Who was Tyrone O’Sullivan? Tower Colliery Hero Dead at 77

Tyrone O’Sullivan was a Welsh trade unionist who became the Branch Secretary of the NUM branch of Tower Colliery in 1973. He was an NUM activist who became a flying picket, moving around Wales at the behest of Arthur Scargill, in the 1973 and 1974 strikes to oust Prime Minister Edward Health’s Conservative government.

When National Coat Board boss Ian MacGregor announced plans to close 20 pits and do away with 25,000 jobs in 1984, the planned closure of Cortonwood provoked a movement of Yorkshire miners who appealed to the other coalfields for support.

O’Sullivan explained to his members at Tower the probable result of not fighting the closures and gained 99% support.

“I phoned Emlyn Williams who was President of the South Wales areas of the NUM and told him of my unease. His pit had voted for action but they were not going out on strike as they had been beaten by the area vote. I suggested something could be done. Emlyn said – do what you can, but don’t tell me,” he said.

He died on May 27, 2023, at age 77. No cause of death was revealed.