Proinsias MacAirt
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Proinsias Mac Airt (English: Frank Card) (18 April 1922 – 8 January 1992) was 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 ...
activist and long-serving member of the
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
.


Early years

Mac Airt was born 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 ...
in April 1922. He first 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 ...
as a boy when he joined the
Fianna Éireann Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna ("Soldiers of Ireland"), is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in se ...
.Richard English, ''Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA'', London, 2004, p. 112 His first imprisonment was in 1942 when the youthful Mac Airt was sent to jail for illegal military foot drilling. Mac Airt was later
interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...
during the
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
's Border Campaign of 1956-1962.


Founding the PIRA

Having retired at some earlier point Mac Airt returned to the republican movement in 1969, throwing his lot in with the newly established
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 ...
(PIRA) and their political arm Provisional Sinn Féin. Indeed, in early 1970 his Padraig Pearse '' cumann'', which he set up in the Clonard area of the Falls Road, was the first branch of Provisional Sinn Féin established in Belfast and proved central to the growth of the dissident party in the city. In August 1970 Mac Airt was appointed editor of the Belfast-based '' Republican News'', succeeding Jimmy Steele who had died soon after being appointed editor. Despite his advancing age Mac Airt also became involved in the gun battles that raged between the republicans from Falls and
loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
from the neighbouring Shankill Road. As a consequence Mac Airt became one of the leaders of the nascent PIRA in Belfast. Mac Airt was publicly named as a leading republican by General Anthony Farrar-Hockley who had commanded the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
present during the clashes and with whom Mac Airt had held failed negotiations at the scene of conflict. He served as Adjutant to Billy McKee, who was first commander of the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade. According to Brendan Hughes Mac Airt's Kane Street home doubled as Belfast Brigade headquarters at this early stage in the movement's history. On 15 April 1971 Mac Airt, along with Billy McKee, was arrested by the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
when found in possession of a handgun. Both men were sentenced under the Explosive Substances Act 1883 and sent to Crumlin Road Gaol. In the prison the two men were recognised as the leaders of the republican prisoners, a role held by Gusty Spence on the loyalist side. Mac Airt and McKee co-operated informally with Spence to maintain order until they agreed to establish an official Camp Council. The make-up of this group saw Mac Airt and McKee representing the PIRA, Spence and an associate identified only as "Robert" representing the
Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from North ...
and Ned McCreery and James Craig as
Ulster Defence Association The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 as an umbrella group for various loyalist groups and undertook an armed campaign of almost 24 years as one of t ...
delegates, with members of the
Official IRA The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; ) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a " workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland. It emerg ...
and
Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ) is an Irish republicanism, Irish republican Socialism, socialist paramilitary group formed on 8 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seeks to remove ...
eventually added.


Later activity

Mac Airt was involved in the talks held between republicans and clergymen from various
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
churches held at Feakle on 12 December 1974. Whilst the talks produced little Mac Airt was one of those who maintained contact with the clergymen. Indeed, on 19 January 1975 one of the ministers, Rev William Arlow of the Irish Council of Churches, even introduced Mac Airt and his ally Jimmy Drumm to British government officials Michael Oatley and James Allan in an attempt to have the republican grievances heard. Although a new generation of leaders emerged in the PIRA and Sinn Féin Mac Airt remained an influential veteran. He was close to Danny Morrison and Tom Hartley and helped to ensure the removal of Seán Caughey from the editorship of ''Republican News'' in 1975 and his replacement by Morrison.


Irish Songs of Freedom

In 1968 Mac Airt recorded two vocal songs; Croppy Boy and Flag of the Fianna on the LP record 'Irish Songs of Freedom' produced for the Outlet Recording Co. Ltd, Belfast.


Death

Mac Airt died in 1992 at the age of 69.
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 ...
President
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 ...
delivered the graveside oration at his funeral, describing him as "a radical in the Connolly tradition".English, ''Armed Struggle'', pp. 112–113


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Airt, Proinsias 1922 births 1992 deaths Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members Irish republicans interned without trial Paramilitaries from Belfast Provisional Irish Republican Army members Republicans imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict Sinn Féin politicians