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Tom French (politician)
Encyclopedia
Tom French is a former President of the Workers' Party of Ireland
and former member of Craigavon Borough Council
.
Born in Belfast
in 1934, French joined Sinn Féin
as a youth and remained with the party as it evolved into the Workers' Party.
After attending teacher training college he became a schoolteacher in Lurgan
, County Armagh
. He was an early recruit to the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
and participated in many of its civil rights
marches throughout Northern Ireland
in the late 1960s. When Sinn Féin split in 1970, French supported the Official wing and was a member of its first Publicity Committee. Much later, he became a founding member of the Peace Train Organisation
, which was formed to oppose the Provisional IRA's bombing of the Dublin to Belfast railway line.
He worked closely beside Malachy McGurran
who was a major figure in the northern republican movement from the late 1950s and a Vice-President of Official Sinn Féin. French was heavily involved in McGurran's various election campaigns and when McGurran died in 1978, French won the local by-election to fill his seat on Craigavon Borough Council. He remained a councillor, alternating between representing the Loughside and Craigavon Central areas, until 1993 when he lost his seat. He also unsuccessfully contested Armagh
in the 1982 Assembly election and subsequent 1983 by-election and contested one of its successor constituencies, Upper Bann
at every election from its creation in 1983 until 2005. His best result was the 19% which he polled in the 1986 by-election
where he was the only candidate opposing the sitting MP.
He was a member of the Ard Comhairle / Central Executive Committee of the Workers' Party for many years. In 1992, he was elected Chairman of the Workers' Party in the North and in 1996 was elected to the position of Party President, replacing Marian Donnelly
. He retired from that position in 2000 and was replaced by Seán Garland
. He stepped down from the Ard Comhairle some years later.
An avid opera
lover and considered to have a fine singing voice, Tom French participated in the Wexford Opera Festival on several occasions.
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
and former member of Craigavon Borough Council
Craigavon Borough Council
Craigavon Borough Council is a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the council is in Craigavon, on the shores of Lough Neagh, a new town built between Lurgan and Portadown. The council area includes the large towns of Lurgan and Portadown, as...
.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1934, French joined 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...
as a youth and remained with the party as it evolved into the Workers' Party.
After attending teacher training college he became a schoolteacher in Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
, County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
. He was an early recruit to the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
and participated in many of its civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
marches throughout Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in the late 1960s. When Sinn Féin split in 1970, French supported the Official wing and was a member of its first Publicity Committee. Much later, he became a founding member of the Peace Train Organisation
Peace Train Organisation
The Peace Train Organisation was a campaign group set up in 1989 in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in response to the repeated bombing of the Dublin to Belfast railway line by the Provisional IRA....
, which was formed to oppose the Provisional IRA's bombing of the Dublin to Belfast railway line.
He worked closely beside Malachy McGurran
Malachy McGurran
Malachy McGurran was a leading Irish republican and founding member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, of which he was chairman....
who was a major figure in the northern republican movement from the late 1950s and a Vice-President of Official Sinn Féin. French was heavily involved in McGurran's various election campaigns and when McGurran died in 1978, French won the local by-election to fill his seat on Craigavon Borough Council. He remained a councillor, alternating between representing the Loughside and Craigavon Central areas, until 1993 when he lost his seat. He also unsuccessfully contested Armagh
Armagh (Assembly constituency)
Armagh was a constituency used for the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973. Members were then elected from the constituency to the 1975 Constitutional Convention and the 1982 Assembly...
in the 1982 Assembly election and subsequent 1983 by-election and contested one of its successor constituencies, Upper Bann
Upper Bann (UK Parliament constituency)
Upper Bann is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current Member of Parliament for Upper Bann is David Simpson.-Boundaries:...
at every election from its creation in 1983 until 2005. His best result was the 19% which he polled in the 1986 by-election
Northern Ireland by-elections, 1986
The 1986 Northern Ireland by-elections were fifteen by-elections held on 23 January 1986, to fill vacancies in the Parliament of the United Kingdom caused by the resignation in December 1985 of all sitting Unionist Members of Parliament...
where he was the only candidate opposing the sitting MP.
He was a member of the Ard Comhairle / Central Executive Committee of the Workers' Party for many years. In 1992, he was elected Chairman of the Workers' Party in the North and in 1996 was elected to the position of Party President, replacing Marian Donnelly
Marian Donnelly
Marian Donnelly is a former President of the Workers' Party of Ireland and is a member of the District Policing Partnership for the Magherafelt district of Northern Ireland....
. He retired from that position in 2000 and was replaced by Seán Garland
Seán Garland
Seán Garland is a former President of the Workers' Party in Ireland.-Early Life:Born at Belvedere Place, off Mountjoy Square in Dublin, Garland joined the Irish Republican Army in 1953. In 1954, he briefly joined the British Army as an IRA agent and collected intelligence on Gough Barracks in...
. He stepped down from the Ard Comhairle some years later.
An avid opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
lover and considered to have a fine singing voice, Tom French participated in the Wexford Opera Festival on several occasions.