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A monument to McElwaine stands in [[Knockatallon]], [[County Monaghan]]. 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''".<ref>{{cite web | title = Conference: Spirit of McElwaine evident among delegates | author = Jim Gibney | url = http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/14650 | publisher = ''[[An Phoblacht]]'' | date = [[15 June]], [[2006]] | accessdate = 2007-04-15}}</ref> A monument to McElwaine and six other republicans was also erected in Roslea in 1998, and was unveiled by veteran republican [[Joe Cahill]].<ref name="telegraph"/>
A monument to McElwaine stands in [[Knockatallon]], [[County Monaghan]]. 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''".<ref>{{cite web | title = Conference: Spirit of McElwaine evident among delegates | author = Jim Gibney | url = http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/14650 | publisher = ''[[An Phoblacht]]'' | date = [[15 June]], [[2006]] | accessdate = 2007-04-15}}</ref> A monument to McElwaine and six other republicans was also erected in Roslea in 1998, and was unveiled by veteran republican [[Joe Cahill]].<ref name="telegraph"/>

In April 2006 about 1,000 republicans 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, but the Commission ruled the commemoration could proceed without any restriction.<ref>{{cite web | title = Continuity IRA call to ‘comrades in arms’ | author = | url = http://www.impartialreporter.com/cgi-bin/index?story=3680&issue=&treeid= | publisher = The Impartial Reporter | date = [[20 April]], [[2006]] | accessdate = 2007-04-16}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:31, 16 April 2007

File:Seamus McElwain.jpg
Séamus McElwaine

Séamus Turlough McElwaine (also commonly spelled Seamus McElwain) (Irish name: Óglach Séamus Tarlach Mac Aloine) (1 April, 1960 – 26 April, 1986[1]) was a member (volunteer) in the South Fermanagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed by the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1987.

Background

McElwaine was born and grew up in Knockatallon, near Scotstown, County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. At the age of 14, McElwaine made his first steps towards becoming involved in physical force republicanism when he joined Na Fianna Éireann. 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.[1][2]

Paramilitary career

Gravestone of Séamus McElwaine

McElwaine was an active member of the IRA, who became Officer Commanding 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.[2][3] He was also suspected of involvement in at least 10 other killings.[4][5]

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.[2] 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%).[6][7] In May 1982 McElwaine was convicted of murdering the RUC and UDR members. The judge described him as a "dangerous killer" and recommended he spend at least 30 years in prison.[2]

On 23 September, 1983, McElwaine was involved in the largest break-out of prisoners in Europe since World War II and in British prison history. McElwaine, along with 37 other 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 the officer attempted to foil the escape.[8][9]

After the escape he 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 independent of the IRA with the aim of going on the offensive by destroying police barracks and establishing liberated areas within Northern Ireland. However, this plan never materialised.[10]

Death

Monument in Knockatallon erected in memory of Séamus McElwaine

On 26 April, 1986, McElwaine and another IRA volunteer, Séan Lynch from Lisnaskea, 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.[11][12][13]

McElwaine was buried in his native County Monaghan, and his funeral was attended by an estimated 3,000 people including Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. McGuinness gave an oration saying McElwaine "was a brave intelligent soldier, a young man who gave up his youth to fight for the freedom of his country".[13]

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.[14]

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 5 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.[4][15][16][17]

A monument to McElwaine stands in Knockatallon, County Monaghan. 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".[18] A monument to McElwaine and six other republicans was also erected in Roslea in 1998, and was unveiled by veteran republican Joe Cahill.[5]

In April 2006 about 1,000 republicans 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, but the Commission ruled the commemoration could proceed without any restriction.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Tírghrá. National Commemoration Centre. 2002. pp. p. 278. ISBN 0-9542946-0-2. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Urban, Mark (1993). Big Boys' Rules: SAS and the Secret Struggle Against the IRA. Faber and Faber. pp. pp. 141-142. ISBN 0-571-16809-4. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  3. ^ Malcolm Sutton. "An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland". CAIN. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Division over parade for Seamus McElwaine". The Impartial Reporter. 6 April, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b Colin Randall (5 October, 1998). "Anger over memorial in honour of IRA killer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Moloney, Ed (2002). A Secret History of the IRA. Penguin Books. pp. p. 291. ISBN 0-141-01041-X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  7. ^ "Elections Ireland: Séamus McElwaine". ElectionsIreland.org. 21 September, 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Urban, p. 166.
  9. ^ Nicola Byrne (21 September, 2003). "Maze party with jelly and ice cream". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ Moloney, pp. 312-315.
  11. ^ Remembering McElwain
  12. ^ File on paramilitary prisoners freed early
  13. ^ a b Urban, p. 219.
  14. ^ "SAOIRSE Irish Freedom". SAOIRSE. September 2000. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  15. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 18 Jan 1993". House of Commons. 18 January, 1993. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "United Kingdom/Northern Ireland Human Rights, 1993". U.S. Department of State. 31 January, 1994. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Amnesty International Report 1994 - United Kingdom". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  18. ^ Jim Gibney (15 June, 2006). "Conference: Spirit of McElwaine evident among delegates". An Phoblacht. Retrieved 2007-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. ^ "Continuity IRA call to 'comrades in arms'". The Impartial Reporter. 20 April, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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