Eamonn Rory O'Kane (21 August 1945 – 22 May 2004) was a

Northern Irish The people of Northern Ireland are all people born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British Nationality Law, British citizen, an Irish nationality law, Irish citizen or is otherwis ...

trade unionist. Born in

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to a

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family, O'Kane studied at St Malachy's College and Queen's University, Belfast. Nigel de Gruchy,
Eamonn O'Kane
, ''

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'', 24 May 2004 He spent a short time at

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

, where he got to know Neil Kinnock,"Eamonn O'Kane", ''Northern Star'', vol.18 (2004), p.12 before returning to Belfast at the start of

The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

to become a teacher at St Patrick's College, Belfast. O'Kane joined the

Northern Ireland Labour Party The Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) was a political party in Northern Ireland which operated from 1924 until 1987. Origins The roots of the NILP can be traced back to the formation of the Belfast Labour Party in 1892. Previously, in 1885 ...

(NILP) in

Newtownabbey Newtownabbey ( ) is a large settlement north of Belfast city centre in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course, but it still forms part of the Belfast metropolitan area ...

, and was briefly also active in People's Democracy. By the early 1970s, he was prominent in the "Workers' Association for the Democratic Settlement of the National Conflict in Ireland", a group linked to the British and Irish Communist Organisation, which was influential in the Newtownabbey NILP. In 1972, he was one of nine Workers' Association members who chained themselves to radiators at the Department of External Affairs in Dublin, calling for the Irish government to recognise Northern Ireland. His bail was paid by

Conor Cruise O'Brien Donal Conor David Dermot Donat Cruise O'Brien (3 November 1917 – 18 December 2008), often nicknamed "The Cruiser", was an Irish diplomat, politician, writer, historian and academic, who served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs from 1973 ...

, but all nine were later convicted of forcible entry. In 1977, he became the first president of the Campaign for Labour Representation in Northern Ireland, which advocated that the British Labour Party organise and stand candidates in Northern Ireland. O'Kane joined the National Association of Schoolmasters, which in 1975 became part of the

National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is a Trades Union Congress, TUC- and Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU-affiliated trade union representing teachers, including headteachers, throughout the United Kin ...

(NASUWT). He gradually rose to prominence, being elected as secretary of the Belfast branch in 1974, then to the National Executive in 1979, as chair of the salaries committee in 1982, and president of the union in 1987. Within the union movement, O'Kane was known as a right-winger, and was often critical of the policies of the rival

National Union of Teachers The National Union of Teachers (NUT; ) was a trade union for school teachers in Education in England, England, Education in Wales, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It was a member of the Trades Union Congress. In March 2017, NU ...

(NUT).Eamonn O'Kane
, ''

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'', 24 May 2004 In 1990, O'Kane ran in the election to become General Secretary of the NASUWT. He was defeated by Nigel de Gruchy, but de Gruchy supported O'Kane's subsequent successful campaign to become his deputy. In 2002, he succeeded de Gruchy as General Secretary, and immediately negotiated a merger with the NUT and Association of Teachers and Lecturers. However, this merger was opposed by de Gruchy, and the union's conference voted against it. O'Kane died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

in May 2004, still in post.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OKane, Eamonn 1945 births 2004 deaths Alumni of Queen's University Belfast General secretaries of NASUWT Trade unionists from Belfast Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People educated at St Malachy's College People from Newtownabbey