Martin O'Hagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin O'Hagan
|
|
|---|---|
Press kit photo of O'Hagan
|
|
| Born |
Owen Martin O'Hagan
23 June 1950 |
| Died | 28 September 2001 (aged 51) Lurgan, County Armagh
|
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Other names | Marty |
| Alma mater |
|
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1978–2001 |
| Employer | Sunday World |
| Organization | National Union of Journalists |
| Known for | Only journalist killed during The Troubles |
| Criminal charge(s) | Firearms offences |
| Criminal penalty | 7 years in prison |
| Spouse(s) | Marie Dukes |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
|
Owen Martin O'Hagan (born 23 June 1950 – died 28 September 2001) was an Irish investigative journalist from Lurgan, Northern Ireland. He became known for reporting on the activities of armed groups in Northern Ireland. Sadly, he was murdered in September 2001 because of his work.
Martin O'Hagan was born in Lurgan to a Catholic family. His parents supported Irish republicanism, a political idea that wants a united Ireland. Several of his family members were involved in politics and armed groups. After living in West Germany for a while, he returned to Lurgan. He left school to work in his family's TV repair shop.
He became involved with the Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA), an armed group. He was arrested and questioned about various crimes. In 1973, he was sent to prison for crimes related to firearms.
After spending five years in Long Kesh prison, O'Hagan started his career as a journalist. He worked for Fortnight and the Sunday World newspapers. He wrote about violent crimes committed by armed groups. He also worked with the Channel 4 TV show Dispatches. This show looked into alleged killings by security forces and loyalist groups.
In 1989, members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) took him. He also made the leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), Billy Wright, angry with his reports. Wright was killed in prison in 1997. However, threats against O'Hagan continued from the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), a new group Wright had started.
On 28 September 2001, O'Hagan was walking home with his wife. He was shot and killed. The main suspects were members of the LVF. However, no one has been found guilty of his murder. Trials were held for five men, but the cases did not lead to convictions. Martin O'Hagan was the only journalist killed while working during The Troubles. This was a period of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Martin O'Hagan was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, in 1950. He was the oldest of six children. His parents were both from Lurgan. However, Martin spent much of his childhood in West Germany. This was because his father worked for the British Army. His grandfather had also served in the military. He was even rescued from Dunkirk during World War II.
When Martin was four, his family moved back to Lurgan. He went to school there. His father ran a TV repair shop. After finishing his O Levels (school exams), Martin left school. He started working at his father's shop. Later, his parents separated, and his father moved to London.
Martin's family had a history of Irish republicanism. His uncle, J. B. O'Hagan, famously escaped from Mountjoy Prison in 1973. His cousin, Dara O'Hagan, became a politician for Sinn Féin. The family was Catholic. His brother, Rory O'Hagan, was also convicted in the 1970s. This happened after a shootout involving the Official IRA.
Involvement with Armed Groups
As a teenager, Martin O'Hagan joined the Official Sinn Féin. This was a political party that later became the Workers' Party. He became friends with Máirín de Burca, a leader in the party. In 1970, they threw eggs at Richard Nixon's car during his visit to Dublin. Martin was fined a small amount of money for this. His mother had wanted him to live in Dublin to avoid the political problems in Lurgan.
Martin's involvement with the Official IRA was known. He joined the Lurgan unit of this group. He liked their ideas about socialism and Irish independence. He became an important member of the group. In 1971, a few years after The Troubles began, O'Hagan was held at Long Kesh prison. This was a place for people suspected of paramilitary activity.
In 1973, O'Hagan was arrested after a shooting in a Lurgan bar. A Protestant man was shot in the leg. Martin was later caught by a British Army patrol. He was carrying two rifles. He was found guilty of firearms offences. He was sentenced to another seven years in Long Kesh prison.
While in prison, he started to change his views. He began studying sociology through the Open University and later Ulster University. He was released from prison in 1978.
Journalism Career
After leaving prison, Martin O'Hagan returned to County Armagh. He began reporting on conflicts between loyalist and republican armed groups. He started his journalism career in the late 1970s.
In 1982, he got an unpaid job with Fortnight, an Irish magazine. The editor, Andy Pollak, said Martin was "full of enthusiasm" and "hugely committed." He also said Martin had "a courage bordering on recklessness." He would report on stories that others were too afraid to touch. He continued writing for Fortnight throughout the 1980s.
O'Hagan soon started working freelance for The Irish Times. In 1987, he joined the Belfast office of the Sunday World newspaper. This paper reported on the violence of The Troubles. They focused on crimes by people like Robin Jackson, a UVF leader. In 1984, the Sunday World manager, Jim Campbell, was shot by UVF members. This happened after he published information about a killing.
In the late 1980s, O'Hagan was a key source for a Channel 4 TV show called Dispatches. The show was about a group of loyalists and security force members. They were accused of carrying out killings. The show led to legal cases. O'Hagan was accused of getting money for his part in the program. In 2000, he said in court, "I have always tried to be squeaky clean."
Journalists' Union Work
Martin O'Hagan also served as a leader for the National Union of Journalists in Belfast. He focused on fair contracts and stopping bullying at work. In 1999, he supported Ed Moloney, another journalist. He also gave evidence in a legal case for Sean McPhilemy.
Taken by an Armed Group
Despite his past, O'Hagan was taken by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in September 1989. His name had appeared in the diary of a police officer who was killed by the IRA. He was invited to an interview, but then tied up by members of the South Armagh Brigade. He was questioned by the IRA's Internal Security Unit. He was eventually released after convincing them he was not a police agent.
Later Years of Reporting
O'Hagan continued his investigations after being taken. In 1991, he reported that Margaret Perry, a young woman, had been killed by the IRA. He said she was buried in the Republic of Ireland. In the 1990s, he got the attention of Billy Wright. Wright was a UVF leader who later started the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). Wright's group called themselves the "Bratpack." O'Hagan nicknamed them the "Ratpack" and called Wright "King Rat." He reported on the murders and other crimes committed by Wright's group.
In 1992, the Sunday World office in Belfast was bombed by the UVF. O'Hagan was not there. He had been tricked into another trap and beaten up. After the bombing, a reporter was told to deliver a threat to O'Hagan from Wright. The threat said if anything happened to Wright, he would harm O'Hagan and his family. Because of these threats, O'Hagan was moved to Dublin. Then he moved to County Cork. His wife and daughters stayed in Lurgan.
O'Hagan kept working for the newspaper. He moved back to Lurgan in 1994. Threats against his life continued. In his final years, O'Hagan kept reporting on armed groups and crime. He wrote stories about a neo-Nazi group and alleged ethnic cleansing. He interviewed Christopher "Crip" McWilliams, who was involved in Billy Wright's killing. This angered loyalists.
Even though he did serious investigative journalism, he was often seen as a tabloid writer. His colleague Jim McDowell said, "All he wanted was to be a hack." O'Hagan often got information from insiders. One of them was Barrie Bradbury, whose life was threatened many times.
Personal Life
Martin O'Hagan was married to Marie (Dukes). She was a Protestant woman. They met at the Carnegie Inn in Lurgan, a pub where both Catholics and Protestants went. They had three daughters: Cara, Niamh, and Tina.
Even though he had past ties to republican groups, O'Hagan was later seen as someone who did not favor one side. He was an atheist (someone who does not believe in God) and a Marxist (someone who follows the ideas of Karl Marx about society and economics).
His Murder
O'Hagan had worried that members of the LVF were following him. He had angered them by reporting on their crimes. A week before he died, a loyalist in Lurgan told him, "You have been clocked walking down here."
A year before his death, O'Hagan had bought a new house. It was near the Mourneview estate, a loyalist area.
On 28 September 2001, O'Hagan and his wife Marie went to a pub in Lurgan. Around 10:30 pm, they were walking home. A silver car slowly moved towards them. A gunman shot at the couple from the car window. Marie said O'Hagan called out a name, "It's Mackers," suggesting he knew who was shooting. Another car used by the shooters was later found burned out. Police thought this car might have been left to trick them.
Investigation into the Murder
Police said their main suspects were members of the LVF. They were also associates of Billy Wright. Police confirmed there were two main suspects, including the "Mackers" whom O'Hagan recognized.
Members of the LVF later said they were responsible for O'Hagan's murder. They often used the name Red Hand Defenders (RHD). They accused him of committing "crimes against the loyalist people."
Public Reaction
On 29 September 2001, John Reid, who was in charge of Northern Ireland, called O'Hagan's death a "barbaric killing." He promised to find the murderers. Martin McGuinness, a Sinn Féin minister, criticized Reid for not taking stronger action against armed groups. Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the police chief, said the killing "definitely carries the hallmark of the LVF." Some suggested that Mark Fulton, Wright's replacement in the LVF, had ordered the killing.
Bertie Ahern, the leader of Ireland, called it "senseless and brutal." Sir Reg Empey, a Northern Ireland minister, said it was "an attack on democracy itself." David Trimble, a political leader, was "shocked and appalled." He called for the government to consider if the LVF's ceasefire was broken. The head of the National Union of Journalists, John Foster, also questioned if the killing broke the ceasefire.
Funeral Service
On 1 October 2001, O'Hagan's funeral was held in Lurgan. Father Brian D'Arcy led the service. Over 1,500 people attended. This included Jim Campbell, O'Hagan's colleague. Also present were Des Browne, a government official, and Bríd Rodgers, a local politician. Politicians at Stormont held a minute of silence for O'Hagan.
After the Murder
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has repeatedly asked for investigations into O'Hagan's death. On the 18th anniversary of his death, NUJ leaders called for an independent inquiry. They wanted it to focus on the murder and why police had not secured a conviction. They said the failure to convict his killers "emboldens those who see themselves as being above the law."
In September 2014, a human rights official from the OSCE called for UK authorities to investigate. They argued that not prosecuting killers can make it easier for others to attack journalists.
In May 2015, O'Hagan's family offered a £50,000 reward. This was for anyone with information leading to the conviction of his killers.
Questions About the Investigation
Some of O'Hagan's former colleagues at the Sunday World have suggested issues with the police investigation. Jim Campbell claimed that police knew the names of O'Hagan's killers quickly. He also suggested that some LVF members were police informers. Jim McDowell said the names of O'Hagan's killers have been known for years. He called them "touts" (informers). He suggested they knew too much about their police handlers to be convicted.
In 2015, a BBC documentary looked into claims that British security forces worked with armed groups. The police chief denied any police cover-up regarding O'Hagan's death. However, a former Police Ombudsman said that state agencies had "operated outside the rules."
In 2017, Séamus Dooley from the NUJ also hinted at links between the police and those responsible. He said the lack of convictions "cast a long shadow over the criminal justice system."
Police Ombudsman Reports
In October 2006, O'Hagan's siblings asked the Police Ombudsman to investigate. They were concerned that no one had been charged. Eight years into the investigation, the new Police Ombudsman, Michael Maguire, got police intelligence files. This happened after he threatened to take the police to court.
After a key witness's statement was dismissed, the murder case was referred to Michael Maguire in September 2013.
Impact on the Sunday World
Since O'Hagan's death, the Sunday World newspaper has added security measures for its journalists. This includes bulletproof windows and panic buttons in their homes.
By 2011, staff at the paper had received about 50 recorded threats. In 2018, the paper's Dublin office received a bottle labeled "sulphuric acid." This was seen as an attack on its staff. In 2020, the Sunday World and another paper were warned that an armed group was planning attacks on their journalists.
See also
Images for kids
-
Martin O'Hagan
