James Lyons (17 March 1842 – 27 July 1915) was an Irish-born Australian politician.
He was born in County Leitrim to Myles Lyons and Bridget, née Cunningham.
James left Ireland on 11 September 1855 aboard the emigrant ship Bee and arrived in New South Wales, Australia on 6 January 1856.
He moved to Queensland, where he worked as a miner and timber hauler before establishing a sawmill in Cairns in 1881.
He was a long-serving alderman on Cairns Shire Council, with a period as mayor from 1895 to 1896.