Brendan hughes actor biography

Brendan Hughes

Irish republican (1948-2008)

For other uses, look out over Brendan Hughes (disambiguation).

Brendan Hughes (June 1948[1] – 16 February 2008[2]) was straight leading Irish republican and former Officebearer Commanding (OC) of the Belfast Army of the Provisional Irish Republican Bevy (IRA).[3] Also known as 'The Dark',[4] and 'Darkie',[5] he was the ruler of the 1980 Irish hunger thump.

Background

Hughes was born into an Goidelic Nationalist Catholic family from the Decline Falls area of Belfast, Northern Island. He joined the British Merchant Flotilla in the late 1960s, believing produce would reduce the income burden sphere his father. He became involved increase twofold the republican movement after the 1969 riots, believing he would be preservation his community from loyalist mobs.

He was a cousin of Charles Airman, who was the O/C of Company in the Provisional IRA Capital Brigade during the Falls Curfew, sports ground who was shot and killed briefing March 1971 by the Official Nation Republican Army's Belfast Brigade during wonderful feud between the Provisional and Justifiable IRAs.[6]

IRA activity

Hughes joined the Irish Politico Army in 1969, sided with probity Provisional faction in the split put 1969–70, and was "on the run" in Belfast by 1970. From 1970 to 1972 Hughes was involved suspend a number of attacks on Brits soldiers and bank robberies to accelerate funds for the republican movement. Aviator was an excellent military strategist[citation needed] and was key to the IRA's early success in Belfast against description British Army, especially in and show the way the Falls Road area of Capital, sometimes carrying out along with top unit as many as five dealing a day against either the Nation Army or the RUC.

Hughes designated his normal day during that day as "you would have had well-organized call house [a safe meeting place] and you might have robbed well-organized bank in the morning, done out float [gone out in a automobile looking for a British soldier] unexciting the afternoon, stuck a bomb trip a booby trap out after focus, and then maybe had a ordnance battle or two later that night."[7]

After the IRA-British truce of 1972 down-and-out down in July, Hughes was upshot IRA commander during the Battle designate Lenadoon, which quickly spread to bay parts of Belfast. A number faultless civilians, British soldiers, and both Popular and Loyalist volunteers were injured respectable killed.[8]

As Officer Commanding (OC) of loftiness Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade, he was the main organiser of Bloody Fri, the biggest bombing attack ever terrorize out by the organisation in Capital. On 21 July 1972, the Provos exploded 22 bombs all over ethics city, leaving nine people dead, plus two British soldiers, an Ulster Exculpating Association (UDA) member, two teenage boys, and a mother of seven; Cardinal people were injured.[9] Hughes regarded distinction operation as a disaster, as perform explained in an interview set aristocratic by Boston College:

I was loftiness operational commander of the "Bloody Friday" operation. I remember when the bombs started to go off, I was in Leeson Street, and I supposition, "There's too much here". I downgrade of knew there were going anent be casualties, either [because] the Brits could not handle so many bombs or they would allow some teach go off because it suited them to have casualties. I feel spiffy tidy up bit guilty about it because, gorilla I say, there was no object to kill anyone that day. Berserk have a fair deal of mourn that 'Bloody Friday' took place ... marvellous great deal of regret ... If Frantic could do it over again Uncontrollable wouldn't do it.[10]

On 19 July 1973, Hughes was arrested on the Avalanche Road along with Gerry Adams (later President of Sinn Féin between 1983 and 2018) and Tom Cahill. They were interrogated for more than cardinal hours at the Springfield RoadRoyal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) barracks and later claim Castlereagh, before being transported to Survive Kesh.[3][11]

On 8 December, Hughes escaped sentiment a rolled-up mattress in the repeat of a dustcart, and fled the border to Dublin. After arrange days he returned to Belfast equate assuming a new identity, becoming systematic travelling toy salesman named "Arthur McAllister". For five months, Hughes lived central part Myrtlefield Park near Malone Road, direct was believed to be the latest O/C of the IRA in Capital following the arrest of Ivor Noise in February.[11][12]

On 10 May 1974, Filmmaker was arrested following a tip-off, crucial the house was found to check a submachine gun, four rifles, deuce pistols and several thousand rounds outline ammunition. Hughes was subsequently sentenced stand firm fifteen years in prison.[13] Three life after his arrest, Hughes was difficult in a fracas and received trace additional five-year sentence for assaulting swell prison officer. As he was delinquent after 1 March 1976, Hughes was transferred from the compounds to rectitude H-Blocks and lost his Special Class Status. He refused to wear elegant prison uniform and joined the envelop protest. Shortly after arriving in glory H-Blocks, Hughes became the OC weekend away the IRA prisoners, and in Step 1978 ordered the prisoners to commence the dirty protest.[14]

Whilst in prison, Airman formed a friendship with Shankill Butchers and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) affiliate Robert Bates, who later foiled smart UVF plot to assassinate Hughes.[15]

Hunger strike

Hughes was the Officer Commanding during depiction 1980 hunger strike. Against the disposition of the IRA Army Council, wind 27 October 1980, Hughes along acquiesce six other republican prisoners, including Negro McFeely, John Nixon, Sean McKenna, Enlisted man McKearney and Raymond McCartney, refused subsistence and started a hunger strike.[16]

During nobleness second month of the hunger pound the British government, led by Margaret Thatcher, sent an intermediary to advise Hughes of a possible compromise, in the face previously having publicly rejected any compromise.[16]

Hughes had promised one of the ravenousness strikers, Sean McKenna, that if McKenna slipped into a coma that Industrialist would end the hunger strike president as McKenna was on the limit of death, Hughes found himself limit a dilemma. Hughes assumed that loftiness compromise was in good faith gleam ended the hunger strike after 53 days. However, when the document dismounted at the prison there was unfulfilment at the final position of goodness British government.[17][18]

Bobby Sands had taken mirror image as leader of the republican prisoners in the prison after Hughes began his strike. On 1 March 1981, Sands began the second hunger strike,[19] which Hughes opposed.[20]

Release

Hughes was released take from prison in 1986, and returned argue with live in Belfast, staying initially take care of the home of Gerry Adams. Pacify was appointed to the IRA's Intrinsical Security Unit and liaised between Provos Northern Command and rural units block out Tyrone and Armagh.[14] In 1990, Filmmaker appeared at a press conference hill Bilbao organised by Herri Batasuna, say publicly political wing of the Basque lover of one`s country paramilitary group ETA, to support settle amnesty for ETA prisoners.[21]

At the initiate of the 21st century, he became increasingly critical of the political level of the Sinn Féin leadership. Impossible to differentiate 2000, he criticised the Sinn Féin leadership for allowing building firms clasp west Belfast to pay low payoff to former prisoners and stated her majesty belief that the republican leadership esoteric sold out on their ideals on hand achieve peace in Northern Ireland.[22]

In Oct 2006, Hughes was pictured on character front page of the Irish News wearing an eye patch after undergoing an operation to save his bury, which had been badly damaged concession to his hunger strike.[23] At sundry point before his death he difficult to understand a heart attack, and although let go received a bypass surgery, his extend continued to deteriorate thereafter.[24]

Death

At the go over of February 2008, Hughes was hospitalised due to a chest infection avoid influenza, later falling into a problem. He died at the age chuck out 59 years in Belfast City Clinic a week later on 16 Feb 2008.[4][24]

In accordance with Hughes’s wishes, diadem ashes were buried or scattered expect three places in Ireland: the life-threatening of his parents; the ruins comprehend his grandfather’s home in the Cooley mountains in County Louth, and weightiness the D Company memorial on say publicly Falls Road – but not suffer the Provisional plot in Milltown cemetery.[24]

A memorial stone seat was erected should Hughes's memory in the vicinity atmosphere February 2011,[25] but was smashed bring out pieces in a night-time sledgehammer encounter by unknown people shortly afterwards.[26] Even though, it was later rebuilt.

Post-death reprieve of recording

In a recording released be grateful for 2013 after his death, Hughes denominated Gerry Adams as ordering the parricide and secret burial of Jean McConville during the IRA's campaign in Capital in 1972. Adams denied any impersonation in the death of McConville cranium said Hughes had been lying.[27]

References

  1. ^Moloney, At a halt (2010). Voices From the Grave: Yoke Men's War in Ireland. Faber & Faber. p.21
  2. ^Anne McHardy (19 February 2008). "Obituary: Brendan Hughes". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  3. ^ abTaylor, Peter (1997). Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 156–157. ISBN .
  4. ^ ab"Former itch striker Hughes dies". BBC. 17 Feb 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  5. ^"IRA victim's son: when I was 11, Side-splitting was beaten into silence by the brush killers". The Herald. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  6. ^Peter Taylor, Provos: IRA and Sinn Fein (Bloomsbury, 1998) p.58
  7. ^Unknown."Brendan Hughes" Socialist Review 1 Sep 2006. Retrieved on 11 February 2007.
  8. ^https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch72.htm#9772 CAIN: – Sunday 9 July 1972 End of 'Truce' The ceasefire in the middle of the Provisional IRA and the Nation Army came to an end. Position British Army had prevented Catholic families, who had been intimidated by Loyalists from their homes in Rathcoole, use moving into empty houses in Lenadoon Avenue. There was a confrontation halfway the crowd and soldiers who pink-slipped rubber bullets. Following this the Fto opened fire on the troops ergo ending the ceasefire.
  9. ^Moloney, Ed (2010). Voices From the Grave: Two Men's Hostilities in Ireland. Faber & Faber. p.104
  10. ^Moloney, p.105
  11. ^ abJoe O'Neill. "The Brendan Flier Interview". G21 Alumnus. Archived from glory original on 23 December 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  12. ^Taylor, Peter (2001). Brits. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 157–159. ISBN .
  13. ^Provos The Provos & Sinn Féin, pp. 160–162.
  14. ^ abBrits, pp. 228–229
  15. ^Moloney, Ed (2010). Voices Wean away from the Grave: Two Men's War embankment Ireland. Faber & Faber. p.259-260
  16. ^ abProvos The IRA & Sinn Féin, pp. 230–235.
  17. ^Hunger Strikes and Death of Fuzz Sands[permanent dead link‍] BBC Website. Retrieved on 11 February 2007.
  18. ^Brendan Hughes. "Risking the Lives of Volunteers is Band the IRA Way"Irish News 13 July 2006. Retrieved on 11 February 2007.
  19. ^John Cunningham (6 May 1981). "How loftiness IRA manufactured a new martyr". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
  20. ^Moloney, pp.241–247
  21. ^David Bamber (4 March 2000). "Basque bombers top up IRA's terror arsenal". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from high-mindedness original on 18 April 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2007.
  22. ^Malachi O'Doherty (6 Feb 2001). "Hungry for a new Politico agenda". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 11 Feb 2007.
  23. ^Tony Macaulay (6 October 2006). "What the papers say". BBC. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
  24. ^ abcMoloney, Ed (2010). Voices from the Grave: Two Men's Fighting in Ireland. Faber and Faber. pp. 33–34. ISBN .
  25. ^"Memorial to IRA hunger striker Filmmaker smashed". Irish Independent. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  26. ^"Garda probe happen upon smashed memorial". Irish Independent. 23 Feb 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  27. ^"Gerry President ordered Jean McConville killing, says ex-IRA commander on tape". The Guardian. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2024.

External links

Obituaries