Joe McDonnell
Encyclopedia
Joseph McDonnell (Irish
: Seosamh Mac Dónaill; 14 September 1951 - 8 July 1981) was a volunteer
in the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) , who died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike
.
, and was one of 10 children. He went to a Roman Catholic school which was nearby. In 1970, he married Goretti, and moved into her sister's house in Lenadoon. There were only two Catholic houses in this predominantly Protestant housing estate
, and the house was attacked on numerous occasions.
and interned on the prison ship
HMS Maidstone
along with Gerry Adams
and others. He was later moved to HMP Maze for several months. Upon release he joined the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade
. McDonnell met Bobby Sands
in the run up to an IRA firebomb
attack on the Balmoral Furnishing Company. During the ensuing shoot-out between the IRA and the police
and British Army
, both men along with Séamas Finucane and Seán Lavery were arrested. McDonnell and the other men were sentenced to 14 years in prison for possession of a firearm. None of the men accepted the jurisdiction
of the court.
Although McDonnell was not involved in the first (1980) hunger strike, he joined Bobby Sands and the others in the second (1981) hunger strike. During the strike he fought the general election in the Republic of Ireland
, and only narrowly missed election to the Sligo-Leitrim
constituency.
He went 61 days without food before dying on 8 July 1981. He had two children. His wife Goretti took an active part in the campaign in support of the hunger strikers.
McDonnell was buried in the grave next to Bobby Sands at Milltown Cemetery
. John Joe McGirl
, McDonnell's election agent
in Sligo-Leitrim, gave the oration at his funeral. Quoting Patrick Pearse
, he stated "He may seem the fool who has given his all, by the wise men of the world; but it was the apparent fools who changed the course of Irish history".
of the Wolfe Tones
, bears his name.
He is also commemorated in the song Father's Blessing.
The IRA commander inside Long Kesh at the time, Brendan McFarlane
(known as "Bik") has publicly disputed this version of events. As well as this, not one other prisoner on the prison wing O'Rawe and McFarlane were on has backed up O'Rawe's version of events in relation to the 1981 Hunger Strike.
in Sydney, Australia.
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...
: Seosamh Mac Dónaill; 14 September 1951 - 8 July 1981) was a 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...
in 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...
(IRA) , who died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike
1981 Irish hunger strike
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
.
Early life
McDonnell was born on Slate Street in the lower Falls Road of BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, and was one of 10 children. He went to a Roman Catholic school which was nearby. In 1970, he married Goretti, and moved into her sister's house in Lenadoon. There were only two Catholic houses in this predominantly Protestant housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
, and the house was attacked on numerous occasions.
IRA activities
McDonnell was arrested in Operation DemetriusOperation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
and interned on the prison ship
Prison ship
A prison ship, historically sometimes called a prison hulk, is a vessel used as a prison, often to hold convicts awaiting transportation to penal colonies. This practice was popular with the British government in the 18th and 19th centuries....
HMS Maidstone
HMS Maidstone (1937)
HMS Maidstone was a submarine depot ship of the Royal Navy.-Facilities:She was built to support the increasing numbers of submarines, especially on distant stations, such as the Mediterranean and the Pacific Far East...
along with Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
and others. He was later moved to HMP Maze for several months. Upon release he joined the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade
Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade
The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA was the largest of the organisation's command areas, based in the city of Belfast. Founded in 1969, along with the formation of the Provisional IRA, it was historically organised into three battalions; the First Battalion based in the...
. McDonnell met Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
in the run up to an IRA firebomb
Firebomb
Firebomb may refer to:* Firebombing* Incendiary device* Molotov cocktail* A season 2 episode of the television show Alias* "Fire Bomb", a song by Rihanna from her 2009 album Rated R...
attack on the Balmoral Furnishing Company. During the ensuing shoot-out between the IRA and the police
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
and British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, both men along with Séamas Finucane and Seán Lavery were arrested. McDonnell and the other men were sentenced to 14 years in prison for possession of a firearm. None of the men accepted the jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
of the court.
Hunger strike
McDonnell agreed with the goals of the 1981 Irish hunger strike, namely: the right not to wear a prison uniform; the right not to do prison work; the right of free association with other prisoners; the right to organize their own educational and recreational facilities and the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week. He doubted, however, the need to go on hunger strike, believing that a campaign of disobedience would achieve the objective.Although McDonnell was not involved in the first (1980) hunger strike, he joined Bobby Sands and the others in the second (1981) hunger strike. During the strike he fought the general election in the Republic of 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,...
, and only narrowly missed election to the Sligo-Leitrim
Sligo-Leitrim (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Sligo–Leitrim was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1948 to 2007...
constituency.
He went 61 days without food before dying on 8 July 1981. He had two children. His wife Goretti took an active part in the campaign in support of the hunger strikers.
McDonnell was buried in the grave next to Bobby Sands at Milltown Cemetery
Milltown Cemetery
Milltown Cemetery is a large cemetery in west Belfast, Northern Ireland.It lies within the townland of Ballymurphy, between Falls Road and the M1 motorway. Milltown Cemetery opened in 1869 and there are now approximately 200,000 of Belfast's citizens buried there. Most of those buried there are...
. John Joe McGirl
John Joe McGirl
John Joe McGirl was an Irish republican, an elected TD and a former chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army.Born and raised in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, McGirl became involved with the IRA in the 1930s...
, McDonnell's election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
in Sligo-Leitrim, gave the oration at his funeral. Quoting Patrick Pearse
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist and political activist who was one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916...
, he stated "He may seem the fool who has given his all, by the wise men of the world; but it was the apparent fools who changed the course of Irish history".
In popular culture
An Irish rebel song, written by Brian WarfieldBrian Warfield
Brian Warfield is the vocalist, banjo, harp and bodhrán player, as well as the lead songwriter with long-standing Irish band The Wolfe Tones. He also introduces many of the songs on stage, after the departure of his brother Derek Warfield from the band....
of the Wolfe Tones
Wolfe Tones
The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band who incorporate elements of Irish traditional music in their songs. They are named after the Irish rebel and patriot Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double entendre that a wolf tone is a spurious sound...
, bears his name.
He is also commemorated in the song Father's Blessing.
Allegations
In March 2006, former prisoner Richard O'Rawe alleged that three days before McDonnell's death the Government made a firm offer to the prison leadership substantive enough to end the protest. O'Rawe alleges that while the leadership inside the prison were prepared to go for the deal and end the protest to save the lives of McDonnell and the others who died after him, the leadership outside told them to continue.The IRA commander inside Long Kesh at the time, Brendan McFarlane
Brendan McFarlane
Brendan "Bik" McFarlane is an Irish republican activist. Born into a Roman Catholic family, he was brought up in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, Northern Ireland. At 16, he left Belfast to train as a priest in a north Wales seminary...
(known as "Bik") has publicly disputed this version of events. As well as this, not one other prisoner on the prison wing O'Rawe and McFarlane were on has backed up O'Rawe's version of events in relation to the 1981 Hunger Strike.
Commemoration
He is commemorated on the Irish Martyrs Memorial at Waverley CemeteryWaverley Cemetery
The Waverley Cemetery opened in 1877 and is a cemetery located on top of the cliffs at Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. It is noted for its largely intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments. The cemetery contains the graves of many significant Australians including the poet Henry Lawson and...
in Sydney, Australia.