Paschal O'Hare

Paschal O'Hare is a solicitor and former Irish nationalist politician.

O'Hare joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and he narrowly missed out on being elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention for Belfast West. [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cwb.htm West Belfast 1973-82] , Northern Ireland Elections] In 1977, he was elected to Belfast City Council, holding his seat in 1981. [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/73-81lgbelfast.htm The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Belfast] , Northern Ireland Elections] He was unsuccessful in the 1979 UK general election, where he took 18.5% of the vote in Belfast North. [ [http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1979UK&cons=712 Westminster - Belfast North] , ElectionsIreland.org]

O'Hare was finally successful in Belfast North in the election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1982. [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cnb.htm North Belfast 1973-82] , Northern Ireland Elections] By this point, he was a member of the SDLP Executive. However, in 1986, he resigned from the party in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which he believed reinforced Northern Ireland's links with Britain and reduced the likelihood of a united Ireland. [P. Arthur, "The Anglo-Irish Agreement: Events of 1985–86", "Irish Political Studies"] [ [http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/aia/chron.htm Anglo-Irish Agreement - Chronology of Events] , CAIN Web Service]

O'Hare has also defended a number of prominent cases, including defending Gerard McLaverty, a victim of the Shankill Butchers. [Martin Dillon, "The Shankill Butchers: The Real Story of Cold-Blooded Mass Murder"] His firm of solicitors remains active in Belfast.

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