Tributes paid to miners' leader and Tower Colliery hero Tyrone O'Sullivan, 77

28 May 2023 , 10:31

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Tyrone O' Sullivan has died aged 77 (Image: Mirrorpix)

Tributes were paid today to a miners’ leader who led his men back to work after saving Wales’ last deep coal pit.

Tyrone O'Sullivan, who has died aged 77, spearheaded the 1995 workers’ buyout of Tower Colliery near Hirwaun at the head of the Cynon Valley.

As branch secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, Mr O’Sullivan led 239 staff in each pooling their £8,000 redundancy payouts to buy the pit.

They triumphantly marched back to work in January 1995 - a year after the mine shut - and extended its life for a further 13 years.

It finally closed for good in 2008.

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The pit finally closed for good 13 years after the miners reopened it (Getty Images)

Leading tributes from the Labour movement, Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens tweeted: “Very sad to hear about the death of Tyrone O’Sullivan.

“A legendary South Wales miner and trade unionist whose story will continue to be told for years to come.

“Much sympathy to his family and all his friends.”

Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens led tributes from Labour (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Local Labour MP Beth Winter said: “I am so sad and shocked to hear of the death of Tyrone O’Sullivan, a giant of the Labour and trade union movement and a hero to me.

“He was a friend, and an example of how to fight to change society.”

Mr O’Sullivan was a cult hero in South Wales and rock band Manic Street Preachers dedicated their 1996 Brit-award winning album Everything Must Go to Tower Colliery.

The miners’ success in rescuing their pit was seen as a key driver of the mid-1990s “Cool Cymru” phenomenon which swept Wales and came alongside “Cool Britannia”.

The Manic Street Preachers dedicated their multi-award-winning 1996 album Everything Must Go to the workers of Tower Colliery (PA)

MP Tonia Antoniazzi paid tribute to Mr O’Sullivan, who was a member of her constituency Labour party in Gower, South Wales.

“I’m devastated to hear that the legendary Tyrone O’Sullivan has sadly passed away,” she tweeted.

“Since getting elected, I have been proud to know Tyrone as a warm, sincere and intelligent member of Gower CLP.

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“He will be remembered as a towering figure of trade unionism and the Labour movement.

Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones tweeted a picture of a small bust of a miner Mr O’Sullivan gave her as a gift.

Alex Davies-Jones said she was "truly devastated" by his death (ROGER HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY)

She tweeted: “I’m truly devastated at the passing of Tyrone O’Sullivan.

“A bastion of trade unionism, the Labour Party & South Wales.

“At Christmas he gave me a gift which holds pride of place in my Westminster office.

“He told me, ‘Never forget and always keep fighting!’”

Mr O’Sullivan was a flying picket in the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike, arranging busloads of miners to join picket lines at various collieries.

"We had to fight the fight," he told BBC Wales in January.

"It's a wonderful feeling, and strikes give you that feeling.

“Win, lose or draw you still fought the battle."

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Ben Glaze