Dolours Price
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dolours Price (16 December 1950 – 23 January 2013) was a
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
(IRA) volunteer. She grew up in an
Irish republican Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...
family and joined the IRA in 1971. She was sent to jail for her role in the
1973 Old Bailey bombing The 1973 Old Bailey bombing (dubbed as Bloody Thursday by newspapers in Britain) was a car bomb attack carried out by the Provisional IRA (IRA) which took place outside the Old Bailey Courthouse on 8 March 1973. The attack was carried out by an ...
, and released in 1981. In her later life, Price was a vocal opponent of the Irish peace process,
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
, and
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired 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. From 1983 to 19 ...
. She married actor Stephen Rea in 1983; they divorced in 2003.


Early life and education

Dolours Price was born on 16 December 1950 in
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. She and her sister, Marian, also an IRA member, were the daughters of Albert Price, a prominent
Irish republican Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...
and former IRA member from
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
, and Christina (née Dolan), a member of Cumann na mBan. Both parents were imprisoned at different times. The name Dolours derives from the " dolours'" (sorrows) of the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
; however, the family was not particularly religious. Christina's sister Bridie Dolan was blinded and lost both hands in an accident handling IRA explosives, and lived with the family. Dolours attended St Dominic's Grammar School on the Falls Road, a classmate of Mary Leneghan (later McAleese; later president of the Irish Republic, 1997–2011). She then qualified as a trainee teacher at St Mary's College, Belfast, in 1968.


Paramilitary activity

Both Dolours and her sister Marian Price became involved in
Irish republicanism Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish Republic, Irish republic, void of any British rule in Ireland, British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously ...
in the late 1960s. They participated in the Belfast to Derry civil rights march in January 1969 and were attacked in the Burntollet Bridge incident. In 1971, together with Marian, she joined the
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
(IRA). In 1972 she joined an elite group within the IRA called "The Unknowns," commanded by Pat McClure. The Unknowns were tasked with various secretive activities and transported several accused traitors across the border into the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
, where they were "disappeared". She later stated that she had driven Joe Lynskey across the border to face trial. In addition she stated that she, Pat McClure, and a third Unknown were tasked with killing Jean McConville, with the third Unknown actually shooting her. She led the car bombing attacks, known as the
Old Bailey bombing The 1973 Old Bailey bombing (dubbed as Bloody Thursday by newspapers in Britain) was a car bomb attack carried out by the Provisional IRA (IRA) which took place outside the Old Bailey Courthouse on 8 March 1973. The attack was carried out by an ...
, in London on 8 March 1973, which injured over 200 people and is believed to have contributed to the death of one person who suffered a fatal heart attack. The two sisters were arrested, along with Gerry Kelly, Hugh Feeney, and six others on the day of the bombing as they were boarding a flight to Ireland. They were tried and convicted at the Great Hall in
Winchester Castle Winchester Castle is a medieval building in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1067. Only the Great Hall still stands; it houses a museum of the history of Winchester. History Early history Around AD 70 the Romans constructed a ...
on 1973. Although originally sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...
, which was to run concurrently for each criminal charge, their sentence was eventually reduced to 20 years. Both sisters immediately went on a
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
, demanding to be moved to a women's prison in Northern Ireland. The hunger strike lasted for 208 days because the women were force-fed by prison authorities for 165 days. This was done by holding their mouths open with callipers, while liquid nourishment was poured into a tube into their throats. After this process was stopped on 18 May 1974, the sisters continued their strike until 7 June. The International Medical Council later ruled the practice of force-feeding hunger strikers unethical. On the back of the hunger-striking campaign, her father contested West Belfast at the UK General Election of February 1974, receiving 5,662 votes (11.9%). The Price sisters, Gerry Kelly, and Hugh Feeney were moved to Northern Ireland prisons in 1975 as a result of an IRA truce. In 1980 Price received the
Royal Prerogative of Mercy In the English and British tradition, the royal prerogative of mercy is one of the historic royal prerogatives of the British monarch, by which they can grant pardons (informally known as a royal pardon) to convicted persons. The royal prer ...
, and was freed on humanitarian grounds in 1981 (having served seven years), suffering from
anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...
brought on by her experience of fasting and force-feeding. Price's health improved after her release but she struggled with disordered eating throughout the remainder of her life. The Price sisters remained active politically. In the late 1990s, Price and her sister claimed that they had been threatened by their former colleagues in the IRA and
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
for publicly opposing the
Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...
(i.e. the cessation of the IRA's military campaign). Price was a contributor to ''The Blanket'', an online journal edited by former Provisional IRA member Anthony McIntyre, until it ceased publication in 2008. In her articles, she accused several former colleagues of betraying the cause of Irish republicanism.


Personal life

After her release in 1980, she married Irish actor Stephen Rea, with whom she had two sons, Danny and Oscar. They divorced in 2003.


Later life

In 2001, Price was arrested in
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
and charged with possession of stolen prescription pads and forged prescriptions. She pleaded guilty and was fined £200 and ordered to attend
Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...
meetings. In her later life she struggled with depression,
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
, and alcohol and drug addiction. In February 2010, it was reported by ''
The Irish News ''The Irish News'' is a Compact (newspaper), compact daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's largest-selling morning newspaper and is available throughout Ireland. It is broadly Irish nationalist in its viewp ...
'' that Price had offered help to the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains in locating graves of three men, Joe Lynskey, Seamus Wright, and Kevin McKee. The bodies of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee were recovered from a singular grave in
County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
in August 2015. It is unclear if Price played a role in their recovery. The remains of Joe Lynskey had not been recovered .


Allegations against Gerry Adams

In 2010, Price claimed
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired 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. From 1983 to 19 ...
had been her
officer commanding The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually giv ...
when she was active in the IRA. Adams, who has always denied being a member of the IRA, denied her allegation. Price admitted taking part in the murder of Jean McConville, as part of an IRA action in 1972. She claimed the murder of McConville, a mother of 10, was ordered by Adams when he was an IRA leader in West Belfast. Adams further denied Price's allegations, stating that the reason for them was that she was opposed to the IRA's abandonment of paramilitary warfare in favour of politics in 1994, in the facilitation of which Adams had been a key figure.


Boston College tapes

Oral historians from
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
's Belfast Project interviewed both Price and her fellow IRA paramilitary Brendan Hughes between 2001 and 2006. The two gave detailed interviews for the historical record of the activities in the IRA, which were recorded on condition that the content of the interviews was not to be released during their lifetimes. Prior to Price's death, in May 2011, the
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it ...
(PSNI)
subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...
ed the material, possibly as part of an investigation into the disappearance of a number of people in Northern Ireland during the 1970s. In June 2011, the college filed a
motion to quash A motion to quash is a request to a court or other tribunal to render a previous decision or proceeding null or invalid. The exact usage of motions to quash depends on the rules of the particular court or tribunal. In some cases, motions to qua ...
the subpoena. A spokesman for the college stated that "our position is that the premature release of the tapes could threaten the safety of the participants, the enterprise of oral history, and the ongoing peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland." In June 2011, US federal prosecutors asked a judge to require the college to release the tapes to comply with treaty obligations with the United Kingdom. On 6 July 2012, the
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maine * District of Massachusetts ...
agreed with the government's position that the subpoena should stand. On 17 October 2012, the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
temporarily blocked the college from handing over the interview tapes. In January 2013 Price died, and in April 2013, the Supreme Court turned away an appeal that sought to keep the interviews from being supplied to the PSNI. The order left in place a lower court ruling that ordered Boston College to give the
Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
portions of recorded interviews with Price. Federal officials wanted to forward the recordings to police investigating the murder of Jean McConville.


Death

On 24 January 2013, Price was found dead at her
Malahide Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of 18,608 as per the 2022 ...
,
County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...
home, from a toxic effect of mixing prescribed sedative and anti-depressant medication. The inquest returned a verdict of
death by misadventure In the United Kingdom, death by misadventure is the recorded manner of death for an accidental death caused by a risk taken voluntarily. Misadventure in English law, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is ...
. Her body was buried at Milltown Cemetery in West Belfast.


In books and on screen

In 2018, the non-fiction book '' Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland'' by journalist Patrick Radden Keefe was published. Price's story and the disappearance of Jean McConville are central to the narrative. The book became a best-seller. Price was the subject of the 2019 feature-length documentary film directed by Maurice Sweeney, called ''I, Dolours''. The film drew extensively on her filmed interview with journalist Ed Moloney in 2010. In the 2024 TV limited series '' Say Nothing'', based on Keefe's book, Price is portrayed by Lola Petticrew and
Maxine Peake Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in ''Dinnerladies (TV series), dinnerladies'', a sitcom on BBC One (1998–2000), as List of Shameless (British TV series) characters#Vero ...
.


References


Further reading

* Keefe, Patrick Radden. ''Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland''. New York: Doubleday, 2019. * Clutterbuck, Richard. ''Kidnap and Ransom''. Boston: Faber & Faber, 1978.


External links


Marian Price interview: Old Bailey bomber ashamed of Sinn Fein
8 December 2004
On This Day: 4 November: 1973: IRA gang convicted of London bombings
BBC

- articles she wrote for ''The Blanket'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Price, Dolours 1950 births 2013 deaths Paramilitaries from Belfast Provisional Irish Republican Army members Recipients of British royal pardons Republicans imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict People from Malahide Accidental deaths in the Republic of Ireland People educated at St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls