Seamus Lynch
{{About||the Irish cricketer|Seamus Lynch (cricketer)}}
{{Short description|Northern Irish politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Seamus Lynch
| office = Member of Belfast City Council
| constituency = Oldpark
| term_start = 15 May 1985
| term_end = 19 May 1993
| predecessor = District created
| successor = Joe Austin
| constituency1 = Belfast Area G
| term_start1 = 18 May 1977
| term_end1 = 20 May 1981
| predecessor1 = Samuel Millar
| successor1 = Fergus O'Hare
| birth_name =
| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland
| death_date =
| party = {{ubl|Democratic Left (1992–1999)|Workers' Party (1970–1992)}}
| otherparty = Sinn Féin (1968–1970)
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1945}}
}}
Seamus Lynch (born 1945) is a former Irish republican and socialist politician.
Born in North Belfast,"[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BN&p_theme=bn&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF9AE667CA87AC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Pain will linger in Ireland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012230232/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BN&p_theme=bn&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF9AE667CA87AC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=12 October 2012 }}", Buffalo News, 21 May 1998 Lynch became a republican activist around the start of The Troubles, and sided with the Official wing of Sinn Féin in the split of 1970.Ian S. Wood, Crimes of Loyalty He was interned from October 1971 until the following year. He was a strong supporter of the Official IRA's ceasefire in 1972 and Official Sinn Féin's vocal socialism. As a result, he became active in the Republican Clubs movement, and stood for the organisation in Belfast North at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election. He received only 1.7% of the first preference votes cast and was not elected. He stood again for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention, but his vote dropped to just 1.3%. He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1977, representing Area G, but lost his seat in 1981.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/73-81lgbelfast.htm Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Belfast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401081813/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/73-81lgbelfast.htm |date=1 April 2019 }}, Northern Ireland Elections]
Lynch next stood in the Westminster seat of Belfast North at the 1979 general election, increasing his vote to 4.5%, the best result for Republican Clubs in Northern Ireland, and at the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he increased his share to 7.1%.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cnb.htm North Belfast 1973-82] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023211317/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cnb.htm |date=23 October 2018 }}, Northern Ireland Elections
Workers' Party
In 1982, Republican Clubs was renamed the Workers' Party and Lynch became its Northern Chairman and national Vice-President He then stood in the 1983 general election, receiving 5.7% of the vote,[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/bnb.htm North Belfast, 1983-1992] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401053541/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/bnb.htm |date=1 April 2019 }}, Northern Ireland Elections but did less well in the Northern Ireland-wide European Parliament election in 1984, taking only 1.3% and seventh position of eight candidates.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe84.htm The 1984 European election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402052915/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe84.htm |date=2 April 2009 }}, Northern Ireland Elections He was re-elected to Belfast City Council in 1985, representing Oldpark, and held his seat in 1989.
Lynch's best result in a Westminster election came when he took 11.8% of the vote in a three-way contest in the 1986 Belfast North by-election. At the following year's general election, he dropped back to 8.3%. He also stood in the 1989 European election, placing eighth out of ten candidates.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe89.htm The 1989 European elections] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402050856/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe89.htm |date=2 April 2009 }}, Northern Ireland Elections
Democratic Left
In 1992, Lynch sided with the split from the Workers' Party which produced Democratic Left, and he became the new group's main figure in Northern Ireland.Oliver McGuckin, "[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/paul-leads-the-charm-offensive-13868736.html Paul leads the charm offensive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606062113/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/paul-leads-the-charm-offensive-13868736.html |date=6 June 2011 }}", Belfast Telegraph, 30 May 1996 Standing for the new organisation, at the 1992 UK general election his vote fell to 3.7% and he lost his council seat the following year.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lgbelfast.htm Belfast City Council, 1993-2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726100947/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lgbelfast.htm |date=26 July 2018 }}, Northern Ireland Elections His last contest for the party was heading its North Belfast list for the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996, but the list took only 123 votes.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/96nb.htm 1996 Forum Elections: Candidates in North Belfast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822001108/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/96nb.htm |date=22 August 2009 }}, Northern Ireland Elections Democratic Left dissolved in 1999, its members invited to join the Irish Labour Party but not permitted to organise in Northern Ireland.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/steven-king-on-thursday-13764190.html Steven King on Thursday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606062136/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/steven-king-on-thursday-13764190.html |date=6 June 2011 }}, Steven King, Belfast Telegraph, 17 December 1998
In 2003, Lynch was elected Chairman of the North Belfast sub-group of the Belfast District Policing Partnership.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/belfast-police-groups-select-leaders-13654359.html Belfast police groups select leaders] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606062246/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/belfast-police-groups-select-leaders-13654359.html |date=6 June 2011 }}, Jonathan McCambridge, Belfast Telegraph ,17 April 2003 He was Public Affairs Officer with Age NI until 2012. He now works as Public Affairs Manager for Age Sector Platform and is the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament.
References
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{{succession box|title=Vice President of the Workers' Party|years=1978–1992|before=Malachy McGurran|after=?}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Seamus}}
Category:Members of Belfast City Council
Category:Democratic Left (Ireland) politicians