Tommy McKearney (b. 1952, Moy, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) is an Irish Republican, and former hunger striker and member (volunteer) within the Provisional Irish Republican Army.^[1][2] 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Moy is a village located  8 km (5 miles) from Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. ... Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official languages English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Office... Irish Republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... A Republican mural in Belfast depicting the hunger strikes of 1981. ...

Background

McKearney was born into a family with a long republican tradition. Both his grandfathers had fought in the Irish Republican Army in the Irish War of Independence, his maternal grandfather Tom Murray was an Adjutant General in the North Roscommon Brigade.^[1][3] McKearney has lost three of his brothers during the Troubles. Sean was killed by his own bomb in 1974, Pádraig was killed by the SAS in Loughgall in 1987, and Kevin, a non-paramilitary, was killed by Loyalists in 1992 while working in the family's butcher shop.^[4] The Seán Hogan Flying column during the War of Independence. ... Combatants Irish Republic United Kingdom Commanders Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Cathal Brugha Important local IRA leaders Henry Hugh Tudor Strength Irish Republican Army c. ... An adjutant general is the chief administrative officer to a military general. ... For the UK post-rock band, see Troubles (band) The Troubles is a term used to describe the latest installment of periodic communal violence involving Republican and Loyalist paramilitary organisations, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the British Army and others in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s until the late... Pádraig McKearney (1955 – 1987), was a Provisional IRA volunteer. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army, and arguably the most well trained special forces unit in current existence. ... Loughgall is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. ... The term Ulster Loyalist is used to describe militant unionists from Northern Ireland. ...

IRA membership

McKearney joined the IRA in 1971 aged 18, and was a member of the East Tyrone Brigade.^[5][6] He became the brigade's Officer Commanding during the mid seventies.^[5] On 19 October 1977 he was arrested and charged with the murder of Stanley Adams, a postman and part-time Ulster Defence Regiment member. McKearney was interrogated for seven days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and claims to have been ill-treated while in custody. McKearney later received a twenty year sentence for the murder of Adams, after a statement which he never signed was accepted by the court on the word of a Royal Ulster Constabulary Inspector.^[7] The Provisional IRAs East Tyrone Brigade was one of the most active Republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland over the course of the Troubles. They are believed to have drawn their membership from right across the eastern side of County Tyrone as well as north Monaghan and south Londonderry. ... The Officer Commanding (OC) is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size) in British and Commonwealth military usage. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... UDR Badge The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... The Prevention of Terrorism Acts were a series of Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1989, which conferred emergency powers upon police forces where they suspected terrorism. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ...

Hunger strike

McKearney was involved in the blanket and dirty protests, then took part in the 1980 hunger strike, along with fellow IRA members Brendan Hughes, Raymond McCartney, Tom McFeeley, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and Irish National Liberation Army member John Nixon.^[8]. McKearney spent 53 days on hunger strike, from 27 October to 18 December, and according to a doctor had only a few hours left to live when the strike was called off.^[9] The blanket protest was part of a dispute involving Provisional IRA and Irish National Liberation Army prisoners held in the Maze prison (Long Kesh) in Northern Ireland. ... The dirty protest was part of a dispute (see also Blanket protest) between Irish republican paramilitary prisoners and the prison authorities at the Maze prison (Long Kesh) and Armagh Womens Prison which ran from September 1976 until October 1981. ... A mural in Derrys Bogside, commemorating Irish hunger strikers. ... Brendan The Dark Hughes (b. ... Raymond McCartney (b. ... The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is an Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed on December 8, 1974. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... In the Gregorian Calendar, December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years), at which point there will be 13 days remaining to the end of the year. ...

Release

McKearney was released from prison in 1993, having served 16 years of his sentence, and joined Ruairí Ó Brádaigh's Republican Sinn Féin.^[4][10] In 2003 he appeared in the BBC documentary Life After Life with former Ulster Volunteer Force prisoner Billy Mitchell.^[11] He now works as a freelance journalist and is an organiser for the Independent Workers Union.^[12] Ruairí Ó Brádaigh Ruairí Ó Brádaigh (born 1932) is an Irish republican. ... Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) is a political party[2] operating in Ireland. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) are a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ... A freelancer or freelance worker is a self-employed person working in a profession or trade in which full-time employment is also common. ...

References

Peter Taylor is a British journalist and documentary maker who has covered the Troubles in Northern Ireland for many years. ... Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is an independent, London-based publishing house known for literary novels. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1961 Pan Books edition of Ian Flemings James Bond novel Goldfinger is an example of the type of publication for which Pan Books became popular. ... For the council communist journal , see International Council Correspondence. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday newspaper published by Thomas Crosbie Holdings Limited. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

External links

• Official site
• Independent Workers Union