Michael Mullen (1 February 1919 – 1 November 1982) was an Irish Labour Party politician and trade union official.

He was born 1 February 1919 in Church Street, Dublin, the son of John Mullen, a glassblower, and Martha Smith. He was educated at St Michan's school in Halston St., but left school at 14 to work in a butcher's after his father's death. At 16 he got a job in the Ever Ready battery factory in Portobello, where he joined the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU), and was elected a shop steward the following year. He was a member of the Irish Republican Army during the 1940s, but left in 1945 to join the Labour Party.^[1]

He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1951 and 1957 general elections.^[2] He was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency at the 1961 general election^[3] and was re-elected at the 1965 general election.^[2] He did not contest the 1969 general election. He was nominated by the Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave in 1973 to the 13th Seanad.

He was a member of Dublin Corporation from 1960 to 1969. He was general secretary of the ITGWU from 1969 to 1982.^[1]

He was married to Anne Peavoy, and they had three daughters and two sons.^[1] He died on 1 November 1982 in Frankfurt, while attending a trade union conference.^[1]

References