William Davin

Who was William Davin?

William Davin was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as a Teachta Dála for over thirty years. He was also a station-master.

His first candidacy for public office was at the 1922 general election, when he stood as a Labour Party candidate in the Leix–Offaly constituency. He was returned to the 3rd Dáil, and was re-elected at each successive general election until his death in 1956.

He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government from 1954 to 1956.

For most of this period, he was the only Labour deputy from Laois–Offaly, but after the June 1927 general election he was joined in the short-lived 5th Dáil by John Gill, who lost his seat at the September 1927 general election.

Since Davin's death, Laois–Offaly has returned a Labour TD only twice: at the 1965 general election, when Henry Byrne was elected to the 18th Dáil, and at the 1992 general election, when Pat Gallagher was elected to the 27th Dáil.