Martin Meehan (Irish republican) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Meehan
Meehan in Belfast (early 1990s)
Born	c.1945 Ardoyne, Belfast Northern Ireland, UK
Died	3 November 2007 (aged 61–62) Ardoyne
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer Sinn Féin politician
Political party	Sinn Féin
Military career
Allegiance	Irish Republic
Service/branch	Irish Republican Army (IRA) Provisional IRA
Years of service	1966–1994
Rank	Volunteer
Unit	Third Battalion Ardoyne, Belfast Brigade
Conflicts	The Troubles

Martin Meehan (born around 1945 – died 3 November 2007) was an important politician for the Sinn Féin party. He was also a former volunteer with the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Martin Meehan was the first person ever found guilty of being a member of the Provisional IRA. He spent about eighteen years in prison during a difficult time in Northern Ireland called the Troubles.

Martin Meehan's Early Life and Activities

Martin Meehan was born in 1945 in a place called Ardoyne in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father had been in prison for his republican activities in the 1940s. However, one of his grandfathers fought for the British Army and died in World War I.

Martin left school when he was 15 years old and started working at the docks in Belfast. In 1966, he joined the Irish Republican Army. He felt it was a very important moment for him.

In 1968, he was arrested for the first time. This happened after an incident with a police officer during a civil rights march in Derry. During the riots in August 1969 in Belfast, he was one of a few IRA members who tried to protect Catholic areas from attacks. He was arrested again on August 22, 1969, for causing a riot. He was badly hurt during his arrest and sent to prison for two months.

After he was released, he rejoined the IRA. In January 1970, the IRA split into two groups, and Martin Meehan joined the Provisional IRA. By the middle of 1970, he was a senior leader in the Ardoyne area. On June 27, 1970, there were riots in Belfast after a parade. A gun battle started in Ardoyne. Martin Meehan said that after this event, many people in the nationalist community supported the IRA.

Martin Meehan on active service with the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Belfast, 1971

Martin Meehan became one of the most wanted IRA members in his area. When he was arrested in August 1971, he was badly beaten by soldiers. He was put in Crumlin Road Jail without any charges. On December 2, 1971, Martin Meehan and two other IRA members managed to escape from the prison. They hid in a drain for many hours before climbing the prison walls using ropes they made from blankets.

After escaping, Meehan went to Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland. On January 27, 1972, he was arrested by the Irish police, called the Garda. This happened after a long gun battle near the border. He and seven other IRA members were later found not guilty in court because there wasn't enough evidence.

Martin Meehan returned to Northern Ireland and was arrested again on August 9, 1972. He was charged with escaping from prison. He successfully argued in court that his arrest had been illegal, and he was given £800 in compensation. He was then charged with being a member of the Provisional IRA. He was the first person to be found guilty of this crime and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was held in Long Kesh prison and released on October 4, 1974. After his release, he was immediately held again without trial. He was the last person to be released under this system on December 5, 1975.

Challenges and Activism

On July 11, 1979, the IRA kidnapped a 17-year-old boy who they thought was giving information to the British Army. The boy was held for four days and beaten. Martin Meehan and four other men were arrested soon after. In March 1980, Martin Meehan was sentenced to twelve years in prison for planning a kidnapping and holding someone illegally. He said he was innocent and went on a hunger strike for 66 days, even refusing water at the end. He stopped his protest after a religious leader, Cardinal Ó Fiaich, convinced him to. Martin Meehan was released from prison in September 1985.

In March 1988, Martin Meehan was sentenced to another fifteen years in prison. This was for kidnapping and illegally holding a soldier from the Territorial Army. The soldier was kidnapped on July 12, 1986, and held in a house in Ardoyne before being rescued by the British Army. Martin Meehan said he was trying to arrange to hand the soldier over to a priest when he was arrested. While in prison, he was hurt by prison officers and later received £14,000 in compensation. He was released from prison on January 20, 1994.

Martin Meehan's Political Journey

After being released from prison, Martin Meehan became an important member of Sinn Féin. He served on the party's main executive committee, called the Ard Chomhairle. He was also the head of an organization called Saoirse, which worked to get paramilitary prisoners released.

In 1996, he ran for election in East Antrim for the Northern Ireland Forum, but he did not win. He also ran in the 1998 elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly in South Antrim. He received 3,226 votes. He also tried to become a member of the British House of Commons for the South Antrim area in 2000 and 2001, but he was not successful.

On June 7, 2001, he was elected as a local council member for Antrim Borough Council. In the 2003 elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly, he lost by a small number of votes to Alliance Party of Northern Ireland leader David Ford. Martin Meehan did not run in the 2007 Assembly election.

Election Results

Later Life and Passing

Martin Meehan passed away on November 3, 2007, after having a heart attack at his home. Gerry Kelly, another Sinn Féin member, said he was "shocked and saddened." He added that Martin Meehan "gave his whole life to serve both his ideals in republicanism and also the people."

He was buried in Milltown Cemetery on November 6, 2007. Important figures like Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, and Sean Kelly helped carry his coffin.