Michael Bell (Irish politician)
Michael Bell | |
|---|---|
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office November 1982 – May 2002 | |
| Constituency | Louth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 October 1936 County Louth, Ireland |
| Died | 20 May 2011 (aged 74) County Louth, Ireland |
| Party | Labour Party |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Ireland |
| Branch/service | Army Reserve |
| Years of service | 1954–1983 |
| Rank | Quartermaster |
Michael Bell (1 October 1936 – 20 May 2011) was an Irish Labour Party politician.[1] Bell was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency at the November 1982 general election and retained his seat until losing it at the 2002 general election.[2] He was a trade union official before entering politics. He served on Drogheda Corporation and Louth County Council and was mayor of Drogheda between 1983 and 1984. He died in May 2011.[3] It is thought that, at some time prior to his first election to the Dáil, Bell was a member of Fianna Fáil, but details are lacking.
His wife, Betty, served on Louth County Council with him from 1991 to 1999, having been also elected for the party in the Drogheda area. Their nephew, Paul, twice served as Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council and also as Mayor of Drogheda and is currently a member of the Labour Court.
Bell served with the Local Defence Force (FCÁ) for 29 years, during which he completed a full-time stint on the Irish border between 1969 and 1970 during The Troubles as a senior NCO and oversaw the care of 1,100 Northern Irish refugees at Gormanston Camp in County Meath.[4][5]
Deafness, which Bell suffered as a result of his years of service on the border, prompted him to consider suing the State. This prompted considerable embarrassment within the Labour Party at the time of his suit against the Department of Defence, for he was the party's Defence Spokesperson; and, having at the time threatened publicly to rejoin Fianna Fáil, he was asked to withdraw his case. It remains unclear if South Louth Fianna Fáil would have re-admitted the Deputy.[6]
References
- ^ "Michael Bell". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ "Michael Bell". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ^ "Ex-Labour TD Michael Bell dies". The Irish Times. 20 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ^ Pollak, Andy (28 January 1998). "Bell sues for deafness he blames on FCA service". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ Murphy, Hubert (25 May 2011). "Old friends gather". Drogheda Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ McKenna, Gene (3 October 1998). "Bell refuses to rule out return to FF". Irish Independent. Retrieved 22 January 2025.