Liam Skelly (born 10 October 1941) is an Irish barrister, businessman and former politician from Dublin. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin West from 1982 to 1987.[1]
Liam Skelly | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office May 1982 – February 1987 | |
| Constituency | Dublin West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1941 County Dublin, Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Other political affiliations | Independent |
Dublin West by-election
editRichard Burke, the Fine Gael TD for Dublin West, resigned his seat on 30 March 1982 to take up an appointment as Ireland's European Commissioner.[2] Burke's appointment by the Taoiseach Charles Haughey was seen as a political "stroke". The appointment was in the gift of the Taoiseach, and all previous appointments had been from the governing party, but Haughey's government did not have a majority in Dáil Éireann, and could ill-afford to risk losing a seat in the by-election which would result from appointing a Fianna Fáil TD. Burke had been a Commissioner from 1977 to 1981, and had returned to the Dáil at the 1981 general election. The Dublin West seat was seen as winnable for Fianna Fáil, and Haughey's appointment of Burke raised the prospect of Fianna Fáil gaining a seat rather than losing one. In selecting a candidate, Fine Gael cast its net outside its own ranks, and chose Skelly, a businessman who had not previously been a member of a political party. After a closely fought campaign, Skelly won the Dublin West by-election on 25 May 1982. Eileen Lemass, contesting for Fianna Fáil, and who had been a TD for Dublin West until her defeat at the February 1982 general election, received more first-preference votes but Skelly won the seat on transfers.[3]
In the Dáil
editSkelly was re-elected at the November 1982 general election, but found himself increasingly out of step with the direction taken by the government, and clashed with the leadership and with the constituency organisation.[4][5][6] At the 1987 general election, he sought the Fine Gael nomination but was not selected.[7] He contested the election as an independent for the rest of the 24th Dáil, but won only 3.4% of the first-preference votes and lost his seat.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Liam Skelly". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
- ^ "Appointment of European Commissioner – Dáil Éireann (23rd Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Dublin West by-election, 25 May 1982". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
- ^ Cooney, John (19 September 1986). "FitzGerald in discipline move against Skelly". The Irish Times. p. 1. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Holohan, Renagh (19 September 1986). "Liam Skelly's critical career in politics". The Irish Times. p. 5. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ McConnell, Sean (6 October 1986). "Constituency moves to oust Skelly". The Irish Times. p. 8. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Coghlan, Denis (28 January 1987). "Skelly decision to go it alone may cost FG". The Irish Times. p. 6. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Liam Skelly". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 6 January 2008.