-fitzpatrick-calls-for-government-action-on-defence-forces-pay-and-conditions.html|title=Louth's Fitzpatrick calls for Government action on Defence Forces pay and conditions|work=Dundalk Democrat|date=5 April 2019}} and also a former manager of the Louth county football team.

Sporting career

A member of the Clan na Gael GAA club in Dundalk, Fitzpatrick won a Leinster Under-21 championship medal with Louth in 1981.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/sport/other-sports/eye-26919542.html|title=eye|work=The Argus|date=22 November 2002}} He had a successful club career with Clan na Gael, winning five Louth SFC titles, nine Senior Football Leagues and six ACC Cup medals. He was also a member of the Dundalk F.C. reserve side that won the 1982–1983 League of Ireland B Division.{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/county/louth/article/index/66159|title=Fitzpatrick, Peter|work=Hogan Stand|date=30 July 1992}}

Fitzpatrick was appointed the manager of Louth in November 2009, succeeding Eamonn McEneaney, the former Monaghan footballer and manager. In his first season in charge of Louth, the team reached their first Leinster final in 50 years. The 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final saw them compete against Meath. Louth almost won but for a controversial goal by Joe Sheridan late in the game. Louth subsequently entered the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship through the "back door". However, the team lost heavily to Dublin in their next game, thus ending the county's 2010 championship season.

In the 2011 season, Louth qualified for the Division 3 League Final where they faced Westmeath. Louth won on a scoreline of 1–15 to 0–13.

Fitzpatrick quit in 2012 after three years.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0730/1224321086935.html|access-date=15 February 2011|title=Fitzpatrick quits as Louth manager|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=30 July 2012}} He went on to become the chairperson of the Louth County Board, and was in this role when Mickey Harte was appointed Louth manager in 2020,{{cite news|url=https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/314394|title=Louth chairman 'not expecting things to change overnight'|work=Hogan Stand|date=24 November 2020}} also with the successful application for planning for a new stadium for Louth GAA.[https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/0911/1164579-louth-gaa-rejoice-as-planning-approved-for-stadium/ Louth GAA rejoice as planning approved for stadium] 11 September 2020.

Political career

Fitzpatrick allowed his name to go forward for a nomination for Fine Gael ahead of the 2011 general election.{{cite news|url=http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/local/fitzpatrick_opts_to_seek_nomination_louth_senior_football_boss_allows_name_to_go_forward_1_2360750|title=Fitzpatrick opts to seek nomination – Louth senior football boss allows name to go forward|access-date=15 February 2011|newspaper=The Dundalk Democrat|date=25 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721123651/http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/local/fitzpatrick_opts_to_seek_nomination_louth_senior_football_boss_allows_name_to_go_forward_1_2360750|archive-date=21 July 2011|df=dmy-all}} He was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Louth.{{cite news|title=Louth – Election 2011 |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/results/louth.html |work=RTÉ News |access-date=27 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228221707/http://www.rte.ie/news/election2011/results/louth.html |archive-date=28 February 2011 }}{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=5608|title=Peter Fitzpatrick|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=15 October 2011}} In Dáil Éireann, he sat on the Committee for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and previously on the Health committee.{{cite web|url=https://webarchive.oireachtas.ie/parliament/oireachtasbusiness/committees_list/transporttourismandsport/members/|title=Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport - Membership|work=Houses of the Oireachtas|access-date=20 August 2018}}

He opposed the legalisation of abortion in Ireland, calling for a "No" vote in the 2018 abortion referendum.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/peter-fitzpatrick-to-stand-down-as-fine-gael-td-at-next-election-1.3592013|newspaper=The Irish Times|title=Peter Fitzpatrick to stand down as Fine Gael TD at next election|date=10 August 2018}} In August 2018, he announced that he would not contest the next general election for Fine Gael. In October 2018, he announced he would seek re-election as an independent and resigned from Fine Gael.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.ie/peter-fitzpatrick-resigns-4263614-Oct2018/|title=Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick resigns from party|last=Murray|first=Sean|work=TheJournal.ie|access-date=1 October 2018}}

Fitzpatrick was elected as an independent candidate for Louth at the 2020 general election. At the time he was the first independent to be elected for the constituency since James Coburn (later of Fine Gael) at the 1932 general election, although Coburn was elected for the National League.

On 30 August 2024, Fitzpatrick announced that he would not contest the next general election.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/08/30/louth-independent-td-peter-fitzpatrick-will-not-contest-next-general-election/|title=Louth Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick will not contest next general election|work=Irish Times|date=30 August 2024|access-date=30 August 2024}}