- Danny O'Connor (politician)
-
Danny O'Connor 
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for East AntrimIn office
25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003Preceded by New Creation Succeeded by George Dawson Personal details Born 1965 (age 45–46)
LarnePolitical party Social Democratic and Labour Party Danny O'Connor (born 1965) is a former nationalist politician in Northern Ireland having previously been a member of Larne Borough Council from 1997 to 2011.
Born in Larne,[1] O'Connor served in the Ulster Defence Regiment[2] before being elected to Larne Borough Council, representing the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), in 1997.[1] The same year, he stood for the party at the 1997 Westminster election in East Antrim, but received only 4.6% of the votes cast.[3]
O'Connor was elected for East Antrim at the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election.[3] In 1999, his car was twice petrol-bombed, while his house and his brother's house were also attacked. He described it as part of a systematic loyalist campaign against Catholics in Larne.[4]In 2000, he accused then Democratic Unionist Party councillor Jack McKee of raising tension in the Catholic Seacourt estate in Larne when McKee blamed republicans for targeting the estates Protestant population.[5] His home was attacked again in 2001,[6] and in 2002, when he blamed the paramilitary Ulster Defence Association (UDA).[7]
O'Connor stood again in the 2001 general election, increasing his share of the vote to 7.3%, but lost his Assembly seat at the 2003 election.[3] In 2004, he fired warning shots when confronted by a group of men.[8] While his mother claimed the group were UDA members, the Government concluded that there was "no evidence" of this.[9]
He fell back to 5.3 percent of the vote at the 2005 general election.[3] In 2006, he became the first nationalist Mayor of Larne.[10] In 2007, he stood again for East Antrim, and was again unsuccessful.[3]
In 2007, O'Connor was criticized for referring to a disabled colleague DUP councillor Bobby McKee as "stumpy" [11]. O'Connor subsequently apologised.
In the local council elections in 2011 standing in the Coast Road area of Larne Borough Council he lost his seat to Sinn Féin's Oliver McMullan.[12]
References
- ^ a b Biography - Danny O'Connor, Northern Ireland Assembly
- ^ "Council Chaos", Larne Times, 16 August 2007
- ^ a b c d e East Antrim, Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ "SDLP wants RUC meeting on Larne attacks", BBC News, 31 August 1999
- ^ Sectarian AttacksIol.ie
- ^ "Home of SDLP man targeted", BBC News, 12 May 2001
- ^ "SDLP member's home targeted again", BBC News, 4 January 2002
- ^ "SDLP man fires warning shots", BBC News, 15 November 2004
- ^ ""No evidence" of UDA attack link", BBC News, 15 November 2004
- ^ "First nationalist mayor for town", BBC News, 13 June 2006
- ^ BBC News article on O'Connor referring to colleague as 'Stumpy'
- ^ BBC Election results
Northern Ireland Assembly Preceded by
New creationMLA for Antrim East
1998 - 2003Succeeded by
George DawsonCategories:- 1965 births
- Living people
- Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers
- Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003
- Social Democratic and Labour Party MLAs
- Councillors in Northern Ireland
- People from Larne
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