Ivor Canavan, OBE (1929–1999) was a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

during

the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

. On leaving St Columb's College, Canavan studied Engineering at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

. He returned to his native Derry in 1959 and commenced a lifelong career with Du Pont. In the context of a deepening political crisis, Canavan became an active member of the

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), or simply Alliance, is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland. As of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, it is the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembl ...

shortly after its 1970 inception. Ivor Canavan was elected to

Londonderry City Council Derry City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire; Ulster-Scots: ''Derry Cittie Cooncil'') was the local government authority for the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. It merged with Strabane District Council in April 2015 under local gover ...

in 1973. In December that year, he took part in the negotiations that culminated in the

Sunningdale Agreement The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The agreement was signed at Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973. Unioni ...

. Canavan was elected Deputy Mayor of Londonderry in 1974 and, the following year, became the first and only Alliance Mayor of Londonderry. In May 1976, the Canavan family home was bombed. The

Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...

claimed responsibility. No one was in the house at the time of the blast. Canavan served as Chairman of the Police Authority (NI) Complaints Committee. from 1977-79. He resigned from this post and retired from active politics to take up a position with DuPont in

Geneva, Switzerland Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

. Ivor Canavan was appointed an OBE in 1980 for public services in Northern Ireland. Canavan's brother

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

was a prominent member of the

Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) ( ga, Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is a social-democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland ...

.Niall Ó Dochartaigh, ''From Civil Rights to Armalites'', p. 100

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canavan, Ivor 1929 births 1999 deaths Alliance Party of Northern Ireland politicians Alumni of University College Dublin Councillors in Derry (city) Date of birth missing Date of death missing Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at St Columb's College Mayors of Derry Alliance Party of Northern Ireland councillors