Austin Ardill facts for kids
Captain Robert Austin Ardill (born in 1917, passed away in 2010) was an important politician from Northern Ireland. He was known as a "unionist," which means he believed Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom. He was also a brave soldier during World War II.
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Biography
A Brave Soldier and Businessman
Robert Ardill was born in Belfast, a big city in Northern Ireland. He went to school at Coleraine Academical Institution. Later, he became the boss of a company that made animal feed.
He joined the Royal Irish Fusiliers army group in 1939 and served until 1946. He showed great courage on the Greek island of Leros and was given the Military Cross award for his bravery. He finished his army career as a Captain. He was also a prisoner of war for about 18 months. He was set free by Allied soldiers after the D-Day landings in France. He also led the Irish Temperance League, which encouraged people to drink less alcohol.
Getting Involved in Politics
After the war, Robert Ardill joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). This party wanted Northern Ireland to stay part of the UK. He was first elected to the Larne Rural District Council.
In 1965, he became a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, representing the area of Carrick. He disagreed with the changes that the Prime Minister, Terence O'Neill, wanted to make. Because of this, he lost his chance to be the UUP candidate for Carrick in 1969 to Anne Dickson.
Later, he became a leader in the Ulster Vanguard movement. This group was against any changes that might threaten Northern Ireland's place in the UK. When the Vanguard movement decided to become its own political party, Ardill chose to stay with the Ulster Unionist Party.
Serving in the Assembly
In 1973, Ardill was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, representing South Antrim. Even though he first promised to support the former Prime Minister Brian Faulkner, he later changed his mind. He then opposed the Sunningdale Agreement, which was a plan for sharing power in Northern Ireland.
He thought about joining the Democratic Unionist Party but decided to remain an Ulster Unionist. He was elected again for South Antrim in the Constitutional Convention election in 1975.
In 1979, he ran for the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party but lost to James Molyneaux.
After the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, he joined the Charter Group. This was a group within the UUP that wanted to bring back local government to Northern Ireland. They also accepted that the Republic of Ireland had a role in Northern Ireland's politics. Robert Ardill was a close friend of Reverend Martin Smyth. He briefly returned to politics in the late 1990s to campaign against the Belfast Agreement.
Personal Life
His wife, Molly Ardill, also served on the Carrick Borough Council. She was a councillor for the UUP, then an Independent Unionist, and later for the Conservatives. She even became the deputy mayor.
His daughter, Betty Orr, was a schoolteacher. When she retired, she was praised for her work at her school and for helping different communities work together.
Burial
Robert Ardill was buried after a service at the Holy Trinity Church of Ireland in Carrickfergus.
