Patrick Whitty

Who was Patrick Whitty?

Patrick Joseph Whitty was, for a brief period, an Irish nationalist politician and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party he represented North Louth from 1916 until 1918. He practised as an accountant.

Whitty was born at 6 Lady Lane in Waterford City in May 1894, the son of Dr. Patrick Joseph Whitty. He was educated at St. Vincent's College, Castleknock, Dublin and trained as an accountant.

On 24 February 1916 he was elected in the Commons by-election as MP for the constituency of North Louth, defeating a Healyite opponent Bernard Hamill by 2,299 votes to 1,810. Whitty received some Unionist support, while Hamill received separatist support. Whitty was aged just 21, becoming the youngest MP at the time. He was the nephew of Richard Hazleton, elected MP for the seat in December 1910 but subsequently unseated on petition. Whitty was imposed on the constituency of North Louth by the Party leadership in what was widely ridiculed as an act of nepotism. D.P.