John O'Dowd

John O'Dowd (13 February 1856 – 26 October 1937 ) was an Irish Nationalist Member of Parliament for North Sligo, March–September 1900, and for South Sligo, 1900–18.

Life He was born in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo to Bunninadden, and lived for the rest of his life. He was associated with the Irish Republican Brotherhood after his return from the US. For many years he was chairman of Sligo County Council and his son later became accountant to the Council. and transferred unopposed to his native South Sligo constituency at the general election later that year. He held this seat unopposed through successive general elections until December 1918, when he was defeated by the Sinn Féin candidate Alexander McCabe by 9,113 votes to 1,988. O’Dowd had made representations on McCabe's behalf when the latter had been tried, and acquitted, for possession of explosives. Maume (1999) states that O’Dowd was himself beaten up and severely injured by Sinn Féin supporters on polling day in 1918.

As a local authority representative, O’Dowd was a member of the Irish Convention of 1917–18, which unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile North and South Ireland.

He published a volume of poems, Lays of South Sligo, and contributed poems to T. D. Sullivan’s Weekly News.

Publication Lays of South Sligo: A Few Wild Flowers of National Poetry, Dublin, Gill, 1888; 2nd ed. 1889