Owen Carron
Encyclopedia
Owen Gerard Carron is an Irish republican activist and who was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
from 1981 to 1983.
Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party
politician John Carron
.
' election agent
for the April 1981 Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election
. Sands, a Republican prisoner on hunger strike
, won the election, but died soon after. Changes in election law
with the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1981
made it impossible to nominate another prisoner, so Carron stood as the "Anti H-Block
/Proxy Political Prisoner".
with an increased majority but with fewer votes becoming the youngest MP at the time
. In line with most other Irish republicans elected to the British Parliament, he did not take his seat. During his time in the political arena, he became known for always appearing in a suit
and necktie
, unusual among Republican activists at the time.
Carron never made a secret of his support for Sinn Féin
, and by 1982 he was regarded as a Sinn Féin MP. Confirmation came when he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly
in October 1982 as a Sinn Féin candidate. In the 1983 UK general election, Carron stood again, this time officially as a Sinn Féin candidate, but lost the seat to Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionist Party
. The loss was attributed to the Social Democratic and Labour Party
's (SDLP) decision to run a candidate which split the nationalist vote.
In 1986, an AK47 rifle was found in a car in which Carron was travelling. He was charged, but granted bail
to contest the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1986. He lost the election, skipped bail and moved to County Leitrim
in the Republic of Ireland
. He was arrested in 1988 in the Republic and held in custody for two and a half years while unsuccessful extradition
procedures initiated by the UK took place. It was found by the Irish Supreme Court that possession of an automatic rifle constituted a 'political offence' thus prohibiting his extradition under Irish law. Following his release, he worked as a builder
before returning to teaching
in 1995, and later became the principal of the Ballinamore
National School.
In 2002, Carron's name was reported as having been submitted to the British Government by Sinn Féin on a list of IRA members to be granted amnesties.
He was director of elections for Sinn Féin candidate, Councillor Martin Kenny, in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency during the 2007 Irish General Election.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin....
from 1981 to 1983.
Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
The Nationalist Party† - was the continuation of the Irish Parliamentary Party, and was formed after partition, by the Northern Ireland-based members of the IPP....
politician John Carron
John Carron
John Carron was a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.Carron was born in Kinawley, County Fermanagh in 1909. He became a farmer and a publican before becoming a founder member and Vice-Chairman of the Irish Anti-Partition League in Lisnaskea in May 1946...
.
Election agent for Bobby Sands
Carron was Bobby SandsBobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
' election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
for the April 1981 Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election
Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1981 (April)
The by-election held in Fermanagh and South Tyrone on 9 April 1981 is considered by many to be the most significant by-election held in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It saw the first victory for the militant republican movement, which the following year entered electoral politics in full...
. Sands, a Republican prisoner on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
, won the election, but died soon after. Changes in election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
with the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1981
Representation of the People Act 1981
The Representation of the People Act 1981 provides: for the disqualification from membership of the House of Commons of any person who is detained anywhere in the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland for more than a year for any offence, that the election or nomination of such persons shall be...
made it impossible to nominate another prisoner, so Carron stood as the "Anti H-Block
Anti H-Block
Anti H-Block was the political label used in 1981 by supporters of the Irish republican hunger strike who were standing for election in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland...
/Proxy Political Prisoner".
Election as MP
Carron was elected in the August by-electionFermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1981 (August)
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, August 1981 was the second by-election in the same year, held in Fermanagh and South Tyrone on 20 August 1981. It was seen by many as a rerun of the earlier contest in April...
with an increased majority but with fewer votes becoming the youngest MP at the time
Baby of the House
Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament.-Australia:In Australia the term is rarely used...
. In line with most other Irish republicans elected to the British Parliament, he did not take his seat. During his time in the political arena, he became known for always appearing in a suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
and necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
, unusual among Republican activists at the time.
Carron never made a secret of his support for Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, and by 1982 he was regarded as a Sinn Féin MP. Confirmation came when he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly, 1982
The Northern Ireland Assembly established in 1982 represented an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restore the devolution to Northern Ireland which had been suspended 10 years previously. The Assembly was abolished in 1986.-Origins:...
in October 1982 as a Sinn Féin candidate. In the 1983 UK general election, Carron stood again, this time officially as a Sinn Féin candidate, but lost the seat to Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
. The loss was attributed to the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
's (SDLP) decision to run a candidate which split the nationalist vote.
Arrests in the United States and later life
Carron along with Danny Morrison was arrested on 21 January 1982 whilst attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada by car. He was deported and later both men were convicted on a charge of making false and fictitious statements to American immigration officials.In 1986, an AK47 rifle was found in a car in which Carron was travelling. He was charged, but granted bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
to contest the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1986. He lost the election, skipped bail and moved to County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. He was arrested in 1988 in the Republic and held in custody for two and a half years while unsuccessful extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
procedures initiated by the UK took place. It was found by the Irish Supreme Court that possession of an automatic rifle constituted a 'political offence' thus prohibiting his extradition under Irish law. Following his release, he worked as a builder
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
before returning to teaching
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
in 1995, and later became the principal of the Ballinamore
Ballinamore
Ballinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River,...
National School.
In 2002, Carron's name was reported as having been submitted to the British Government by Sinn Féin on a list of IRA members to be granted amnesties.
He was director of elections for Sinn Féin candidate, Councillor Martin Kenny, in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency during the 2007 Irish General Election.