Jim Kemmy
| Jim Kemmy | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Teachta Dála | |
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In office February 1987 – September 1997 |
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In office June 1981 – November 1982 |
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| Constituency | Limerick East |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 September 1936 Limerick, Ireland |
| Died | 25 September 1997 (aged 61) Limerick, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Labour Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Socialist Party |
James "Jim" Kemmy (1 September 1936 – 25 September 1997) was an Irish socialist politician from Limerick, who started his political career in the Labour Party. He later left Labour, was elected as an independent Teachta Dála (TD) and founded the Democratic Socialist Party, which merged with the Labour Party in the 1990s.
Kemmy was from the Garryowen area of the city. His father's death from tuberculosis meant that he had to leave school at 15 for a stonemason apprenticeship to support his four siblings. He worked for many years as bricklayer for Limerick City Council.
In 1963, Kemmy joined the Labour Party and worked as a trade unionist. He was a member of the party's National Administrative Council, and its Director of Elections in 1969. He resigned from the party in 1972 because of conflict with local Labour TD Stephen Coughlan. Taking advantage of a change in the law which removed the ban on council employees standing for election as councillors, he was elected to Limerick City Council in 1974. He had pledged not to wear the formal robes of a councillor, saying that "While some councillors act like clowns, there is no need to dress like them."
In 1975 Kemmy founded the Limerick Family Planning Clinic. At the time, it was illegal to sell condoms in Ireland and the clinic was condemned by the Catholic Church.
Kemmy stood unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for Dáil Éireann in the Limerick East constituency at the 1977 general election. His second attempt, at the 1981 general election, was successful, and he was elected to the 22nd Dáil. During this time Kemmy criticised the 1981 Irish hunger strike which earned him the animosity of many Irish republicans and socialists as well as a number of his fellow trade unionists. Despite this he was re-elected at the February 1982 general election, but his opposition to the pro-life amendment to the Constitution had led to sustained attacks from the Catholic Church. At the November 1982 general election, Kemmy lost his seat to Labour's Frank Prendergast.
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