Cavan born former senator, Jim McKiernan, passes away in Australia

It is with regret that we note the death of Jim McKiernan (1944-2018) - a working-class hero from Cavan who became a leading figure among Australia’s Irish community.
 
Cavan born former Senator Jim McKiernan has passed away at his home in Perth, Australia following a long battle with cancer. McKiernan’s story is one of a working-class hero who overcame childhood adversity to become a major figure in Australian politics.
He grew up in Owen Roe Terrace in Cavan Town, the son of James and Maisie (neé Leddy) McKiernan and brother to Rosaleen, Noel, Maura, Mattie, Dympna, Seán and Una  He attended the Christian Brothers’ De La Salle College but left at the age of twelve years to attend Crubany National School, under the Principalship of the late Senator Andy O’Brien, who later become a mentor to him. He ended his formal education at age fourteen years. His father had suffered an acquired brain injury leaving him unable to work. The young Jim undertook a number of jobs to support the family including petrol pump attendant, abattoir worker and messenger. He recalled the desperate plight of his family at the time and how it was to later influence his politics in championing the rights of the vulnerable.  
He emigrated at the age of 16 years to join his older brother Noel and sister Rosaleen in England where he started an apprenticeship as a fitter and got involved in the trade union movement. At the age of 22, he availed of the assisted passage scheme and emigrated to Fremantle, Western Australia with his wife and young son Steven. 
Arriving in the sweltering heat of the Australian summer, McKiernan walked around Fremantle’s shipyards wearing a three-piece suit looking for work and he eventually gained employed and lived for two months in a migrant hostel with his family. He soon after joined the Australian Society of Engineers (ASE) and later the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union (AMWU) before becoming their first full-time education officer for Western Australia. His union activism intensified and, after a period as a member of the Australian Communist Party, he joined the Australian Labor Party. He attributed his increasing political involvement as a factor in the breakdown of his marriage during this period.
In 1984, he was elected to the Senate and subsequently re-elected a further three times before his retirement in 2002. In the year, after his election to the Senate, he married Jackie Watkins, a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, who in 1993 joined his office and the pair become a powerful duo.
In his first speech to parliament on March 25, 1985, McKiernan said: “The suffering of my childhood has coloured my attitude to life.” He said that he had learned through bitter experience how “unjust and inequitable our Western-style societies can be. The rich and wealthy command, control and walk all over the weak and disadvantaged”. He also referenced his concern for Aboriginal land rights, nuclear proliferation, uranium mining and access to health care. He became a popular member of parliament, known for his passionate speeches, great sense of humour and his trademark colourful ties. Causes he championed included immigration reform, campaigns against privatisation and Australia’s participation in the Gulf war. 
McKiernan never forgot his roots was also a passionate advocate for Ireland in Australia and acted as secretary for the Australian Irish Parliamentary Association for many years. During this time, he met with President Mary Robinson, President McAleese, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and numerous Irish delegations that visited Australia. He was a major supporter of the Northern Ireland peace process and helped secure a $7 million contribution to the Australian Ireland Fund. He also promoted tourism and trade links between the two nations and worked to support Irish people who found themselves in difficulty in Australia. In 1991 he was the recipient of the Irish Australian of the Year Award.
McKiernan’s experience of having to denounce his Irish citizenship and take an oath of allegiance to the Queen was a major factor in him helping to lead a campaign to end the practice, successfully resulting in the passage of the Australian Citizenship Amendment Bill 1993. He also was a dedicated campaigner in the movement for Australia to become a republic.
During the period 1987-1991 McKiernan served as Deputy Government Whip in the Senate and from 1990-1996 he was Returning Officer, which saw him preside over the Paul Keating and Bob Hawke leadership contests in 1991. His outspoken support for Hawke meant he was effectively precluded from a ministerial position in the Keating led government.
In his final speech to parliament McKiernan reflected on his experience of emigration and said his generation of Irish were 'born for the road' and that, in his case, fortune had smiled upon him, in both England and Australia.
In recent years, he battled ill health but alongside his wife Jackie he remained active in public life, serving on the WA Disability Services Commission Board, the WA State Administrative Tribunal, the WA Carers’ Advisory Council and the Migrant Agents’ Advisory Board. He was also very active on the management committee of the Irish Club of Western Australia. A keen cyclist, gardener and Fremantle Dockers fan, he was first and foremost a proud family man, enjoying time with his children and grandchildren in recent years. Last October he met the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins in Perth and was thanked for his service to the country of his birth.
He is survived by his wife Jackie, his and her children Steven, Donna, Jimmy, Lisa, Kim, Kate and Ben, their partners, as well as 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.