Robert Martin McBirneyQC (1922–16 September 1974), known asMartin McBirney, was amagistrate andpolitician fromNorthern Ireland who was assassinated.
McBirney studied law atTrinity College Dublin and became abarrister inBelfast, before being called to the bar atGray's Inn.[1] In his spare time, he became active in theNorthern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), and served on its executive from 1964-67. In 1966-67, he was also party Chairman. He combined these roles as the first Chairman of the Northern IrelandSociety of Labour Lawyers.[2][3]
McBirney stood for the NILP inBelfast Willowfield at the1965 Northern Ireland general election, taking 35.1% of the vote.[4] He was next a candidate inEast Belfast at the1966 general election, and took 45.3% of the vote in one of the party's best ever results, although he was not elected.[5] His final contest wasBelfast Pottinger at the1969 Northern Ireland general election, where he took 48.6% of the vote and was fewer than two hundred votes short of being elected.[4]
In the 1970s, McBirney focused on his legal career. He was made aQueen's Counsel, was appointed aresident magistrate,[2] and served as Senior Crown Prosecutor forBelfast. He worked as a lawyer for the defence oncivil rights cases, including one involving the Derry Citizens' Action Committee, in which he defended, among others,Eamonn McCann.[6]
At approximately 8.20 am on 16 September 1974, McBirney was shot in his home at 172 Belmont Road, Belfast. A man was seen to get out of a car and walk to the rear of the McBirney home. The man was then observed leaving and getting back into the car which had two other occupants. The car was located some 500 yards (460 m) from the scene of the murder. Its occupants were seen to drive off in another vehicle. The car used to convey the gunmen to and from the scene had been hijacked on the morning of the murder. It was attributed to the Irish Republican Army.
Police investigations linked one person to the murder who was also identified as being the gunman. He was subsequently charged and convicted of murder and received a life sentence.
On the same day another judge, Rory Conaghan, was shot dead by the IRA outside his home at Beechlands off theMalone Road,Belfast.[7][8] Both murders have been attributed to theIrish Republican Army.[9] On hearing of McBirney's death, his sister-in-law, Frances Cooke, suffered a fatalheart attack.[3][10]
McBirney was aProtestant who had married aRoman Catholic. The couple had one child.[3] He was friendly with politicianPaddy Devlin, with playwrightSam Thompson and poetLouis MacNeice.[11] He personally wrote documentaries and plays for theBBC, including one onDaniel O'Connell. McBirney appeared as a contestant on theRound Britain Quiz.[3]
PoetMichael Longley later revealed that he had written the poemA Civil Servant in McBirney's honour.[12]
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| Preceded by William Gunning | Chairman of theNorthern Ireland Labour Party 1966–1967 | Succeeded by |