Séamus McElwaine
Encyclopedia
Séamus Turlough McElwaine (also spelt Seamus McElwain) (Irish name
: Shéamus Tarlach Mac Giollabháin) (1 April 1960 – 26 April 1986) was a volunteer
in the South Fermanagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) killed by the Special Air Service
(SAS) in 1986. McElwaine died while on active duty with his comrade Seán Lynch
who was seriously injured in the shooting.
, near Scotstown
, County Monaghan
, in the Republic of Ireland
. McElwaine took his first steps towards becoming involved in physical force republicanism
when he joined Na Fianna Éireann aged 14. At the age of 16, McElwaine turned down an opportunity to study in the United States of America and joined the IRA stating "no one will ever be able to accuse me of running away.
of the IRA in County Fermanagh
by the age of 19. On 5 February 1980, McElwaine killed an off-duty Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR) corporal as he drove a tractor. Later that year on 23 September, McElwaine killed an off-duty Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) Reserve Constable outside his home in Roslea. He was also suspected of involvement in at least 10 other killings.
On 14 March 1981, SAS soldiers surrounded a farmhouse near Roslea, containing McElwaine and three other IRA members. Despite being armed with four rifles, including an Armalite
, the IRA members surrendered and were arrested. While on remand in Crumlin Road Gaol McElwaine stood in the February 1982 Irish general election as an independent candidate for Cavan–Monaghan
and received 3,974 votes (6.84% of the vote). In May 1982 McElwaine was convicted of murdering the RUC and UDR members, with the judge describing him as a "dangerous killer" and recommending he spend at least 30 years in prison.
On 25 September 1983, McElwaine was involved in the Maze Prison escape
, the largest break-out of prisoners in Europe since World War II
and in British prison history. 38 republican prisoners, armed with 6 handguns, hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out of HMP Maze. During the escape Gerry Kelly
shot and injured a prison warden as he attempted to foil the escape.
After the escape he joined an IRA active service unit
operating in the area of the border between County Monaghan and County Fermanagh. The unit targeted police and military patrols with gun and bomb attacks, while sleeping rough in barns and outhouses to avoid capture. He also held a meeting with Pádraig McKearney
and Jim Lynagh
, members of the Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade
, in which they discussed forming a flying column
with the aim of going on the offensive by destroying police barracks and establishing liberated areas within Northern Ireland
. However, this plan never materialised.
, were preparing to ambush an army patrol near Roslea in County Fermanagh
when they were ambushed themselves by the SAS. Both were wounded but Lynch managed to crawl away. McElwaine was interrogated for several minutes and then killed.
McElwaine was buried in Scotstown
, County Monaghan
, and his funeral was attended by an estimated 3,000 people including Gerry Adams
and Martin McGuinness
. McGuinness gave an oration describing McElwaine as "a brave intelligent soldier, a young man who gave up his youth to fight for the freedom of his country" and "an Irish freedom fighter murdered by British terrorists".
In 1987 McElwaine's father Jimmy, a longtime member of Monaghan County Council, became the chairman of the Séamus McElwain Cumann of Republican Sinn Féin
.
On 1 April 1990 a monument to McElwaine was erected in Corlat
, County Monaghan
. The oration was given by Catholic priest Piaras Ó Duill, who compared McElwaine to Nelson Mandela
saying they both had the same attitude to oppression and both refused to denounce principle. The inscription on the monument is a quote from Pádraig Pearse; "As long as Ireland is unfree the only honourable attitude for Irishmen and Irishwomen is an attitude of revolt". A monument to McElwaine and six other republicans was also erected in Roslea in 1998, and was unveiled by veteran republican Joe Cahill
.
In January 1993 an inquest jury returned a verdict that McElwaine had been unlawfully killed. The jury ruled the soldiers had opened fire without giving McElwaine a chance to surrender, and that he was actually shot dead five minutes after being wounded. The Director of Public Prosecutions
requested a full report on the inquest from the RUC, but nobody has been prosecuted for McElwaine's death.
In April 2006 approximately 1,000 people in Roslea paid tribute to McElwaine during the traditional Easter Commemoration to mark the Easter Rising
. Victims groups and Unionist politicians including Democratic Unionist Party
member Arlene Foster
had asked the Parades Commission
to ban the parade from the area where McElwaine was killed describing him as an "evil murderer", but the Commission ruled the commemoration could proceed without any restriction. In Corlat two weeks later 500 people attended the launch of a documentary film about McElwaine, Life and death of an IRA activist, marking the 20th anniversary of his death.
Irish name
A formal Irish-language name consists of a given name and a surname. Surnames in Irish are generally patronymic in etymology, although they are no longer literal patronyms, as Icelandic names are...
: Shéamus Tarlach Mac Giollabháin) (1 April 1960 – 26 April 1986) 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 South Fermanagh Brigade of 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) killed by the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) in 1986. McElwaine died while on active duty with his comrade Seán Lynch
Sean Lynch (politician)
Seán Lynch MLA is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician and a current MLA for the constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Lynch was a former Provisional Irish Republican Army leader in the Maze Prison...
who was seriously injured in the shooting.
Early life
McElwaine was the oldest of eight children and was born and grew up in KnockacullionKnockacullion
Knockacullion is a townland in the north of County Monaghan in the Ireland. It is located to the north west of Sheskin and to the south of Corlat. The local economy relies solely on farming, with a minority of the population employed in industry....
, near Scotstown
Scotstown
Scotstown is a village in the townland of Bough in north County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Scotstown is located in the parish of Tydavnet, along the River Blackwater, Scotstown being the village closest to the river's source...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
. McElwaine took his first steps towards becoming involved in physical force republicanism
Physical force Irish republicanism
Physical force Irish republicanism, is a term used to describe the recurring appearance of non-parliamentary violent insurrection in Ireland between 1798 and the present...
when he joined Na Fianna Éireann aged 14. At the age of 16, McElwaine turned down an opportunity to study in the United States of America and joined the IRA stating "no one will ever be able to accuse me of running away.
Paramilitary activities
McElwaine was an active member of the IRA, who became Officer CommandingOfficer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
of the IRA in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
by the age of 19. On 5 February 1980, McElwaine killed an off-duty Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
(UDR) corporal as he drove a tractor. Later that year on 23 September, McElwaine killed an off-duty Royal Ulster Constabulary
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...
(RUC) Reserve Constable outside his home in Roslea. He was also suspected of involvement in at least 10 other killings.
On 14 March 1981, SAS soldiers surrounded a farmhouse near Roslea, containing McElwaine and three other IRA members. Despite being armed with four rifles, including an Armalite
ArmaLite
ArmaLite is the name of a small arms engineering facility founded in the early 1950s, and once associated with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. ArmaLite was formally incorporated as a subdivision of Fairchild on October 1, 1954...
, the IRA members surrendered and were arrested. While on remand in Crumlin Road Gaol McElwaine stood in the February 1982 Irish general election as an independent candidate for Cavan–Monaghan
Cavan–Monaghan (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Cavan–Monaghan is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
and received 3,974 votes (6.84% of the vote). In May 1982 McElwaine was convicted of murdering the RUC and UDR members, with the judge describing him as a "dangerous killer" and recommending he spend at least 30 years in prison.
On 25 September 1983, McElwaine was involved in the Maze Prison escape
Maze Prison escape
The Maze Prison escape took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. HM Prison Maze was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe, and held prisoners convicted of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles...
, the largest break-out of prisoners in Europe since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in British prison history. 38 republican prisoners, armed with 6 handguns, hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out of HMP Maze. During the escape Gerry Kelly
Gerry Kelly
Gerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998...
shot and injured a prison warden as he attempted to foil the escape.
After the escape he joined an IRA 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....
operating in the area of the border between County Monaghan and County Fermanagh. The unit targeted police and military patrols with gun and bomb attacks, while sleeping rough in barns and outhouses to avoid capture. He also held a meeting with Pádraig McKearney
Pádraig McKearney
Pádraig Oliver McKearney was a Marxist-oriented Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer. He was killed in a Special Air Service ambush with seven other IRA men at Loughgall, County Armagh in May 1987.-Background:...
and Jim Lynagh
Jim Lynagh
Jim Lynagh from Monaghan Town, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, was a volunteer in the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Background:...
, members of the Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade
Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade
The East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army , also known as the Tyrone/Monaghan Brigade was one of the most active republican paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland during "the Troubles"...
, in which they discussed forming a flying column
Flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ad hoc unit, formed during the course of operations....
with the aim of going on the offensive by destroying police barracks and establishing liberated areas within 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...
. However, this plan never materialised.
Death
On 26 April 1986, McElwaine and another IRA member, Sean LynchSean Lynch (politician)
Seán Lynch MLA is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician and a current MLA for the constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Lynch was a former Provisional Irish Republican Army leader in the Maze Prison...
, were preparing to ambush an army patrol near Roslea in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
when they were ambushed themselves by the SAS. Both were wounded but Lynch managed to crawl away. McElwaine was interrogated for several minutes and then killed.
McElwaine was buried in Scotstown
Scotstown
Scotstown is a village in the townland of Bough in north County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Scotstown is located in the parish of Tydavnet, along the River Blackwater, Scotstown being the village closest to the river's source...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and his funeral was attended by an estimated 3,000 people including 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 Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
. McGuinness gave an oration describing McElwaine as "a brave intelligent soldier, a young man who gave up his youth to fight for the freedom of his country" and "an Irish freedom fighter murdered by British terrorists".
In 1987 McElwaine's father Jimmy, a longtime member of Monaghan County Council, became the chairman of the Séamus McElwain Cumann 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...
.
On 1 April 1990 a monument to McElwaine was erected in Corlat
Corlat
Corlat or Corlatt is a townland in the north of County Monaghan in the Ireland in the parish of Tydavnet. It is often referred to as part of Knockatallon, which is an adjacent townland...
, County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The oration was given by Catholic priest Piaras Ó Duill, who compared McElwaine to Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
saying they both had the same attitude to oppression and both refused to denounce principle. The inscription on the monument is a quote from Pádraig Pearse; "As long as Ireland is unfree the only honourable attitude for Irishmen and Irishwomen is an attitude of revolt". A monument to McElwaine and six other republicans was also erected in Roslea in 1998, and was unveiled by veteran republican Joe Cahill
Joe Cahill
Joe Cahill was a prominent Irish republican and former chief of staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army .- Background :In May 1920, Cahill was born in Divis Street in West Belfast, Ireland, where his parents had been neighbours of the Scottish-born Irish revolutionary James Connolly.Cahill...
.
In January 1993 an inquest jury returned a verdict that McElwaine had been unlawfully killed. The jury ruled the soldiers had opened fire without giving McElwaine a chance to surrender, and that he was actually shot dead five minutes after being wounded. The Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
requested a full report on the inquest from the RUC, but nobody has been prosecuted for McElwaine's death.
In April 2006 approximately 1,000 people in Roslea paid tribute to McElwaine during the traditional Easter Commemoration to mark the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
. Victims groups and Unionist politicians including 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...
member Arlene Foster
Arlene Foster
Arlene Isabel Foster is a politician in Northern Ireland. She is one of two Democratic Unionist Party MLAs representing the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. She became Minister of the Environment on 8 May 2009 and was subsequently reshuffled into the...
had asked the Parades Commission
Parades Commission
The Parades Commission is a quasi-judicial non-departmental public body responsible for placing restrictions on or banning outright any parades in Northern Ireland it deems contentious or offensive. It is composed of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern...
to ban the parade from the area where McElwaine was killed describing him as an "evil murderer", but the Commission ruled the commemoration could proceed without any restriction. In Corlat two weeks later 500 people attended the launch of a documentary film about McElwaine, Life and death of an IRA activist, marking the 20th anniversary of his death.