Researching Paddy Agnew

Agnew was born in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland in 1955. His grandfather was also an Irish republican and was an internee during the Irish War of Independence. Agnew was imprisoned at Portlaoise, Mountjoy, Crumlin Road and the H-Blocks of Long Kesh. He was involved in the blanket protest in the H-Blocks.

Although he was not on hunger strike, he was elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Louth constituency at the 1981 general election, topping the poll. He did not take his seat. The other successful Anti H-Block candidate was Kieran Doherty, who was elected in Cavan–Monaghan and died on hunger strike.

Agnew was released from prison in 1986 and joined the Gerard Halpenny Sinn Féin cumann in Dundalk, where he remains an active member of the party.

Agnew was brought up a Roman Catholic and held nationalist views. However his politics were also leaning towards labourism, and he had clashes with more conservative Catholic politicians.

He formed the Armagh Employed and Unemployed Association in 1932, and the following year set up a local branch of the Northern Ireland Labour Party. Generally unemployed due to poor health, Agnew organised mental health workers and in 1937 founded the Armagh Federation of Labour.

Agnew was elected unopposed for South Armagh at the 1938 Northern Ireland general election, as the incumbent Republican and the local Nationalist Party both boycotted the election. He won a seat on Armagh County Council in 1939 from Nationalist Senator Thomas McLaughlin.

Agnew lost his Parliamentary seat at the 1945 general election. However, he held his County Council seat, and also won a seat on the newly re-established Armagh City Council, which he held until 1958.