Martin Ferris
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Martin Ferris (born 28 March 1952) is a former Irish
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
politician and former
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
(IRA) volunteer who served as a
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...
(TD) from 2002 to 2020.


Early and personal life

Ferris was born in Strand Street in Tralee,
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, in 1952. His father was a farmer who was also a caretaker for Barrow House, which was at that time owned by an aunt. He was educated locally at Barrow National School, before going on to
St Mary's CBS (The Green) St Mary's CBS (also known as Tralee CBS or, more usually, "The Green") is a Christian Brothers secondary school in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. The school had 620 students on roll. Sport In 2007 the school won the Munster Colleges Senior ...
and Tralee Technical School. He left school early, working on his family's farm and as a fisherman. His father died from a stroke in 1970. Martin met his wife, Máire (''née'' Hoare), after his release from
Portlaoise Prison Portlaoise Prison ( ga, Príosún Phort Laoise) is a maximum security prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. Until 1929 it was called the Maryborough Gaol. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium secur ...
in 1977. They married in January 1978 and have six children. A daughter, Toiréasa, is a former Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of
Kerry County Council Kerry County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chiarraí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kerry, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and c ...
and
Kerry County Council Kerry County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chiarraí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kerry, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and c ...
lor for the Tralee electoral area.


Gaelic football career

Ferris played in the Cotter Cup at the under-14 age group as a back. He played as centre forward for
Churchill GAA Churchill GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based near Spa outside Tralee in County Kerry, Ireland. They play in Division 1 of the county league and in the Kerry Junior Football Championship. All-Ireland medal winner Pat McCarthy p ...
. He began his inter-county career in 1972 playing Under-21 football for
Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...
. He lined out as a forward, beating
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
at the Munster final, although the team was beaten by
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
at the All Ireland Final. Despite being on the run, he was selected in 1973. He won an All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship medal with Kerry, beating
Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
2–12 to 0–13. His career was interrupted by his imprisonment later that year. After being released he resumed playing for Churchill and was selected by Mick O'Dwyer to play for the Seniors in 1978. Ferris left the Kerry training panel after the Munster final that year (in which he was unable to play), owing to poor health and Garda Special Branch surveillance.


IRA activity

Ferris joined the
Provisional IRA The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, fa ...
shortly after the death of his father on 29 May 1970. Aged 18, he was sworn in by Paddy Kelly and Liam Cotter, a former vice-chairman of the Kerry County Board of the GAA. The IRA in Kerry was under the direction of the IRA's Southern Command, whose main responsibility was to support IRA activity in
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. From September 1974 to February 1975, Ferris was on the run. He was suspected of having taken part in a robbery at the Tralee post office, which resulted in £74,000 being stolen, and a robbery at the Chase Manhattan Bank in
Shannon, County Clare Shannon () or Shannon Town (), named after the river near which it stands, is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limeric ...
in December 1974 which led to the theft of £159,000. He was arrested by Gardaí in
Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...
,
County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
, on 14 February 1975, along with two other IRA members, viz., Danny O'Sullivan and Robert McNamara. The Gardaí had been on the alert after a robbery at Central Dairies in
Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...
,
County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...
. They were later tried by the Special Criminal Court where O'Sullivan was sentenced to six and eight years concurrently. Ferris was not convicted of robbery but was remanded to
Portlaoise Prison Portlaoise Prison ( ga, Príosún Phort Laoise) is a maximum security prison in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland. Until 1929 it was called the Maryborough Gaol. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium secur ...
pending further charges of membership in the IRA as a proscribed organisation. He was sentenced to 12 months in Portlaoise. He was released after nine months in November 1975. He was arrested again in February 1976 at a Garda roadblock in Ballinrobe,
County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
after attending the funeral of Frank Stagg. On 16 February, he was charged with IRA membership at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, and sentenced to 18 months in prison. In March 1977, Ferris took part in a hunger strike along with 20 other prisoners, demanding a public inquiry into conditions in the prison. After 32 days he was transferred to Curragh Military Hospital. The hunger strike ended after 47 days. A guarantee had been given to the prisoners by Bishop James Kavanagh that the government would work to improve prison conditions. Although conditions improved somewhat, Tim Pat Coogan—a nationalist historian and former editor of ''
The Irish Press ''The Irish Press'' (Irish: ''Scéala Éireann'') was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995. Foundation The paper's first issue was published on the eve of the 1931 All-Ireland ...
''—noted that after a visit in 1977 tensions still remained, and mentioned reports of visitors being denied visits after long distances and that strip searching was still carried out. Ferris was released two months later in June 1977. In September 1984, Ferris attempted to import seven tons of explosives, firearms and ammunition, as well as medications, training manuals, and communications equipment, using the fishing vessel ''Marita Ann'', which was piloted by Mike Browne, another IRA member. The plan involved rendezvousing with the trawler ''Valhalla'', captained by Bob Anderson, which sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, transferring arms and ammunition to the ''Marita Ann'' and sailing to the south coast of County Kerry, where a number of cars were on standby to deliver the weapons to various Provisional IRA arms dumps. The ''Marita Ann'' was intercepted by the
Irish Navy The Naval Service ( ga, An tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh) is the maritime component of the Defence Forces of Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork. Though preceded by earlier mar ...
vessels the LÉ ''Emer'' and the LÉ ''Aisling'' off the south coast of Kerry with the weapons and ammunition on board. The crew were arrested. On 11 December 1984, Ferris and two other members of the ''Marita Ann'' crew, including Browne and a United States citizen, John Crawley, were sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Portlaoise Prison. Gavin Mortimer and John McCarthy both received suspended sentences. He was released on 11 September 1994. In February 2005, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, using
parliamentary privilege Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties. ...
, named Ferris—as well as
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020 ...
and
Martin McGuinness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness ( ga, Séamus Máirtín Pacelli Mag Aonghusa; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman from Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during ...
—as a member of the IRA Army Council, an allegation that has been denied by Ferris and the Sinn Féin leadership. In July of that year, the ''
Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...
'' reported that Ferris, along with Adams and McGuinness, had stepped down from the Army Council in the lead-up to an IRA statement on its future. Ferris has courted controversy by his refusal to condemn the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe during a botched Post Office raid by the Provisional IRA in 1996. Ferris had also greeted Pearse McAuley and Kevin Walsh, the men charged with the manslaughter of Garda McCabe, upon their release from prison as part of the Good Friday Agreement.


Political career


Kerry County Council

Following his release from prison he began focusing on community activism, particularly against drug dealing in Kerry. He was appointed to the Sinn Féin Árd Chomhairle in 1995. He ran for election to the Dáil at the 1997 general election in the Kerry North constituency, polling 5,691 first-preference votes, but was not elected. At the 1999 local elections he was elected to Kerry County Council and Tralee town council, though he failed to be elected to the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
in an election held on the same day.


Dáil Éireann

Ferris was first elected to
Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
at the 2002 general election for Kerry North, topping the poll and unseating former
Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
Dick Spring. During the election campaign Ferris was arrested but later released. He later claimed that he had been verbally and physically assaulted while in Garda custody. His biographer J.J. Barrett described the Garda surveillance of Ferris as "unhealthy", writing that "it was to backfire seriously". He was re-elected in Kerry North at the 2007 general election, moving successfully to Kerry North–West Limerick for the 2011 general election and in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
to the
Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...
constituency, again successfully. In the
31st Dáil 31 (thirty-one) is the natural number following 30 and preceding 32. It is a prime number. In mathematics 31 is the 11th prime number. It is a superprime and a self prime (after 3, 5, and 7), as no integer added up to its base 10 digits ...
he was the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development, and also on the Marine and Natural Resources. At the 2017 Sinn Féin Ard Fheis,
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams ( ga, Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh; born 6 October 1948) is an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020 ...
confirmed neither himself nor Ferris would be standing at the
2020 Irish general election The 2020 Irish general election took place on Saturday 8 February, to elect the 33rd Dáil, the lower house of Ireland's parliament. The election was called following the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil by the president, at the request of the Ta ...
.


References


Sources

*Barrett, J.J.; "Martin Ferris: Man of Kerry", ,


External links


Martin Ferris's page on the Sinn Féin websiteAn Phoblacht Interview: ''Martin Ferris – a life in struggle''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferris, Martin 1952 births Living people Churchill Gaelic footballers Irish republicans Irish sportsperson-politicians Kerry inter-county Gaelic footballers Local councillors in County Kerry Members of the 29th Dáil Members of the 30th Dáil Members of the 31st Dáil Members of the 32nd Dáil People convicted of arms trafficking Politicians from County Kerry Provisional Irish Republican Army members Republicans imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict Sinn Féin TDs (post-1923)