Young was born in Auckland in 1875 to Irish immigrant parents from County Sligo.

He was elected to the Hamilton Borough Council at the young age of 22.

[3] He was Minister of Health (18 January 1926 – 10 December 1928) and Minister of Industries and Commerce (28 November 1928 – 10 December 1928) in the Coates Ministry of the Reform Government of New Zealand.

[6] In 1935, Young was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order[7] and was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.

[8][9] He was vice-president of the New Zealand Alliance in 1929, and was on the Waikato Licensing Bench for fourteen years.