Devlin, Joseph

Devlin, Joseph (1871–1934), leading Ulster member of the Nationalist Party. Devlin came from working‐class origins in Catholic west Belfast, receiving only primary education from the Christian Brothers. He worked in pubs until he became, reluctantly, a paid United Irish League official. Later he donated his parliamentary salary to public causes, and acquired directorships, including the chairmanship of the Irish News. A small man with a mane of black hair, his political admirers included many women, but he never married.

His apprenticeship, in divided Ulster during the Parnell split, provided a double lesson in the importance of organization in politics which he perhaps imbibed too well. His work with emigrant communities made him aware of the power of sentiment and of clientage; he harnessed both to good effect as president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. A protégé of John Dillon, he was after 1903 the main target for William O'Brien's attacks on the parliamentary party. Entering parliament for North Kilkenny in 1902, he won West Belfast from the Unionists in 1906, losing it through boundary changes in 1922. Alone among the younger Nationalists he established a major parliamentary reputation. Asquith feared that he would oppose compromise on Ulster, but party loyalty proved stronger than origins. During the attempt to implement home rule after the rising of 1916, he put his organizational and oratorical skills to their greatest test by persuading six‐country activists to vote for temporary partition. His reputation never fully recovered from this success.

In the 1918 election Devlin brushed aside de Valera's personal challenge in West Belfast, but was reduced to leadership of six MPs. The Dublin‐based Sinn Féin leadership naturally sought to minimize his influence, which further weakened the northern Catholic position. Not until 1925 did he enter the Northern Ireland parliament. Unsurprisingly, his later years were characterized by disillusion. In 1928 he established the National League of the North. He failed to enter English politics as an independent in 1922, but spasmodically represented Fermanagh & Tyrone at Westminster after 1929.

Bibliography

Phoenix, E. , Northern Nationalism (1994)

A. C. Hepburn