George Harrison (Irish Republican)
Encyclopedia
George Harrison was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
.
Born in Shammer
, Kilkelly
, County Mayo
, in western Ireland, Harrison emigrated to the United States
to facilitate arms transfers to the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland
. He, Tom Falvey, Michael Flannery, Pat Mullin, and Danny Gormley comprised the North America
n branch of an arms-running network that is estimated to have provided more than 2,500 weapons and perhaps a million rounds of ammunition to the IRA.
In 1981, the gun-runners were arrested in an FBI sting code-named "Operation Bushmill". All five were acquitted in a criminal trial held in New York City, which lasted from December 1980 to June 1981. Their acquittal was widely attributed to the unconventional efforts of Harrison's personal attorney, Frank Durkan
; the men admitted to their activities, but claimed that they believed the operations had Central Intelligence Agency
sanction.
, the Sandinista movement, and the Independista (Puerto Rican
nationalist) campaign against Puerto Rico
's status as an American Commonwealth.
George continued to support the Republican Movement in 1986 when Provisional Sinn Féin dropped the traditional Republican stance of not taking their seats in the Republic of Ireland's government. He was a founder and activist of the Republican support group Cumann na Saoirse/Irish Freedom Committee in the USA. He was a patron of Republican Sinn Féin
until he died.
He also took a number of controversial stances within the broader Irish-American community within New York City, including outspoken support for former Mayor David Dinkins
and open defiance of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
.
He died in 2004 from natural causes at his home in Brooklyn, New York.
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...
.
Born in Shammer
Shammer
Shammer is a small village adjacent to the village of Kilkelly inside of County Mayo, Ireland.-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
, Kilkelly
Kilkelly
Kilkelly is a village in Kilmovee parish County Mayo, Ireland. It is just south of Knock International Airport, lying between the Airport and the town of Knock itself. The village is along the N17, a national primary road running between Galway and Sligo...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, in western Ireland, Harrison emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to facilitate arms transfers to the Provisional IRA in 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...
. He, Tom Falvey, Michael Flannery, Pat Mullin, and Danny Gormley comprised the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n branch of an arms-running network that is estimated to have provided more than 2,500 weapons and perhaps a million rounds of ammunition to the IRA.
In 1981, the gun-runners were arrested in an FBI sting code-named "Operation Bushmill". All five were acquitted in a criminal trial held in New York City, which lasted from December 1980 to June 1981. Their acquittal was widely attributed to the unconventional efforts of Harrison's personal attorney, Frank Durkan
Frank Durkan
Frank Durkan was an Irish-American attorney best known for having represented numerous members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army , including avowed gun-runner and pivotal North American member of the IRA George Harrison, who stood trial, and was acquitted, in 1982.In another prominent case,...
; the men admitted to their activities, but claimed that they believed the operations had Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
sanction.
Post-acquittal
Although he had spent much of the previous decade involved in this operation, his acquittal marked the end of his active career as an IRA gun-runner. In the latter part of his life, he would devote his time to various causes, including support for the African National CongressAfrican National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
, the Sandinista movement, and the Independista (Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
nationalist) campaign against Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's status as an American Commonwealth.
George continued to support the Republican Movement in 1986 when Provisional Sinn Féin dropped the traditional Republican stance of not taking their seats in the Republic of Ireland's government. He was a founder and activist of the Republican support group Cumann na Saoirse/Irish Freedom Committee in the USA. He was a patron of Republican Sinn Féin
Republican Sinn Féin
Republican Sinn Féin or RSF is an unregisteredAlthough an active movement, RSF is not registered as a political party in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. minor political party operating in Ireland. It emerged in 1986 as a result of a split in Sinn Féin...
until he died.
He also took a number of controversial stances within the broader Irish-American community within New York City, including outspoken support for former Mayor David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
and open defiance of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
.
He died in 2004 from natural causes at his home in Brooklyn, New York.