Move over, Alfie!

Alfie Byrne and Big Jim Larkin stood against one another for a Dáil seat over 7 general elections between 1927 and 1944.

In 3 of those (1927, 1937 & 1943) they were both elected. In the other 4 (1932, 1933, 1938 & 1944) Alfie won and Jim lost.

Rivalry between them was intense and at one stage Alfie sold a pub to finance his campaign.

As you'll see from the above, Alfie had the last laugh.

But now Alfie is finally losing his seat to Jim. While Jim is being celebrated all over during this year commemorating the 1913 Lockout, Alfie's seat, at the corner of the Clontarf Road and Alfie Byrne Road, where it has been for the last 20 years, is to be removed by the City Council because of repeated vandalism.

You can hear Larry Medlar talking about Alfie and Big Jim here. The recording is from 1978 when Larry was 90 years of age and it was made by his son in law Dave.