- Frank Edwards (Irish Communist)
Frank Edwards (1907—
7 June 1983 ) was a teacher and prominent Irish communist.Edwards's parents were Belfast Catholics who relocated to
Waterford . His father served, and died, in the British Army during theFirst World War . His elder brother, Jack Edwards, was the Waterford organiser of the one-day general strike against the enforcement of conscription in Ireland. Jack was active in theIrish War of Independence and then joined the Irregulars in theIrish Civil War . In Kilkenny Gaol, he was shot "trying to escape" as a reprisal for a Free State officer killed in Waterford. [Uinseann MacEoin, "Survivors", (Argenta Publications, 1980).]While teaching at Mount Sion Christian Brothers School, Waterford, Frank Edwards became the Waterford leader of the
Republican Congress in 1934. The Roman Catholic Church had denounced the Congress and advised against participation in its foundation meeting. When Edwards denounced local slum-landlords, not realising that some of the property was owned by the Catholic church, this brought him to the notice of Archdeacon Byrne. Edwards was investigated by the Church authorities and Bishop Kinnane ordered he leave his teaching post. Edwards was supported at first by his union, theIrish National Teachers' Organisation , and a national scandal ensued; but the Church stood firm, stating that the Congress had betrayed "The Republic" and sought to install "the Russian model". [See Seán Cronin, "Frank Ryan: The Search for the Republic", (Dublin: Repsol, 1980), ISBN 0-86064-018-3.]In late 1936 Edwards went to Spain as a member of the
Connolly Column , fought in the Front at Lopera (where only 66 of the 150 Irish engaged did not become casualties) and was wounded at Las Rozas on the Madrid Front.He returned to Ireland, where he was now
blacklisted , lost a post withPye Radio for organising a union, worked as a labourer laying pipes, and, at the outbreak of theSecond World War , found a teaching post at Zion School, a Jewish foundation on the South Circular Road. He retired thirty years later from this "temporary" post.Edwards was a founder in 1946, and Secretary from 1955 of the
Ireland-Soviet Friendship Society . This led to his reputation as "the Kremlin's man in Dublin".Fact|date=February 2007 He died in 1983 after a long illness.References
External links
* " [http://www.geocities.com/IrelandSCW/ibvol-EdwardsWaterford.htm Frank Edwards: the man that fought the Bishop] " by David Smith.
* " [http://www.geocities.com/IrelandSCW/ibvol-Edwards.htm Frank Edwards: Portrait of an Irish Anti-Fascist] " by Manus O'Riordan.
* [http://www.geocities.com/IrelandSCW/obit-Edwards.htm Obituary] from the "Irish Democrat".
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