Paul Butler (; 1956 or 1957 – 23 September 2026) was an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland. He was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and served 15 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a police officer. Butler served as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley from 2007 to 2011.
Involvement in the Troubles In 1974, aged 17, Butler confessed to, and was convicted of, the murder of 50-year-old reserve Royal Ulster Constabulary officer John Rodgers. Rodgers was murdered in an IRA gun attack near the Glen Inn in Glengormley. Butler was given a life sentence, for which he spent 15 years in jail.
Lisburn City Council Butler was the leader of the Sinn Féin group on the Lisburn City Council. The party held four seats on the council at the time, making it the third party and the largest nationalist party. Butler had a served as a Councillor for Lisburn City Council from 1997 until 2011 and was a member of their Strategic Policy, Planning and Finance Committees. Butler campaigned against discrimination on the council, culminating in the Irish Government sending a representative to witness council proceedings. Nationalists claim that the unionist majority on the council has prevented nationalists from taking council positions. Butler successfully campaigned for the town to gain city status.
Westminster elections Butler stood in the UK general elections in 2001 and 2005 in the Lagan Valley constituency but was not elected.
In October 2023, he called on Sinn Féin and the SDLP to not stand a candidate in Lagan Valley in the 2024 general election.
Standing down Butler announced that he would not contest the May 2011 Assembly elections after only one term as an MLA. "I am standing down," confirmed Butler. "The Party's position on this is that anyone who is a councillor and an MLA should only have one job."
Death Butler died suddenly on 23 September 2026.
Assembly elections
Results of the election to the Northern Irish Assembly, Lagan Valley, 2003 Party Candidate 1st Pref Result Jeffrey Donaldson14,104Elected Edwin Poots5,175Elected Seamus Close4,408Elected Andrew Hunter3,300Not Elected Paul Butler3,242Not Elected Patricia Lewsley*3,133Elected Billy Bell2,782Elected Ivan Davis2,223Not elected Norah Beare1,508Elected Jim Kirkpatrick675Not elected Joanne Johnston395Not elected Andrew Park212Not elected Frances McCarthy97Not elected
Patricia Lewsley was appointed as Children's Commissioner and was replaced as an MLA by Marietta Farrell
Results of the election to the Northern Irish Assembly, Lagan Valley, 2007 Butler became the first Sinn Féin member for Lagan Valley in the Northern Irish Assembly. He won the SDLP seat previously held by Patricia Lewsley and subsequently Marietta Farrell. Butler was the only nationalist elected in the six-seater constituency.
Party Candidate 1st Pref Result Count Jeffrey Donaldson9,793Elected1 Paul Butler5,098Elected6 Basil McCrea4,031Elected7 Trevor Lunn3,765Elected7 Jonathan Craig3,471Elected8 Edwin Poots3,457Elected9 Paul Givan3,377Not elected9 Marietta Farrell2,839Not elected5 Billy Bell2,599Not elected6 Ronnie Crawford1,147Not elected4 Michael Rogan922Not elected4 Robert McCartney853Not elected3 Neil Johnston 387Not elected2 John Magee83Not elected2
Notes and references