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Roy Johnston is an Irish political theorist, physicist and computer scientist. Born in Dublin in 1929 he was educated at St. Columba's College, Rathfarnham, and Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied physics.

His father was Joseph Johnston, was a farmer, economist and history, a fellow of Trinity College and a member of the Senate of the Irish Free State, Joe Johnston was a home ruler who hailed from a small farming Presbyterian background in Tyrone.

Roy Johnston has been affiliated to various progressive and left wing organisations throughout his life. As a student in Trinity he founded the Promethean Society, then in 1948 a was a founder-member of the Irish Workers’ League, eventually joining the Communist Party of Ireland.

He moved to England and became joined the Communist Party of Great Britain, he returned to Ireland in 1963 and involved himself with the Wolfe Tone Society in Dublin. He joined Sinn Fein and the IRA where he became the IRA's Director of Education sitting on the Army Council.

He was appointed as editor of its newspaper the United Irishman. He also wrote a bi-monthly science column for the Irish Times. He was a supporter of the republican movements move to the left with Cathal Goulding and Tomas MacGiolla, becoming a member of Official Sinn Fein and the Official IRA, after the split. However he left the party in 1972 after the assassination of Senator Barnhill.

He worked in Aer Lingus during the 60's and later was a lecturer at Trinity. Johnston campaigned against Ireland joining the Common Market. He made an oral presentation to the New Ireland Forum in 1984.

He rejoined the Communist Party of Ireland but left in 1977. He was a member of the Irish Labour Party and at one stage he joined the Green Party .

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