Raymond McCreesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Paramilitary organisation | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
| Date of birth | 25 February, 1957 |
| Place of birth | Camlough, South Armagh |
| Hungerstrike started | 22 March, 1981 |
| Died | 21 May, 1981 |
| Days on strike | 61 |
Raymond Peter McCreesh (Irish name: Réamann Mac Raois; 25 February 1957 - 21 May 1981) was an Irish Republican hunger striker and a member (volunteer) in the South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Background
McCreesh was born in Camlough in South Armagh. At the age of 17, McCreesh joined the South Armagh Brigade of the IRA. In June 1976, Danny McGuinness, Paddy Quinn, Seamus Quinn and McCreesh were captured during an ambush on a British Army patrol at the Mountain House Inn on the Newry-Newtownhamilton Road.
[edit] IRA career
The unit hijacked a car from a farm in Sturgan, which was to be used in their escape, but were spotted moving into ambush position. They prematurely opened fire on soldiers when they began moving in to investigate and the IRA member in the car drove off. The others tried to hide in a farmhouse but were surrounded. After they failed to shoot their way out and a local Catholic parish priest facilitated their surrender.[3][4]
[edit] Hunger strike
On 2 March 1977, McCreesh and Paddy Quinn were convicted and sentenced to fourteen years in prison for attempted murder, possession of a rifle and ammunition and a further five year for IRA membership.[5][6]
One of the soldiers who captured them, Lance Corporal David Jones was later killed by Francis Hughes.
He joined the blanket protest and took part in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, dying 61 days later.
[edit] References
- ^ Tírghrá, National Commemoration Centre, 2002. PB) ISBN 0-9542946-0-2 p.264
- ^ http://larkspirit.com/hungerstrikes/bios/mccreesh.html Biography from IRIS, Vol. 1, No. 2, November 1981] (Sinn Féin publication)
- ^ Raymond McCreesh
- ^ McCreesh Biography from IRIS, Vol. 1, No. 2, November 1981
- ^ Two Lives and Two Deaths for Ireland
- ^ Guardian
Participants Who Died
Bobby Sands · Francis Hughes · Raymond McCreesh · Patsy O'Hara · Joe McDonnell
Martin Hurson · Kevin Lynch · Kieran Doherty · Thomas McElwee · Michael Devine
Participants Who Survived the Strike
Brendan McLaughlin · Paddy Quinn · Laurence McKeown · Patrick McGeow · Matt Devlin · Liam McCloskey
Patrick Sheehan · Jackie McMullan · Bernard Fox · Hugh Carville · John Pickering · Gerard Hodgkins · James Devine
Major Political and Religious Figures During the Strike
Margaret Thatcher · Garret FitzGerald · Charles Haughey · Humphrey Atkins · Bernadette McAliskey
Harry West · Owen Carron · Cardinal Tomas O Fiach · Cardinal Basil Hume · Father Denis Faul
