Thomas Harbison facts for kids

Thomas James Stanislaus Harbison (born 8 November 1864 – died 22 November 1930) was an Irish nationalist politician. This means he was a leader who worked for Ireland to be independent and united.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Harbison was born in Cookstown, County Tyrone. His father, John Harbison, was a merchant, and his mother was Isabella Daly. He went to school at St Malachy's College in Belfast.

Starting in Politics

Harbison became very involved with the Irish Parliamentary Party. This was a political group that wanted Ireland to have more control over its own affairs. From 1906 to 1910, he worked as an election agent for other politicians like William Redmond and Tom Kettle. An election agent helps a candidate get elected. In 1911, he was chosen to be a member of the Tyrone County Council, which helped manage local issues in County Tyrone.

A Voice for Irish Unity

Thomas Harbison attended the Irish Convention, a big meeting held to discuss Ireland's future. He was then elected to the UK Parliament in Westminster (London) in 1918. He represented areas like East Tyrone and North East Tyrone.

On 11 November 1920, a law called the Government of Ireland Act 1920 was passed. This law divided Ireland into two parts: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. This division is known as the Partition of Ireland. Thomas Harbison was strongly against this. He spoke in Parliament about how he felt:

"This law is not good for Ireland. I believe the people I represent would be right to resist it. It feels like a death sentence for us as a united country. Our freedom is gone. If young Irish people get angry and do things that seem wrong, who will be to blame? The blame will be on those who created this law because a small group in Ulster wanted it. This small group will control us forever. I know how the people I represent feel. On this Armistice night, when there should be peace, you are creating not peace, but endless unhappiness, division, and I fear, destruction."

He believed that dividing Ireland would cause many problems and unhappiness.

Representing His People

In 1921, Harbison was elected to the new Parliament of Northern Ireland, which met at Stormont. He was elected on an abstentionist platform. This meant that even though he won, he and others chose not to take their seats in that parliament as a way to protest the division of Ireland.

In 1922, he was again elected to the UK Parliament in Westminster, representing Fermanagh and Tyrone. He was elected alongside Cahir Healy for the Nationalist Party. They won by a lot of votes. Their election results showed how many people in their area felt about the Partition of Ireland.

Harbison left his seat in Westminster in 1924. He later took his seat at Stormont in 1927. In 1929, he stepped down from Stormont but was elected to Westminster one last time. He served there until he passed away a year later in 1930.]]