Danny O'Connor (politician)

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Danny O'Connor (born 1965) is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.

Born in Larne,^[1] O'Connor served in the Ulster Defence Regiment^[2] before being elected to Larne Borough Council representing the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1997.^[1] The same year, he stood for the party at the Westminster election in East Antrim, but took only 4.6% of the votes cast.^[3]

O'Connor was elected for East Antrim at the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1998.^[3] In 1999, his car was twice petrol bombed, while his house and his brother's house were also attacked. He described it as part of a systematic loyalist campaign against Catholics in Larne.^[4] His home was attacked again in 2001,^[5] and in 2002, when he blamed the paramilitary Ulster Defence Association (UDA).^[6]

O'Connor stood again in the UK general election, 2001, increasing his share of the vote to 7.3%, but lost his Assembly seat at the 2003 election.^[3] In 2004, he fired warning shots when confronted by a group of men.^[7] While his mother claimed the group were UDA members, the British Government concluded there was "no evidence" of this.^[8]

He fell back to 5.3% of the vote at the 2005 UK general election.^[3] In 2006, he became the first nationalist Mayor of Larne.^[9] In 2007 he stood again for East Antrim, and was again unsuccessful.^[3]