Heber Arthur (Ivor) Canavan, OBE (1929–1999) was a

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

during

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 ...

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

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

. He returned to his native

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

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 shortly after its inception in 1970. Canavan was elected to Londonderry City Council 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 by the British and Irish government in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1 ...

. 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 by the

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

. 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. Heber Arthur 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 * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

was a founder member of the

Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (M ...

(SDLP).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