Frank Edwards (1907–7 June 1983) was a teacher and prominent Irish

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

. Edwards's parents were Belfast Catholics who relocated to

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

. His father served, and died, in the British Army during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. 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 the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

and then joined the Anti-treaty side in the

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...

. In Kilkenny Gaol, he was shot "trying to escape" as a reprisal for a Free State officer killed in Waterford. Frank Edwards said of the killing of his brother "It was known to be a reprisal for the shooting of a Free State officer, Captain O'Brien, in Waterford." He trained as a national school teacher in De La Salle College, Waterford. While teaching at Mount Sion Christian Brothers School, Waterford, Frank Edwards became the Waterford leader of the

Republican Congress The Republican Congress () was an Irish republican political organisation founded in 1934, when pro-communist republicans left the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army. The Congress was led by such anti-Treaty veterans as Peadar O'Donnell, Frank ...

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 William Byrne. Edwards was investigated by the Church authorities and Bishop Jeremiah Kinane ordered he leave his teaching post. Edwards was supported at first by his union, the

Irish National Teachers' Organisation The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) (), founded in 1868, is the oldest and largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at primary and post-primary level in Nor ...

, 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), . In late 1936 Edwards went to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

as a member of the

Connolly Column The Connolly Column (, ) was the name given to a group of Irish socialist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, Irish republican socialist Military volunteer, volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic in the International Brigades d ...

, 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. With his wife Bobbie, Nora Harkin, John Swift and others, Edwards was one of the founders of the Ireland-USSR Society in 1966. He returned to Ireland, where he was now

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

, lost a post with Pye Radio for organising a union, worked as a labourer laying pipes, and, at the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, found a teaching post at Zion School, a Jewish foundation on the South Circular Road. He retired thirty years later from this "temporary" post, and died in 1983 after a long illness.

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* by David Smith. * by Manus O'Riordan. * from the ''Irish Democrat''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Frank 1907 births 1983 deaths Irish anti-fascists Irish communists Irish people of the Spanish Civil War Communists from Northern Ireland International Brigades personnel Alumni of De La Salle Teacher Training College, Waterford