Cathal O'Shannon

Cathal O'Shannon (9 June 1890 – 4 October 1969) was an Irish politician, trade unionist and journalist.

Early years Charles Francis Shannon was born in Randalstown, County Antrim, he was the third child of Charles and Alice Shannon. As a child the family moved to his mother's hometown of Draperstown, County Londonderry where his father worked for the railway line. Growing up, both his family and locality influenced his interest in trade unionism, the Irish language, and Irish Republicanism. He was educated at Draperstown national school and St Columb's College, Derry. It was at Columb's that he studied history as a subject and developed an interest in journalism. Following the death of his father he moved to Belfast where he began to train for the civil service.

Republicanism and the Revolutionary era It was while he was in Belfast that he became a member of Conradh na Gaeilge and started writing articles for the Peasant, Sinn Féin and An Claidheamh Soluis publications. It also around this time, under the influence of Seán Mac Diarmada, Bulmer Hobson and Denis McCullough, that he became a member of the secret Republican society the Irish Republican Brotherhood as well as operator of the Belfast branch of Na Fianna Éireann, the Irish Nationalist boy scout group. which declared her resolve to fight partition "with the same weapons, and same spirit and determination with which I fought, and am ready to fight again, for the Republic".

Alongside Labour leader Thomas Johnson, O'Shannon helped draft the Democratic Programme, a declaration of economic and social principles that the newly created Dáil Éireann was asked to follow in return for Labour not contesting the 1918 general election. O'Shannon aided the drafting of the programme despite his opposition to the idea of Labour not contesting the election. O'Shannon was becoming increasingly militant, now declaring himself "an Irish Bolshevik" and stating that "the soviet idea was the only one that would confer freedom on Ireland". He became deputy leader of Labour in the Dáil and as deputy leader he was highly critical of the Cosgrave government, particular on the issue of the public safety bill which granted the National Army extraordinary powers in dealing with the Anti-Treaty IRA. He also spoke out at the execution of anti-treaty prisoners such as Rory O'Connor and Liam Mellows following the Battle of the Four Courts, which he condemned as "the greatest crime...committed in Ireland within these last ten years".

Later years No longer a TD, O'Shannon remained a prominent figure in Labour however and became to focus on trade unionism while editing The Voice of Labour and The Watchword from 1930 to 1932. In 1941 he became Secretary of the Irish Trades Union Congress, and afterwards of the Congress of Irish Unions. He served for twenty-three years, until his death, as one of the workers' representatives when the Labour Court was established in 1946.

Personal life In 1924 O'Shannon married Margaret Doris Finn of Stockport, Cheshire, England. The two had met while O'Shannon was active in Britain during the war of independence. Together they had 3 children, one son and two daughters. Their son was Cathal O'Shannon who became a veteran Irish broadcaster and journalist and their daughters were Gráinne and Finola, who were both involved in acting and film production.

He died in Dublin on 4 October 1969 in St Laurence's hospital, and was buried in Deans Grange Cemetery.

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