Gearóid Ó hEára
Encyclopedia
Gearóid Ó hEára (born 1953 in Creggan, Derry
, Northern Ireland
) is a Sinn Féin
politician and a former Mayor of Derry
,
Educated by the Irish Christian Brothers
, Ó hEára joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army
following the sectarian conflagrations of the late 1960s and 1970s.
During the inquiry into Bloody Sunday
Ó hEára stated that in January 1972, when he was 18 years of age, he was a member of the Derry branch of Fianna Éireann
, During the inquiry it was reported that "Mr. ÓhEára [sic] said the leadership of the Fianna was collective and he was part of an inner circle. He was nominal leader of this inner circle because he was the person chosen to deal with the IRA liaison officer who was their contact with the IRA. He had no title and was not an officer commanding as such. He said he had not mentioned his involvement with the Fianna in his original statement because he was on the march as a member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
(NICRA), not the Fianna. He refused to name the IRA Liaison Officer but said he would approach him to see if he would give evidence."
Almost ten years prior to the IRA ceasefire of 1997, Ó hEára obtained a visa to travel to the United States
where he attended a pre-reconciliation ceremony at the Jesuit-run Fordham University
, in The Bronx, New York, which was attended by both Unionist and Nationalist politicians.
The Irish Echo
quoted Ó hEára as stating that his party supported a democratic, pluralistic, accountable and secular Ireland. Upon becoming Lord Mayor of Derry, he gave the following speech (see http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:ncJGuqfXCbsJ:sinnfein.ie/news/detail/5121+Gear%C3%B3id+%C3%93+hE%C3%A1ra+educated+by&hl=en).
He supports a leading gay-rights organisation in Northern Ireland, the Rainbow Project, funding for which, when he was questioned, replied: I didn't realise the Rainbow Project was that strapped. His Deputy Lord Mayor was the Democratic Unionist Party
Alderman, Joe Miller.
He was married to Deirdre, and their children are being educated in Irish language-medium schools, where the first language taught is Irish
, and English is the school's second language.
According to the Arts Council for Northern Ireland website, his resume is the following:
Creggan, Derry
Creggan is a large housing estate in Derry in Northern Ireland. It was the first housing estate built in Derry specifically to provide housing for the Catholic majority. It is situated on the outskirts of the city and is built on a hill. The name Creggan is derived from the Gaelic word creagán...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
) is a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politician and a former Mayor of Derry
Mayor of Derry
The Mayor of Derry, legally the Mayor of Londonderry is an honorary position bestowed upon a Citizen of Derry in Northern Ireland, who is in practice a member of Derry City Council, chosen by his or her peers on the Council to serve a one year term. The Mayor is Chairman of the Council as well as...
,
Educated by the Irish Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
, Ó hEára joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army
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...
following the sectarian conflagrations of the late 1960s and 1970s.
During the inquiry into Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
Ó hEára stated that in January 1972, when he was 18 years of age, he was a member of the Derry branch of Fianna Éireann
Fianna Éireann
The name Fianna Éireann , also written Fianna na hÉireann and Na Fianna Éireann , has been used by various Irish republican youth movements throughout the 20th and 21st centuries...
, During the inquiry it was reported that "Mr. ÓhEára [sic] said the leadership of the Fianna was collective and he was part of an inner circle. He was nominal leader of this inner circle because he was the person chosen to deal with the IRA liaison officer who was their contact with the IRA. He had no title and was not an officer commanding as such. He said he had not mentioned his involvement with the Fianna in his original statement because he was on the march as a member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
(NICRA), not the Fianna. He refused to name the IRA Liaison Officer but said he would approach him to see if he would give evidence."
Almost ten years prior to the IRA ceasefire of 1997, Ó hEára obtained a visa to travel to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he attended a pre-reconciliation ceremony at the Jesuit-run Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, in The Bronx, New York, which was attended by both Unionist and Nationalist politicians.
The Irish Echo
The Irish Echo
The Irish Echo is a weekly newspaper based in New York City. Founded in 1928, it bills itself as "the USA's most widely read Irish-American newspaper" with a readership of 100,000 on circulation of about 60,000...
quoted Ó hEára as stating that his party supported a democratic, pluralistic, accountable and secular Ireland. Upon becoming Lord Mayor of Derry, he gave the following speech (see http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:ncJGuqfXCbsJ:sinnfein.ie/news/detail/5121+Gear%C3%B3id+%C3%93+hE%C3%A1ra+educated+by&hl=en).
He supports a leading gay-rights organisation in Northern Ireland, the Rainbow Project, funding for which, when he was questioned, replied: I didn't realise the Rainbow Project was that strapped. His Deputy Lord Mayor was the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
Alderman, Joe Miller.
He was married to Deirdre, and their children are being educated in Irish language-medium schools, where the first language taught is Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, and English is the school's second language.
According to the Arts Council for Northern Ireland website, his resume is the following:
- ... an Irish Language specialist from Derry where he works for An Gaelaras, an Irish Language organisation.
- The activities of this body include economic development, courses, vocational education, youth, multi-media and artistic development.
- He has had many years experience as a city councillor and served on the Arts Review Group and Cultural Sub-Committee.
- Mr. Ó hEára is a member of Foras na GaeilgeForas na GaeilgeForas na Gaeilge is the governing body of the Irish language, responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island of Ireland. Its name can be translated into English as "The Irish Language Body", although the body has no official English-language name...
and a former member of Foyle Tourism.