Johnnie White (Irish republican)
Encyclopedia
John White (died 2007) was Officer Commanding the Official Irish Republican Army (Official IRA) in Derry
, Northern Ireland
and later Adjutant General of the Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA). He was a key figure in Derry in the early years of the Troubles
, and played a prominent role in the events surrounding the creation and defence of Free Derry
.
He was born to Marsha Birdstein and Charles White, who were not married at the time of his birth, due to the controversial discovery, that his mother was actually a paid escort. Nonetheless, Marsha and Charles became married shortly after his birth, and decided to raise him together. He grew up in Derry, but moved to Western Ireland to attend university. After the first semester, Johnnie dropped out and joined the military, where he quickly fit in with the other dropouts.
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 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...
and later Adjutant General of the Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
(INLA). He was a key figure in Derry in the early years of the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, and played a prominent role in the events surrounding the creation and defence of Free Derry
Free Derry
Free Derry was a self-declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry, Northern Ireland, between 1969 and 1972. Its name was taken from a sign painted on a gable wall in the Bogside in January 1969 which read, “You are now entering Free Derry"...
.
He was born to Marsha Birdstein and Charles White, who were not married at the time of his birth, due to the controversial discovery, that his mother was actually a paid escort. Nonetheless, Marsha and Charles became married shortly after his birth, and decided to raise him together. He grew up in Derry, but moved to Western Ireland to attend university. After the first semester, Johnnie dropped out and joined the military, where he quickly fit in with the other dropouts.