Philip Callan

Philip Callan (1837 - 13 June 1902) was an Irish Member of Parliament.

Early life

Callan was born in Cookstown House Ardee in 1837 and was the son of Owen Callan MP.[1] He studied Law at Trinity College, Dublin, and also at Kings Inns as can be seen in his papers for Kings Inns Admittance. He was called to the Bar in Dublin in 1865 and shortly after was also called to the English Bar.

Member of Parliament

Callan was elected to Parliament as a Liberal, for the Borough of Dundalk, in 1868. Re-elected as a Home Ruler in the 1874 general election, he was elected also for County Louth. He chose to continue sitting for the Dundalk seat. In 1880, however, he ran for the Louth constituency instead and was elected, remaining as MP until the 1885 general election. He tried, unsuccessfully, to be re-elected in 1892 and 1896.[2]

Callan died, from heart disease, at his residence in Dublin on 13 June 1902.[3]

Walter Ernest Everard Callan

Walter Ernest Everard Callan, son of Philip Callan MP also studied Law and attended Kings Inns in Dublin. He was called to the Bar in 1903. Walter was private secretary to the last Viceroy in Ireland and continued in the civil service, serving in Australia as Private Secretary to the Governor General. Papers to this effect can be obtained from the National Library of Australia and correspondence from and to Mr Walter Callan can be seen in Prime Minister Deakins' Papers which are also available from the National Museum of Australia. Walter Callan went on to become Senior Counsel at the Irish Bar and resided at Baggot Street, Dublin until his death.

Owen McDonnell Callan

Owen McDonnell Callan, son of Philip Callan MP, was sentenced to ten years in prison by the consular court in Gibraltar in 1898, for attempted murder. He was a member of a gang who tried to kill a wealthy young man, Hubert Birkin, after taking out a large life insurance policy. Callan, who was working as Birkin's secretary, accompanied him to Tangiers, where he tried to throw Birkin off a balcony before shooting him and beating him over the head.[4]

When in 1829 Catholics were admitted to parliament, his father, Owen Callan of Ardee, had been the first Catholic Representative of County Louth since the Battle of the Boyne. Mr. Philip Callan was devoted to Butt

— F Hugh O Donnell, A History of the Irish Parliamentary Party Vol 1, Longmans, Green & Co. 1910

Sources

• Note Mr. P. Callan, M.P was convicted of libel against Mr. A.M. sullivan M.P. 30 Nov, 1880 (Magistrates List 1880)
• National Museum of Australia, Papers of Prime Minister Deakin of Australia.
• Kings Inns Admittance Papers of Philip Callan, 1865, Kings Inns Library.
• Kings Inns Admittance Papers of Walter Ernest Everard Callan, 1903, Kings Inns Library.
• Gerard Moran, "Philip Callan, A Nationalist MP", Article County Louth Archaeological Journal 1994. Available at Drogheda Civic Library.
• F. Hugh O'Donnell, A History of the Irish Parliamentary Party Vol 1 & 2. (1910), Longmans, Green & Co.

References

1. Father and his address mentioned in The Kings Inns Admittance Papers for Philip Callan 1865. Date and place of birth are from the Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Vol. I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976).
2. The County Louth Archaeological Journal, 1994 states that he was the only Member of Parliament with the exception of Charles Stewart Parnell to hold two seats at the one time. However this comment by the Journal is incorrect, as (since 1832) there were MPs returned for more than one constituency (mostly in Ireland) at the United Kingdom general elections of 1832, 1841, 1847, 1865, 1874 (Callan), and every subsequent general election up to and including 1918 (except for 1900). See British Electoral Facts 1832-1987, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services 1989).
3. "Obituary". The Times (36795). London. 16 June 1902. p. 12.
4. "Strange Attempted Murder". Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW. 26 August 1898. Retrieved 14 March 2017.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Philip Callan
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue Matthew O'Reilly Dease	Member of Parliament for County Louth 1868 – 1874 With: Alexander Martin Sullivan	Succeeded by George Kirk Alexander Martin Sullivan
Preceded by Sir George Bowyer, Bt	Member of Parliament for Dundalk 1868 – 1880	Succeeded by Charles Russell
Preceded by Alexander Martin Sullivan and George Kirk	Member of Parliament for County Louth 1880 – 1885 With: Alexander Martin Sullivan to May 1880 Arthur Henry Bellingham from May 1880	Constituency abolished