25 Facts About Terence O'Neill

Terence O'Neill was born on 10 September 1914 at 29 Ennismore Gardens, Hyde Park, London.

Terence O'Neill was the youngest son of Lady Annabel Hungerford Crewe-Milnes and Captain Arthur O'Neill of Shane's Castle, Randalstown, the first member of parliament to be killed in action during the First World War.

Terence O'Neill grew up in London and was educated at West Downs School, Winchester and Eton College.

Terence O'Neill was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Local Government from February 1948 until November 1953, when he was appointed Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland.

Terence O'Neill was elevated to Cabinet level in the Government of Northern Ireland in April 1956 when he was made Minister of Home Affairs and sworn into the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.

Terence O'Neill remained Minister of Finance until his appointment as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland in 1963.

In 1963, Terence O'Neill succeeded Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Terence O'Neill introduced new policies that would have been unthinkable with Lord Brookeborough as Prime Minister.

Terence O'Neill aimed to end sectarianism and to bring Catholics and Protestants into working relationships.

Terence O'Neill had aspirations in the industrial sector, seeking improved relations with the trade union movement and attracting new investment from abroad to replace failing industry in Northern Ireland.

However it is clear that Terence O'Neill was in some ways trying to prevent the Northern Ireland Labour Party from gaining ground.

Wilson was not a committed UUP supporter, so that Terence O'Neill was the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland who could not rely on the support of the UK Government.

In January 1965, Terence O'Neill invited the Taoiseach for talks in Belfast.

Terence O'Neill met with strong opposition from his own party, having informed very few of the visit, and from Ian Paisley, who rejected any dealings with the Republic.

On 19 January 1968, Terence O'Neill made a speech marking five years in office to members of the Irish Association, calling for "a new endeavour by organisations in Northern Ireland to cross denominational barriers and advance the cause of better community relations".

On 20 May 1968, Terence O'Neill was pelted with eggs, flour and stones by members of the Woodvale Unionist Association who disapproved of his policies.

The Terence O'Neill government was unable to deal with the disturbances, so Harold Wilson summoned Terence O'Neill to Downing Street.

Terence O'Neill stated that Wilson had threatened to take over if O'Neill could not manage to gain control.

In February 1969, Terence O'Neill called a surprise general election because of the turmoil inside the UUP, after twelve dissident MPs signed a motion of no confidence against Terence O'Neill, and Brian Faulkner resigned from the Government following its appointment of the Cameron Commission.

Terence O'Neill was humiliated by his near-defeat in his own constituency of Bannside by Ian Paisley and resigned as leader of the UUP and as Prime Minister on 28 April 1969 after a series of bomb explosions on Belfast's water supply by the Ulster Volunteer Force brought his personal political crisis to a head.

Terence O'Neill retired from Stormont politics in January 1970 when he resigned his seat, having become the Father of the House in the previous year.

Terence O'Neill spent his last years at Lisle Court, Lymington, Hampshire, although he continued to speak on the problems of Northern Ireland in the House of Lords where he sat as a cross-bencher.

Terence O'Neill appeared on the BBC Election Night programme in October 1974, where he clashed with the newly elected Ulster Unionist Party MP for South Down, Enoch Powell, over Northern Ireland's politics.

Terence O'Neill died at his home of cancer on 12 June 1990.

Terence O'Neill was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.