Séanna Walsh

Séanna Walsh
Séanna Walsh speaking at a Sinn Féin commemoration for IRA Volunteer Charlie McGlade in Drimnagh, Dublin, September 2010
Born	1957 Short Strand, East Belfast, Northern Ireland
Allegiance	Provisional Irish Republican Army
Rank	Volunteer
Conflict	The Troubles

Séanna Walsh or Séanna Breathnach (born 1957) is a Sinn Féin member of Belfast City Council and a former volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

YouTube Encyclopedic

1/2
Views:
696
341

Transcription

Early life

Walsh was born in the Short Strand area of East Belfast but for a time lived in Ravenhill Avenue until loyalists intimidated the Walsh family out of their home. Séanna's great grandfather had been shot dead in the same area by B-Specials when Northern Ireland was founded.^[1]

IRA activity and imprisonment

In 1973, Walsh was arrested along with a number of fellow IRA men while robbing a bank and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. In Long Kesh prison, where he was entitled to Special Category Status as an IRA prisoner, he met and befriended Bobby Sands.^[1]

Séanna was released from prison in May 1976. Three months later he was arrested and charged with possession of a rifle and was sentenced to ten years in prison. By the time he arrived back in the H-Blocks, the British government had withdrawn Special Category status and the IRA members had commenced their blanket protest. Walsh refused to wear a prison uniform and went on to become one of the leaders of the blanket protest.^[1]

When the hunger strike ended in late 1981, Walsh became the Officer Commanding (OC) of the IRA prisoners in the H-Blocks. He was released after seven years and seven months. Upon his release, he married Sinéad Moore, a former republican prisoner. They had two daughters, the youngest of whom was only two weeks old when he was arrested again, caught making explosives and mortar bombs.^[1] He was sentenced to twenty-two years in prison. While on remand in Crumlin Road Gaol, Walsh again became OC of the IRA prisoners.^[1]

Release

At the age of forty-two, Walsh had spent over half his life, a total of twenty-one years, in jail. He was released along with other imprisoned IRA members under the provisions of the 1998 Belfast Agreement.^[2]

In July 2005, he appeared on a DVD reading out a statement from the IRA Army Council announcing the end to its armed campaign.^[3] In doing so, Walsh became the first IRA member since 1972 to represent the organisation without wearing a mask.^[4]

Working for reconciliation

In 2012, Walsh, along with other former paramilitaries, of both sides, participated in the launching of the Irish language edition of the Department of Education's From Prison to Peace education pack, intended for 14–16 years old pupils.^[5]

In February 2015, along with three other former members of the IRA, he met, in Derry, four former British Army soldiers who had served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The men talked about the reasons they had taken up arms, the consequences of their decision, and the prospects for a lasting peace.^[6]

Political career

In 2012 Walsh was working for Sinn Féin as head of its Irish language department.^[7] In 2015 he was co-opted by the party onto Belfast City Council for the District Electoral Area of Collin to replace Bill Groves.^[2] He held his seat at the 2019 council elections.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Morrison, Danny (16 August 2004). "An Issue of Trust". Andersonstown News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
^ ^a ^b Black, Rebecca (11 September 2015). "IRA veteran who called end to armed campaign to become SF councillor". Belfast Telegraph. Ireland. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
^ Chrisafis, Angelique (29 July 2005). "After 35 years of bombs and blood a quiet voice ends the IRA's war". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ Bird, Charlie (28 July 2015). "A Time for Peace". RTÉ. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ Cobain, Ian (25 May 2012). "Schools pack launched by republican and loyalist ex-prisoners". An Phoblacht. Belfast. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
^ Cobain, Ian (4 March 2015). "Road to reconciliation: ex-IRA members and British soldiers come face to face". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
^ Walsh, Séanna (January–March 2012). "Prisoners can help secure Peace in the Basque Country". IRIS - the Republican Magazine (25): 26–29. Retrieved 1 May 2019 – via Issuu.
^ Hughes, Brendan (23 April 2019). "Constituency Notebook: Belfast has key battles and high-profile candidates". Irish News. Retrieved 1 May 2019.; "Belfast City Council candidates". Election 2019. BBC. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Actions

1970–1979	Battle of St Matthew's Falls Curfew 1970 Crossmaglen bombing Scottish soldiers' killings Red Lion bombing Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall Street bombing Battle at Springmartin Battle of Lenadoon Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Newry customs bombing Old Bailey bombing Honey Trap killings King's Cross & Euston bombings Coleraine bombings 1973 Westminster bombing M62 bombing Clogher attack Houses of Parliament bombing Tower of London bombing Guildford pub bombings Harrow School bombing Brooks's Club bombing Woolwich pub bombing British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings London pillar box bombings Talbot Arms bombing Bristol bombing Telephone exchange bombings 1974 Oxford Street bombing Carlton Tower & Portman Hotel shootings Mountainview attack Bayardo Bar attack Forkhill attack Caterham Arms bombing Tullyvallen massacre London Hilton bombing Piccadilly bombing Trattoria Fiore bombing Scott's Oyster Bar bombing Walton's Restaurant bombing Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre Cannon Street train bombing West Ham station attack Olympia bombing Store bar shooting Stag Inn attack Garryhinch ambush Jonesborough Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Crossmaglen ambush Warrenpoint ambush Brussels bombing Dungannon attack
1980–1989	Dunmurry train bombing Lough Foyle attacks Glasdrumman ambush 1981 Bessbrook attack Chelsea Barracks bombing Hyde Park & Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Royal Artillery Barracks bombing Brighton hotel bombing Ballygawley land mine attack Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack Enniskillen mortar attack RUC Birches barracks attack Rheindahlen bombing Loughgall ambush Operation Flavius Corporals killings Lisburn bombing Aughanduff Lynx shootdown 1988 Netherlands attacks Glamorgan barracks bombing Inglis Barracks bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Clive Barracks bombing Deal barracks bombing Mayobridge attack Derryard attack
1990–1991	Derrygorry Gazelle downing South Armagh sniper Downpatrick roadside bomb Operation Conservation Carlton Club bombing 1990 Eltham bombing 1990 Wembley bombing Honourable Artillery Company bombing Lichfield gun attack RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing Street mortar attack Paddington & Victoria station bombings Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Coagh ambush Musgrave Park Hospital bombing Crumlin Road Prison bombing
1992–1997	Teebane bombing Clonoe ambush London Bridge bombing Staples Cnr bombing Baltic Exchange bombing Sussex Arms bombing Cloghoge attack Coalisland riots Forensic Science Laboratory bombing Stoke Newington Road bomb 1992 Manchester bombing Night of the Long Knives 1993 Harrods bombing Warrington bombings Cullaville occupation Camden bombing Bishopsgate bombing Finchley Road bombings Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing 1993 Fivemiletown ambush Heathrow attacks Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing Aldwych bus bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Hammersmith Bridge bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack 1997 Northern Ireland riots