Proinsias Mac Airt

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Clonard area of Belfast

Proinsias Mac Airt (English: Frank Card) (18 April 1922 – 8 January 1992

Irish republican activist and long-serving member of the Irish Republican Army
.

Early years

Mac Airt was born in

Border Campaign of 1956-1962.[3]

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

Jimmy Steele who had died soon after being appointed editor.[5] Despite his advancing age Mac Airt also became involved in the gun battles that raged between the republicans from Falls and loyalists from the neighbouring Shankill Road.[6] As a consequence Mac Airt became one of the leaders of the nascent PIRA in Belfast.[7] Mac Airt was publicly named as a leading republican by General Anthony Farrar-Hockley who had commanded the British Army present during the clashes and with whom Mac Airt had held failed negotiations at the scene of conflict.[8] He served as Adjutant to Billy McKee, who was first commander of the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade.[9] According to Brendan Hughes Mac Airt's Kane Street home doubled as Belfast Brigade headquarters at this early stage in the movement's history.[10]

On 15 April 1971 Mac Airt, along with Billy McKee, was arrested by the

Official IRA and Irish National Liberation Army eventually added.[13]

Later activity

Mac Airt was involved in the talks held between republicans and clergymen from various

Protestant 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.[14]

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.[15]

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.[16]

Death

Mac Airt died in 1992 at the age of 69. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams delivered the graveside oration at his funeral, describing him as "a radical in the Connolly tradition".[17]

References

  1. ^ IRA Memorial Garden (South Link)
  2. ^ Ancestry: Proinsias Mac Airt LifeStory
  3. ^ a b c Richard English, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, London, 2004, p. 112
  4. ^ Brian Feeney, Sinn Féin: A Hundred Turbulent Years, Dublin, 2002, p. 261
  5. ^ English, Armed Struggle, p. 115
  6. ^ Tim Pat Coogan, The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal 1966–1995 and the Search for Peace, Hutchinson, 1995, p. 89
  7. ^ Coogan, The Troubles, p. 112
  8. ^ Tim Pat Coogan, The IRA, Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, p. 373
  9. ^ Ed Moloney, Voices from the Grave: Two Men's War in Ireland, Faber & Faber, 2011, p. 47
  10. ^ Moloney, Voices from the Grave, p. 51
  11. ISBN 0-14-101041-X
    .
  12. ^ Roy Garland, Gusty Spence, Blackstaff Press, 2001, p. 120
  13. ^ Garland, Gusty Spence, pp. 167–168
  14. ^ English, Armed Struggle, pp. 178–179
  15. ^ Patrick Bishop & Eamonn Mallie, The Provisional IRA, Corgi Books, 1994, p. 285
  16. ISBN 978-0-692-04283-0
    .
  17. ^ English, Armed Struggle, pp. 112–113
Media offices
Preceded by
Jimmy Steele
 Editor of Republican News
1970–1973 		Succeeded by
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