Henry Coyle (politician)

Henry Coyle (died 29 May 1979) was an Irish army officer and later a Cumann na nGaedhael party politician.cite web |url=http://oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=4&MemberID=255&ConstID=143 |title=Mr. Henry Coyle |author= |work=Oireachtas Members Database |date= |accessdate=2008-01-16]

He was elected at the 1923 general election to the 4th Dáil as Teachta Dála (TD) for Mayo North. [cite news |url=http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1923&cons=174 |title=Henry Coyle |author= |work=ElectionsIreland.org |date= |accessdate=2008-01-16] In 1924, Coyle was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for bouncing cheques.cite news |url=http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/0117/01011700043.html |title=TDs who have seen the inside of a cell |author=Colman Cassidy |work= |date=17 January 2001 |accessdate=2008-01-13] Because his sentence was for more than six months, he was disqualified from the Oireachtas as from 7 May 1924 under Section 51 of the Electoral Act 1923.

Coyle remains the only TD to have been disqualified in this way. Other TDs who have been imprisoned, such as Tony Gregory in the 1980s, Liam Lawlor in 2002 or the Mayo Clann na Talmhan TDs Dominick Cafferky and Bernard Commons in the 1940s, received sentences of less than 6 months.

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