Liberal Party of Ireland

Defunct Irish political party

Liberal Party of Ireland

Chairman| Kevin Smith
Founded| 16 November 1967
Dissolved| c. May 1969 (1969)
Headquarters| Appian Way, Dublin
Youth wing| Young Liberal Movement of Ireland
Ideology| Liberalism
Social Liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
Political position| Centre to Centre left

* Politics of Ireland
* Political parties
* Elections

The Liberal Party of Ireland, sometimes also referred to as the Irish Liberal Party, was a minor political party in Ireland, formed in 1967 and lasting briefly until roughly 1969.

The party was formed on 16 November 1967[1][2] and was supported by members of the Ulster Liberal Party, particularly its leader Albert McElroy and Sheelagh Murnaghan, an MP for the Party in Northern Ireland at the time.[1] Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus was amongst those in attendance of its inaugural meeting.[1] The stated aim of the party at its creation was to be part of an alliance of Liberals in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who together would work for religious pluralism across the island in the face of the mounting tensions which would develop into the Troubles within a few years. Another raison d'être cited for the creation of the party was the social conservatism experienced in Ireland at the time, with speakers suggests the three major Irish parties (Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour) were all contributing to that atmosphere.[1] Both the Ulster and Irish Liberals agreed the Republic should embrace the European identify and push towards membership of the EEC.[1]

The Liberal Party contested two by-elections in 1968, one in Wicklow in March and one in Limerick East in May. However, the party struggled to make headway and running candidates in elections quickly sapped the party's resources.[3] By December 1968 a motion to abolish the party in favour of becoming a "political movement" instead was proposed internally. Although rejected, it reflected the weakening strength of the party.[3]

During the 1968 Wicklow by-election, a spokesperson for the Liberal Party said that it had been created to give the Irish voters something other than the "crude capitalism" of Fianna Fáil and the "crude socialism" of Labour,[4] while the then chairperson of the party Kevin Smith derided members of Sinn Féin as "Communists in Green suits".[4]

In October 1968, Ireland held a referendum on its voting system of proportional representation and the Liberal Party came out strongly in favour of its retention.[3]

The Liberal Party did not contest the 1969 general election. However, in Limerick East, where the party had some strength, they endorsed an Independent candidate Hilda O'Malley who had recently split from Fianna Fáil. O'Malley came 5th in the 4-seat constituency.[3]

By May 1969, the party had become defunct, with prominent members resigning, citing declining numbers and interest in the party. Conversely, the party's youth wing the Young Liberal Movement in Ireland continued to operate independently until 1972.[3]

Many members of the Liberal Party would later be involved in another attempt to create a liberal party in Ireland in the form of the Community Democrats of Ireland. Michael B. Crowe, who had been the Liberal Party candidate in the Limerick by-election, was also a prominent member of the Community Democrats.[3]

## Election results

[edit]

Election  | Candidate name  | First-pref. votes  | First-pref. percentage

|
|
|

1968 Wicklow by-election | Kevin McLeavey  | 526  | 1.9%
1968 Limerick East by-election | Michael B. Crowe  | 1,209  | 3.2%

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Liberals met to form a new party". Irish Times. 17 November 1967. p. 6.
2. ^ "Irish Liberal Party aims at National Unity". Irish Independent. 17 November 1967. p. 8.
3. ^ a b c d e f Alan Kinsella (16 June 2021). "The Liberal Party of Ireland -Episode 52". The Others - The Alan Kinsella Podcast (Podcast).
4. ^ a b "By-elections campaign gets under way". Cork Examiner. 26 February 1968. p. 14.

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Defunct political parties in Ireland

to 1918|

| Home Rule/Nationalist|

* All-for-Ireland League
* Catholic Union
* Healyite Nationalist
* Home Government Association
* Home Rule League
* Independent Irish Party
* Irish National Federation
* Irish National League
* Irish Parliamentary Party
* Irish Patriot Party
* Irish Reform Association
* Irish Socialist Republican Party
* Repeal Association
* United Irish League

|

Unionist|

* Irish Conservative Party
* Irish Liberal Party
* Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union
* Irish Metropolitan Conservative Society
* Irish Unionist Alliance

Pan-UK parties|

* Radicals
* Tories
* Whigs

post 1918|

| Communist and far-left|

* British and Irish Communist Organisation
* Communist Organisation in the British Isles
* Communist Party of Ireland (1933)
* Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist)
* Independent Socialist Party
* Irish Worker League
* Irish Workers' Group
* Irish Workers' Group (1976)
* Irish Workers' Party (1926)
* Irish Workers' Party (1948)
* League of Communist Republicans
* League for a Workers' Republic
* Vanguard Movement
* People's Democracy
* Republican Congress
* Republican Socialist Collective
* Revolutionary Workers' Groups
* Saor Éire
* Socialist Party of Ireland (1904)
* Socialist Party of Ireland (1971)
* World Socialist Party

|

Socialist and left-wing|

* Cork Socialist Party
* Democratic Left
* Democratic Socialist Party
* National Labour Party
* National Progressive Democrats
* Sligo–Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation
* Socialist Labour Party
* United Left
* United Left Alliance

Republican and nationalist|

* All Ireland Anti-Partition League
* Anti H-Block
* Aontacht Éireann
* Clann Éireann
* Clann na Poblachta
* Cumann na Poblachta
* Cumann Poblachta na hÉireann
* Independent Fianna Fáil
* Irish Anti-Partition League
* Irish Independence Party
* National Party (1924)
* Northern Council for Unity

Liberal|

* Community Democrats of Ireland
* Liberal Party of Ireland
* Progressive Democrats
* Women's Social and Progressive League

Agrarian|

* Clann na Talmhan
* Farmers' Party
* National Democratic Party

Conservative and right-wing|

* Business and Professional Group
* Cork Civic Party
* Cumann na nGaedheal
* Libertas
* National Centre Party
* National League Party
* Social Credit Party

Christian right|

* Catholic Democrats
* Christian Centrist Party
* Christian Democrat Party of Ireland
* Christian Solidarity Party
* Muintir na hÉireann
* Poblacht Chríostúil

Unionist|

* Donegal Progressive Party
* Irish Centre Party
* Irish Dominion League
* Unionist Anti-Partition League

Far-right|

* Ailtirí na hAiséirghe
* Córas na Poblachta
* Identity Ireland
* Immigration Control Platform
* Irish Monetary Reform Association
* Lia Fáil
* National Corporate Party
* National Socialist Irish Workers Party

Other|

* Fathers Rights-Responsibility Party
* Independent Health Alliance
* Irish Democratic Party
* Irish Monarchist Society
* Natural Law Party
* New Vision

* Politics of the Republic of Ireland
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* List of political parties by country

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