Archibald Heron (29 August 1896 – 10 May 1971) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade unionist.
He was born in Portadown, County Armagh, to a presbyterian family, one of seven children of Samuel Heron, a physician and surgeon, and his wife Bessie (née Beck).[1] He was educated locally before moving to Belfast in 1912.[2] He joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and moved to Dublin in 1912 where he became involved in the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union.[3]
During the Irish War of Independence he served as a bodyguard for Michael Collins[4] From 1928 to 1941, he served as general secretary of the Civil and Public Services Union.[5]
In the 1937 general election, he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency.[6] He lost his seat at the 1938 general election.[7] He was unsuccessful in both the 1927 general elections in Sligo–Leitrim.
He was a longtime member of Dublin's United Arts Club.[8]
He married Ina Connolly, daughter of the socialist republican revolutionary James Connolly. Their son Brian Samuel Connolly Heron (Brian o h-Eachtuigheirn) (1941-2011), was an organiser for the United Farm Workers in California. He was also a founding member in the United States of the National Association for Irish Justice which, in 1969, gained recognition as the U.S. support group for the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.[9]: 115–116 [10]
References
- ^ "Births registered in the District of Portadown in the Union of Lurgan in the County of Armagh" (PDF). IrishGenealogy.ie. 12 January 1897. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ Ferriter, Diarmaid. "Heron, Archibald". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Archibald (Archie) Heron". Dictionary of Ulster Biography. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "James Connolly Heron (b. 1949)". Irish Life and Lore. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ Devine, Francis; Smethurst, John B. (2017). Historical Directory of Trade Unions in Ireland (PDF). Dublin: Irish Labour History Society & Working Class Movement Library. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
- ^ "Archie Heron". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
- ^ "Archie Heron". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
- ^ O'Connell, Brian (22 August 2011). "A United Front". The Irish Times.
- ^ Hanley, Brian; Millar, Scott (2010). The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-102845-3.
- ^ "IN MEMORIAM - Brian o h-Eachtuigheirn (Brian Heron) 1941-2011". www.celticartscenter.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024.