{{Short description|Irish politician (1935–1978)}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=December 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = David_Thornley.jpg | office = Teachta Dála | term_start = June 1969 | term_end = June 1977 | constituency = Dublin North-West | birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|7|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Surrey, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1978|6|18|1935|7|31|df=y}} | death_place = Dublin, Ireland | party = Labour Party | spouse = {{marriage|Petria Hughes|1958}} | children = 2 | education = | alma_mater = Trinity College Dublin }}
'''David Andrew Thornley''' (31 July 1935 – 18 June 1978) was an Irish Labour Party politician and university professor at Trinity College Dublin.<ref name=oireachtas_db/>
==Life== Born in Surrey, England, the youngest child of Welshman Frederick Edward Thornley and Dublin-born Maud Helen Thornley (née Browne). His parents, both civil servants, met while working in Inland Revenue in Dublin in the 1910s.<ref name=dib>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/thornley-david-andrew-taylor-a8545|title=Thornley, David Andrew Taylor|work=Dictionary of Irish Biography|last=White|first=Lawrence William|access-date=28 February 2023}}</ref>
He received a BA and PhD at Trinity College Dublin. His PhD was entitled "Isaac Butt and the creation of an Irish parliamentary party (1868–1879)" and was written under the supervision of Theodore William Moody. He was appointed Associate professor of Trinity in 1968. by then he had been working as a presenter on 7 Days since 1963.<ref name="hist">{{Cite web|last=O'Donnell|first=Ruan|date=7 August 2013|title=Lone crusader: David Thornley and the intellectuals|url=https://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/lone-crusader-david-thornley-and-the-intellectuals/|url-status=live|access-date=20 May 2021|website=History Ireland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105172513/http://www.historyireland.com/20th-century-contemporary-history/lone-crusader-david-thornley-and-the-intellectuals/ |archive-date=5 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite thesis|url=http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/77259|title=Isaac Butt and the creation of an Irish parliamentary party, 1868–79|first=David|last=Thornley|date=20 May 1959|publisher=Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Department of History|hdl=2262/77259 |type=thesis|via=www.tara.tcd.ie}}</ref> In 1964 he published the book ''Isaac Butt and Home Rule''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hurst|first=Michael|date=1965|title=3. Isaac Butt and Home Rule. By David Thornley. London: MacGibbon and Kee, 1964. Pp. 413. 63s.|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/abs/3-isaac-butt-and-home-rule-by-david-thornley-london-macgibbon-and-kee-1964-pp-413-63s/BB6E1A75ECFE49E0B32F98ADDC6CCE55|journal=The Historical Journal|language=en|volume=8|issue=2|pages=285–287|doi=10.1017/S0018246X00027047|s2cid=159993549 |issn=1469-5103|via=Cambridge|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
After joining Labour in 1969 he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency at the 1969 general election.<ref name=oireachtas_db/> He confronted the party leader Brendan Corish, who at the time of the Arms Crisis reportedly rejected out of hand any suggestion of military aid or use of force after the outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}
Thornley considered himself to be "in the mould of James Connolly", being a practising catholic, Marxist and republican.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Nation and Not a Rabble|first=Diarmaid |last=Ferriter |author-link=Diarmaid Ferriter| page=77}}</ref>
In December 1972 he called for the immediate release of Seán Mac Stíofáin, then leader of the Provisional IRA.<ref name=dib/> He was re-elected at the 1973 general election.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2867|title=David Thornley|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=20 September 2008}}</ref> In April 1976, he lost the Labour party whip after appearing on Sinn Féin platform during Easter Rising commemorations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Dick |title=Whip withdrawn from Thornley, by 22 votes to 3 |page=1 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1976/0429/Pg001.html#Ar00100 |access-date=3 December 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=29 April 1976}}</ref> In September 1976, he voted for the Criminal Justice (Jurisdiction) Bill despite misgivings. He told ''The Irish Times'': "When I get very depressed I drink too much. When I voted for the Criminal Justice (Jurisdiction Bill) I went on the batter for a forthnight [sic]." In February 1977, he was re-admitted to the Labour Parliamentary party.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Dick |title=Thornely is back in party fold |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1977/0203/Pg001.html#Ar00108 |page=1 |access-date=3 December 2022 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=3 February 1977}}</ref> He lost his seat at the 1977 general election.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/David-Thornley.D.1969-07-02/|title=David Thornley|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=20 September 2008}}</ref>
In 1978 he joined the newly formed Socialist Labour Party stating that he had done so because: "There is no man in politics that I respect more than Noël Browne, despite our occasional differences. If the SLP is good for him, it's good enough for me".{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}
==Death and legacy== Thornley died in 1978 in County Dublin, aged 42.<ref name=dib/> He is buried in Bohernabreen Cememtery in Dublin.<ref name=dib/> The Trinity College Labour Branch was formerly named the David Thornley Branch in his honour.
==Bibliography== * {{cite book|title=Lone Crusader: David Thornley and the Intellectuals|first=Edward |last=Thornley}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/a-rebel-without-a-political-platform-26495593.html |title=A Rebel Without a Political Platform |newspaper=Irish Independent |first=Paul |last=Dillon |date=29 November 2008}}
{{Dublin North-West (Dáil constituency)/TDs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornley, David}} Category:1935 births Category:1978 deaths Category:Irish educators Category:Labour Party (Ireland) TDs Category:Members of the 19th Dáil Category:Members of the 20th Dáil Category:Academics of Trinity College Dublin Category:Politicians from Surrey Category:Politicians from County Dublin Category:English emigrants to Ireland Category:Irish socialists Category:Irish Marxists Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin