Balbriggan & District Historical Society presented:
“Voters and politicians – elections and local government in North Dublin during the lifetime of the Rural Balrothery District Council, 1898-1930.” By Declan Brady via Zoom at 8pm on Wednesday October 27th
This talk examined the progressive changes in voter franchise and local government representation from the Local Government Act in 1898, through the Irish Revolution, to the abolition of the RDC’s in 1930. The Home Rule and independence movements used these elections to harness support but also counted on the support of these local bodies as an integral part of the challenging of British rule in Ireland. The early years of independence brought new challenges in the relationship between local and national government which will also be explored.
Declan Brady is a professional genealogist and historian based in Swords. He is currently completing a History PhD on the evolution of local politics in Fingal from 1870 to 1948, at Maynooth University, where he has been a John Hume scholar.