Martin McGartland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin McGartland
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| Born | 30 January 1970 Belfast, Northern Ireland
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| Occupation | Police agent, author |
| Known for | Successful infiltration of the Provisional IRA |
Martin McGartland was born on January 30, 1970. He became a secret agent for the British police, working inside a group called the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) starting in 1989. His job was to share information with the RUC Special Branch, a special police unit.
In 1991, his secret identity was discovered. He was taken by the IRA but managed to escape. He then moved to England to start a new life. Later, his identity became known to the public after a small court case. He was shot six times by an attacker but bravely recovered from his injuries. Martin McGartland has written two books about his amazing life: Fifty Dead Men Walking and Dead Man Running.
Contents
Growing Up in West Belfast
Martin McGartland grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His family was Roman Catholic and strongly supported Irish republicanism, which meant they wanted Northern Ireland to be part of Ireland. He lived in a house in a place called Ballymurphy. His parents were separated, and he had a brother, Joe, and two sisters, Elizabeth and Catherine.
During his childhood, a difficult period known as the Troubles was happening in Northern Ireland. This was a time of conflict. In areas like Ballymurphy, the local Provisional IRA often took on some roles usually done by the police. Martin would sometimes join other boys in throwing stones at the British Army. He also joined other Catholic youths in stone-throwing battles against Ulster Protestant boys from nearby areas. His sister Catherine joined a youth group linked to the IRA. Sadly, she died after accidentally falling through a skylight at her school. Martin went to Vere Foster Primary School and later St Thomas' Secondary School. He also worked as a paperboy and later delivered milk.
Becoming a Secret Agent
Martin McGartland had some minor run-ins with the law, which caught the attention of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the police force at the time. His activities also got the attention of the IRA. Many Irish nationalists would report problems to Sinn Féin, a political party linked to the IRA, instead of the RUC. This meant the IRA acted like a police force in some areas.
Martin has said he was upset by the increasing violence from the Provisional IRA. They would often hurt young Catholic people who broke minor laws, sometimes with iron bars or baseball bats. Because of this, in 1986, when he was 16, he agreed to give information to the RUC. He wanted to help stop the IRA from carrying out attacks against the police and army.
At the same time, the IRA hired him to guard a building site. He also worked as an unlicensed taxi driver, giving a part of his earnings to the IRA. This job helped him identify people the RUC Special Branch was interested in. In his book, Fifty Dead Men Walking, he wrote that he sometimes drove IRA groups who went to hurt people. He heard them brag about hurting victims. Martin says many of these victims were innocent people who had simply upset an IRA member.
Joining the IRA
According to Martin McGartland's book, he joined the IRA in the autumn of 1989. He was asked to join by Davy Adams, a leading IRA member and a nephew of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Martin had been recommended by a childhood friend, Harry Fitzsimmons, who was part of an IRA bomb team. Martin often drove Harry around Belfast. Davy Adams immediately gave Martin his first task: to check the house of a well-known member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), another group involved in the conflict. The RUC gave Martin the secret code name Agent Carol.
Martin became a lieutenant in the IRA's Belfast Intelligence unit. He mostly worked for Davy Adams, driving him to meetings and to look at places the IRA might target. Martin's car even had a special tracking device. He also joined an IRA Active Service Unit, which was a group that carried out attacks. He convinced his IRA friends that he was a loyal member. He successfully lived a double life, keeping his secret even from the mother of his two sons. From 1989 to 1991, he gave information about IRA activities and planned attacks to the RUC Special Branch. During this time, he became close to important IRA members, talking daily with those who planned bombings and shootings. He also worked with Rosena Brown, an actress who was also a skilled IRA intelligence officer.
Working in the IRA Intelligence unit helped Martin learn about how the group was organized. He found out how IRA supporters had secretly joined different public organizations and businesses. Many members learned computer skills, which helped the IRA get detailed information on many people in Northern Ireland. This included politicians, lawyers, judges, police, and prison officers. Martin says he stopped the IRA from carrying out many big attacks.
His Identity Revealed
In 1991, Martin McGartland gave information about a planned shooting attack on Charlie Heggarty's pub in Bangor, County Down. British soldiers often went to this pub. The RUC stopped two people who were delivering the guns for the attack. This action revealed Martin as a secret agent.
Martin wrote that police diaries showed that senior RUC officers were advised not to stop the gun couriers. This was because stopping them would put Martin's life at risk and let the actual IRA gunmen escape. The punishment for informing on the IRA was death, often after long and harsh questioning.
With his cover blown, Martin was taken by two IRA men in August 1991. He later said these men might also have been RUC informers, based on what he saw while he was held. However, both men strongly denied this. Martin escaped being killed by jumping from a third-floor window in the flat where he was being held.
Life in England
After his escape, Martin McGartland moved to the northeast coast of England. He received money to buy a house and start a new life in Whitley Bay. He used the name Martin Ashe. He tried to get more money for his injuries but was not successful.
Three years after he moved to England, Martin says the IRA sent his mother a Catholic mass card with his name on it. Mass cards are usually sent to families when someone has died. This was a clear threat.
In 1997, his identity became public. This happened when the Northumbria Police revealed it in court. He had been caught speeding and was charged with having driving licenses under different names. He explained that he used different names to avoid being found by the IRA. He was found not guilty of trying to mislead the police. In June 1997, the BBC showed a TV documentary about his story.
A journalist named Kevin Myers praised Martin McGartland's bravery. The Sunday Express newspaper called him a "real-life James Bond".
Being Shot
In 1999, Martin was shot six times at his home in Whitley Bay by two men. He was seriously hurt in his chest, stomach, side, upper leg, and hand. He tried to grab the gun, but his left hand was shot, badly damaging his thumb. His neighbors helped him, and he was rushed to the hospital. He recovered from his injuries. The IRA was blamed for the shooting. It was reported that he was immediately moved to a new location and protected by armed officers. He was also given a special armored car.
In 2000, Lord Vivian asked in the House of Lords if the government planned to remove police protection from Martin McGartland. Lord Bassam of Brighton replied that protection arrangements are decided by the police chief and are kept secret for safety reasons.
Martin McGartland published his book Fifty Dead Men Walking in 1997. The title refers to the number of lives he believes he saved through his actions. The next year, he won a lawsuit against a newspaper company that had published an article suggesting his shooting might be linked to local criminal groups.
Martin criticized the police for not protecting him enough. However, he offered to speak on their behalf in court. He said, "There are people who have been victims of attacks, who've lost loved ones, and some of them haven't been paid for their suffering. It's wrong. I was attacked and got about £50,000 in payment, which isn't a lot considering my injuries. I'm not complaining. I was just grateful to be alive. The reason I will help Northumbria Police is that this is unfair."
Threats to His Family
After a ceasefire in 1994, Martin McGartland asked if he could return home to West Belfast. When he asked Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, he was told it was a matter between him and the IRA. Martin has said that his relatives have been bothered by Republicans. In 1996, his brother Joe was severely beaten with baseball bats, iron bars, and a wooden plank with nails. This attack left him needing a wheelchair for three months.
In August 2006, Ian Paisley told Peter Hain, the government minister for Northern Ireland, that Martin McGartland's sister had been told by police that her safety was at risk. This news came right after the minister said he believed the IRA had stopped all its illegal activities.
Government's Refusal to Confirm
Even though Martin McGartland is known as one of the most successful secret agents during the Troubles, the British Home Secretary (a senior government minister) Theresa May said in early 2014 that she would not confirm or deny if he was a British agent working for MI5 (the UK's security service). She said this was to protect his life or national security.
Martin McGartland strongly disagreed with May. He said, "This is one of the silliest things I have ever heard; everyone who is interested knows my past... no current security interest is at stake." He pointed out that he had written two books about his life as a secret agent, one of which became a successful film. He also mentioned that there had been six TV documentaries and many newspaper articles about him. He added, "the authorities wrote to the BBC back in 1997 admitting that I have been moved and was being protected because of my service to them. I wonder how well informed the Home Secretary is?"
The Home Office, which Theresa May led, is in charge of MI5. She had signed a court application in a case brought by Martin and his partner. Both of them have to live under secret identities given by MI5. Martin also has a contract signed by MI5 after he was shot in England. This contract acknowledged his service. Because he cannot claim government benefits for security reasons, MI5 had helped him financially before. However, this help was stopped after he gave an interview to a newspaper. He commented, "Refusing to confirm or deny my role is simply a trick to avoid the government's responsibilities toward someone who has risked his life for it."
Film About His Life
The film Fifty Dead Men Walking, which was inspired by his book, was released in April 2009. The film was directed by Kari Skogland and starred Jim Sturgess as Martin McGartland and Sir Ben Kingsley as Fergus, his British handler. Martin McGartland said he did not agree with the film, stating, "The film is as close to the truth as Earth is to Pluto," meaning it was very different from what really happened.
Books by Martin McGartland
