Paddy Duffy (politician)

Not to be confused with Patrick Duffy (Irish politician).

Patrick Aloysius Duffy (19 July 1933 – 19 August 1995), known as Paddy Duffy, was an Irish nationalist politician.^[1]

Born in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, Duffy studied at St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon and then Queen's University Belfast before becoming a solicitor.^[2] He became politically active in the Nationalist Party,^[3] then in the Unity movement, acting as agent for Frank McManus, the successful candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the 1970 general election.^[2]

After the election, Duffy was a key founder member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and served as its first treasurer.^[2] He was elected to Cookstown District Council at the 1973 Northern Ireland local elections, and then at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election he won a seat in Mid Ulster,^[2] which he successfully defended on the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975. He also retained his council seat in 1977 and 1981.^[4] However, he proved less successful on the national stage, taking second place in Mid Ulster at the 1979 general election.^[5]

In the late 1970s, Duffy became known for his outspoken support of Northern Irish independence,^[6] although he did concede that there would need to be some form of federal structure covering the entire island.^[7] He objected to the arrangements for the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, refused to stand, and unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the SDLP to boycott the election,^[8] and called for its assembly members to withdraw after Seamus Mallon was disqualified.^[9] Following this, he withdrew from involvement in the SDLP, although he was re-elected as a nominal party member to Cookstown District Council in 1985 and 1989.^[3][10]

Outside politics, Duffy built up a large legal practice, with offices in small towns across Northern Ireland. He was also active in the credit union and co-operative movements. At the time of his death in 1996, he was a member of the board of the International Fund for Ireland.^[11]

He died on 19 August 1995, and was survived by his wife Mary and their three sons.^[1]