Edward O'Brien (Irish republican)
Encyclopedia
Edward O'Brien, more commonly known as Ed O'Brien or Eddie O'Brien, (born 18 September 1974, in Wexford, Ireland, died 18 February 1996) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) volunteer
from Gorey
in Co Wexford, Ireland
.
and hurling
and also played for Gorey Rangers soccer club. He also was regarded as a talented boxer, and worked in a bakery.
. Soon after he went to England to engage in paramilitary activity in an active service unit
. Documents later recovered from O'Brien's residence indicated he was working for the IRA in Britain early as August 1994, collecting information on targets, and assembling bomb-making equipment during a seventeen-month ceasefire.
he was carrying detonated prematurely on a number 171 bus
in Aldwych
, in central London
. The 2 kg semtex
bomb detonated as he stood near the door of the bus. A pathologist found O'Brien was killed "virtually instantaneously", while two passengers and the driver were injured in the explosion.
During a police search of his London address 15 kg of semtex
, 20 timers, 4 detonators and ammunition for a 9mm Walther revolver were discovered, along with an incendiary device
. The Walther pistol was discovered on him after his death. The inquest into his death heard that O'Brien was likely responsible for a planting a similar bomb in a London telephone box on 15 February, but it was later deactivated by the police.
The explosion occurred nine days after the London Docklands Bombing in which two people died. O’Brien was the first IRA volunteer to lose his life in the aftermath of the Docklands bombing, that signaled the end of the "cessation of military operations" ordered by the IRA leadership in 1994.
O'Brien is buried in St Michael's Cemetery in Gorey, County Wexford.
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) volunteer
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
from Gorey
Gorey
Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
in Co Wexford, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Background
O'Brien grew up in Gorey, County Wexford with his parents Miley and Margo, along with sister Lorraine and brother Gary. As a child he attended the local national and secondary schools. A keen sportsman he was a member of St Enda's GAA Club where he played footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
and also played for Gorey Rangers soccer club. He also was regarded as a talented boxer, and worked in a bakery.
Active service
He joined the IRA in 1992. O'Brien was described as a thoughtful and strong-willed young man who very serious about his commitment but frustrated about not playing a more active role in Irish republicanismIrish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. Soon after he went to England to engage in paramilitary activity in an active service unit
Active Service Unit
An active service unit was a Provisional Irish Republican Army cell of five to eight members, tasked with carrying out armed attacks. In 2002 the IRA had about 1,000 active members of which about 300 were in active service units....
. Documents later recovered from O'Brien's residence indicated he was working for the IRA in Britain early as August 1994, collecting information on targets, and assembling bomb-making equipment during a seventeen-month ceasefire.
Death
O'Brien died on 18 February 1996, when an improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
he was carrying detonated prematurely on a number 171 bus
London Buses route 171
London Buses route 171 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-1952-1972:...
in Aldwych
Aldwych
Aldwych is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.-Description:Aldwych, the road, is a crescent, connected to the Strand at both ends. At its centre, it meets the Kingsway...
, in central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. The 2 kg semtex
Semtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
bomb detonated as he stood near the door of the bus. A pathologist found O'Brien was killed "virtually instantaneously", while two passengers and the driver were injured in the explosion.
During a police search of his London address 15 kg of semtex
Semtex
Semtex is a general-purpose plastic explosive containing RDX and PETN. It is used in commercial blasting, demolition, and in certain military applications. Semtex became notoriously popular with terrorists because it was, until recently, extremely difficult to detect, as in the case of Pan Am...
, 20 timers, 4 detonators and ammunition for a 9mm Walther revolver were discovered, along with an incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
. The Walther pistol was discovered on him after his death. The inquest into his death heard that O'Brien was likely responsible for a planting a similar bomb in a London telephone box on 15 February, but it was later deactivated by the police.
The explosion occurred nine days after the London Docklands Bombing in which two people died. O’Brien was the first IRA volunteer to lose his life in the aftermath of the Docklands bombing, that signaled the end of the "cessation of military operations" ordered by the IRA leadership in 1994.
O'Brien is buried in St Michael's Cemetery in Gorey, County Wexford.