Luke Hayden
Encyclopedia
Luke Patrick Hayden was an Irish
nationalist
politician and MP
in the House of Commons
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
represented South Leitrim
from 1885 to 1892 and South Roscommon
from 1892 until his death in 1897.
He was the son of Luke Hayden, a blacksmith at Roscommon, and was educated locally. He was secretary of one of the first Home Rule County organizations, the branch started in Co. Roscommon at the beginning of the movement. In about 1877 he succeeded O'Conor Eccles as proprietor of the Roscommon Messenger. He was Chairman of the Town Commissioners
of the borough of Roscommon
from 1880 until his death. For a time, he was a Justice of the Peace, but was dismissed on account of his Nationalist opinions. He spent 7 months as a suspect in prison in Galway and Monaghan in 1881 and 1882.
He won the new seat of South Leitrim by a huge majority over the Conservative candidate in the 1885 general election
and was then returned unopposed in the 1886 general election
.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split over Charles Stewart Parnell
’s leadership in 1890, Hayden supported Parnell. He did not contest South Leitrim in the 1892 general election
, but stood in his native seat of South Roscommon where he defeated the sitting Anti-Parnellite
Andrew Commins by a comfortable margin, taking 63 per cent of the vote in a straight fight. He was one of only nine pro-Parnellites elected to Parliament in that election. In the 1895 general election
the prominent anti-Parnellite John Dillon
attempted to oust him from South Roscommon, by standing there as well as in his own seat of Mayo East. Dillon however made little dent in his majority, Hayden taking 58 per cent of the vote, again in a straight fight.
Luke Hayden was a popular local figure and his funeral cortège in the county town of Roscommon on 25 June 1897 was over a mile long. The following month, he was succeeded in his South Roscommon seat by his younger brother John Patrick Hayden
, also a Parnellite, who was returned unopposed.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
politician and MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
represented South Leitrim
South Leitrim (UK Parliament constituency)
South Leitrim was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland. From 1885 to 1918 it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....
from 1885 to 1892 and South Roscommon
South Roscommon (UK Parliament constituency)
South Roscommon was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.Prior to the 1885 general election the area was part of the Roscommon constituency. From 1922 it was not represented in the UK Parliament....
from 1892 until his death in 1897.
He was the son of Luke Hayden, a blacksmith at Roscommon, and was educated locally. He was secretary of one of the first Home Rule County organizations, the branch started in Co. Roscommon at the beginning of the movement. In about 1877 he succeeded O'Conor Eccles as proprietor of the Roscommon Messenger. He was Chairman of the Town Commissioners
Town Commissioners
Town commissioners were elected local government bodies established in urban areas in Ireland in the nineteenth century. Larger towns with commissioners were converted to urban districts by the Local Government Act 1898, with the smaller commissions continuing to exist beyond partition in 1922.The...
of the borough of Roscommon
Roscommon
Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...
from 1880 until his death. For a time, he was a Justice of the Peace, but was dismissed on account of his Nationalist opinions. He spent 7 months as a suspect in prison in Galway and Monaghan in 1881 and 1882.
He won the new seat of South Leitrim by a huge majority over the Conservative candidate in the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
and was then returned unopposed in the 1886 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
When the Irish Parliamentary Party split over Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
’s leadership in 1890, Hayden supported Parnell. He did not contest South Leitrim in the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, but stood in his native seat of South Roscommon where he defeated the sitting Anti-Parnellite
Irish National Federation
The Irish National Federation was a nationalist political party in Ireland. It was founded in March 1891 by former members of the Irish National League who had left the Irish Parliamentary Party in protest when Charles Stewart Parnell refused to resign the party leadership as a result of his...
Andrew Commins by a comfortable margin, taking 63 per cent of the vote in a straight fight. He was one of only nine pro-Parnellites elected to Parliament in that election. In the 1895 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
the prominent anti-Parnellite John Dillon
John Dillon
John Dillon was an Irish land reform agitator from Dublin, an Irish Home Rule activist, a nationalist politician, a Member of Parliament for over 35 years, and the last leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party....
attempted to oust him from South Roscommon, by standing there as well as in his own seat of Mayo East. Dillon however made little dent in his majority, Hayden taking 58 per cent of the vote, again in a straight fight.
Luke Hayden was a popular local figure and his funeral cortège in the county town of Roscommon on 25 June 1897 was over a mile long. The following month, he was succeeded in his South Roscommon seat by his younger brother John Patrick Hayden
John Patrick Hayden
John Patrick Hayden was an Irish nationalist politician and MP. in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented South Co. Roscommon from 1897 to 1918. He was also editor and proprietor of the Westmeath Examiner,...
, also a Parnellite, who was returned unopposed.