George Harrison (Irish republican)

George Harrison (1915–2004) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

Born in Shammer, Kilkelly, County Mayo, in western Ireland, Harrison emigrated to the United States to facilitate arms transfers to the Provisional IRA in Northern Ireland. He, Tom Falvey, Michael Flannery, Pat Mullin, and Danny Gormley comprised the North American branch of an arms-running network that is estimated to have provided more than 2,500 weapons and perhaps a million rounds of ammunition to the IRA.

In 1981, the gun-runners were arrested in an FBI sting code-named "Operation Bushmill".^[1] All five were acquitted in a criminal trial held in New York City, which lasted from December 1980 to June 1981. Their acquittal was widely attributed to the unconventional efforts of Harrison's personal attorney, Frank Durkan; the men admitted to their activities, but claimed that they believed the operations had Central Intelligence Agency sanction.^[2]^[3]

Post-acquittal

Although he had spent much of the previous decade involved in this operation, his acquittal marked the end of his active career as an IRA gun-runner. In the latter part of his life, he would devote his time to various causes, including support for the African National Congress, the Sandinista movement, and the Independista (Puerto Rican nationalist) campaign against Puerto Rico's status as an American Commonwealth.

Harrison broke with the Provisional Republican Movement in 1986 when Provisional Sinn Féin dropped the traditional Republican stance of not taking their seats in the Irish parliament. He remained within the Republican Movement through Republican Sinn Féin and was a founder and activist of the Republican support group Cumann na Saoirse/Irish Freedom Committee in the USA. He was a patron of Republican Sinn Féin until he died.

He also took a number of controversial stances within the broader Irish-American community within New York City, including outspoken support for former Mayor David Dinkins and open defiance of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

He died in 2004 from natural causes at his home in Brooklyn, New York.

References

↑ The rebel with a cause…. Western People (Ireland). 23 February 2005. http://archives.tcm.ie/westernpeople/2005/02/23/story23855.asp
↑ Cox, Thomas J. _The Trial of the IRA Five_. Riverside Books, 1992.
↑ Alexander, Shana. "The Patriot Game". _New York_, November 22, 1982. pg 58+. Retrievable from http://books.google.com/books?id=0ucCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&hl=en&ei=_ylHTL33A4OC8gaK5bjpBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

External links

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Attacks

Insurgency, 1969–1977	Battle of St Matthew's Scottish soldiers' killings Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall St bombing Battle at Springmartin Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Coleraine bombings M62 coach bombing Guildford pub bombings British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings Bayardo Bar attack Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre

Long War, 1977–1988	Jonesboro Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Warrenpoint ambush Dunmurry train explosion Lough Foyle attacks Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Brighton hotel bombing Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack

Peace Process, 1988–1998	Corporals killings Lisburn van bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Deal barracks bombing Derryard attack Derrygorry Gazelle downing RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing St mortar attack Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Teebane bombing Cloghoge attack 1992 Manchester bombing South Armagh sniper campaign Warrington bomb attacks Cullaville occupation Bishopsgate bombing Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack July 1997 riots

Chiefs of Staff

Seán Mac Stíofáin (1969–72)
Joe Cahill (1972–73)
Seamus Twomey (1973)
Éamonn O'Doherty (1973–74)
Seamus Twomey (1974–77)
Gerry Adams (1977–78)
Martin McGuinness (1978–82)
Ivor Bell (1982–83)
Kevin McKenna (1983–97)
Thomas "Slab" Murphy (1997–2005)

Personalities
(Volunteers)

Associates

Derivatives

Prominent killings

Continuity IRA and Republican Sinn Féin

General	The Troubles 1986 Sinn Féin Ardfheis Abstentionism Irish republican legitimatism Éire Nua Saoirse Irish Freedom Dissident republican Dissident Irish Republican campaign CIRA actions

Personalities	Ruairí Ó Brádaigh Dáithí Ó Conaill Éamonn O'Doherty Billy McKee Seán Ó Brádaigh George Harrison Dan Keating Joe Stynes Seán Cunningham Seán Keenan Des Dalton Josephine Hayden Martin Corey

Associates	Cumann na mBan Fianna Éireann Republican Clan na Gael National Irish Freedom Committee Cabhair National Commemoration Committee

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