Paddy Devlin
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Patrick Joseph "Paddy" Devlin[1] (8 March 1925 – 15 August 1999) was an Irish socialist, labour and civil rights activist and writer. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a former Stormont MP, and a member of the 1974 Power Sharing Executive.
Quick Facts Member of the NI Parliament for Belfast Falls, Preceded by ...
Paddy Devlin | |
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Member of the NI Parliament for Belfast Falls | |
In office 1969–1972 | |
Preceded by | Harry Diamond |
Succeeded by | Constituency Abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Patrick Joseph Devlin (1925-03-08)8 March 1925 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Died | 15 August 1999(1999-08-15) (aged 74) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Irish Labour (1948-1958) NILP (1958-1970) SDLP (1970-1977) United Labour (1978-1980s) LPNI (1985-1990) |
Spouse | Theresa Devlin |
Children | 5 |
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Described as a "relentless campaigner against sectarianism", Devlin had once been a member of the IRA but later renounced physical force republicanism to work at transcending sectarian differences through peaceful, socialist and nationalist political means.
During the late 1960s he entered local politics in the Belfast City Council and went on to help found the SDLP in 1970 with John Hume, Gerry Fitt, Austin Currie and others.[1]