W. F. McCoy

William Frederick McCoy

QC (19 January 1885 – 4 December 1976) was an Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for South Tyrone who went on to become an early supporter of Ulster nationalism

.

Born in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone into a Methodist family, McCoy was the son of merchant William McCoy of Monaghan and Charlotte Murphy of Fermanagh. He was educated at Clones High School and Trinity College Dublin, where he studied law. After serving in the British Army during World War I McCoy became a barrister in 1920 and held a number of leading legal positions in Northern Ireland including Crown Prosecutor for County Fermanagh (from 1926), Resident Magistrate for Belfast (1937–1943) and Senior Crown Prosecutor for Belfast (1949–1967).

Initially elected to the Parliament in a

British monarch

retained as Head of State, but with the Northern Irish Parliament otherwise free to govern.

McCoy's ideas were generally rejected by the Unionist establishment, who were generally happy with the way things were, and he was sidelined, although he did serve as

Sir Norman Stronge was forced to step aside. An office Stronge held was found to disqualify him, but he resigned it and a Bill was rushed through Parliament to indemnify him. McCoy stepped down from the Northern Ireland House of Commons in 1965, when his seat was won by John Taylor

. McCoy continued to write in support of his Dominion plans until his death in 1976.

References

David Kerr, The Real McCoy: W.F. McCoy: Prophet of Ulster Nationalism

Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by Rowley Elliott	Member of Parliament for South Tyrone 1945 – 65	Succeeded by John Taylor
Political offices
Preceded by Norman Stronge	Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons 1956	Succeeded by Norman Stronge

This article about a member of the 1921–1973 House of Commons of Northern Ireland or Senate of Northern Ireland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

v t e Ulster nationalism
Organisations	British Ulster Dominion Party New Ulster Political Research Group Official National Front Ulster Clubs Ulster Democratic Party Ulster Independence Movement Ulster Independence Party Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee Ulster Movement for Self-Determination Ulster Third Way Ulster Workers' Council
People	Glenn Barr Paddy Duffy Willie Frazer David Kerr Kennedy Lindsay Tommy Lyttle W. F. McCoy Jackie McDonald Billy McFarland John McKeague John McMichael Hugh Ross Ray Smallwoods Andy Tyrie
Related topics	Repartition of Ireland Ulster Workers' Council Strike