Proinsias Mac Airt (English: Frank Card) (18 April 1922 – 8 January 1992) was an

Irish republican Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The developm ...

activist and long-serving member of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...

Early years

Mac Airt was born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

in April 1922. He first became involved in

Irish republicanism Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

as a boy when he joined the

Fianna Éireann Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna, is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in setting up the Irish Volun ...

.Richard English, ''Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA'', London, 2004, p. 112 His first imprisonment was in 1942 when the youthful Mac Airt was sent to jail for illegal military

foot drill Foot drill is a part of the training regimen of organized military and paramilitary elements worldwide. "Foot drill" or "Drill" stems from time since antiquity when soldiers would march into battle, be expected to gather in a formation, and reac ...

ing. Mac Airt was later interned during the

's Border Campaign of 1956-1962.

Founding the PIRA

Having retired at some earlier point Mac Airt returned to the republican movement in 1969, throwing his lot in with the newly established

Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reu ...

(PIRA) and their political arm Provisional Sinn Féin. Indeed, in early 1970 his

Padraig Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary wh ...

cumann A (Irish for association; plural ) is the lowest local unit or branch of a number of Irish political parties. The term ''cumann'' may also be used to describe a non-political association. Traditionally, Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil have called ...

'', which he set up in the Clonard area of the Falls Road, was the first branch of Provisional Sinn Féin established in Belfast and proved central to the growth of the dissident party in the city. In August 1970 Mac Airt was appointed editor of the Belfast-based ''

Republican News Republican News was a longstanding newspaper/magazine published by Sinn Féin. Following the split in physical force Irish republicanism in the late 1960s between the ''Officials'' (Official Sinn Féin — also known as Sinn Féin Gardiner ...

'', succeeding Jimmy Steele who had died soon after being appointed editor. Despite his advancing age Mac Airt also became involved in the gun battles that raged between the republicans from Falls and

loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

from the neighbouring

Shankill Road The Shankill Road () is one of the main roads leading through West Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It runs through the working-class, predominantly loyalist, area known as the Shankill. The road stretches westwards for about from central Belfast ...

. As a consequence Mac Airt became one of the leaders of the nascent PIRA in Belfast. Mac Airt was publicly named as a leading republican by General

Anthony Farrar-Hockley General Sir Anthony Heritage Farrar-Hockley (8 April 1924 – 11 March 2006), nicknamed Farrar the Para, was a British Army officer and a military historian who fought in a number of British conflicts. He held a number of senior commands, ...

who had commanded the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

present during the clashes and with whom Mac Airt had held failed negotiations at the scene of conflict. He served as Adjutant to

Billy McKee Billy McKee ( ga, Liam Mac Aoidh; 12 November 1921 – 11 June 2019) was an Irish republican and a founding member and leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Early life McKee was born in Belfast on 12 November 1921, and joined the Iris ...

, who was first commander of the

Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA was the largest of the organisation's brigades, based in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The nucleus of the Belfast Brigade emerged in the divisions within Belfast republicans in the closing mon ...

. According to

Brendan Hughes Brendan Hughes (June 1948 – 16 February 2008), also known as "The Dark", and "Darkie" was a leading Irish republican and former Officer Commanding (OC) of the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was the leader ...

Mac Airt's Kane Street home doubled as Belfast Brigade headquarters at this early stage in the movement's history. On 15 April 1971 Mac Airt, along with Billy McKee, was arrested by the

when found in possession of a hand gun. Both men were sentenced under the

Explosive Substances Act 1883 The Explosive Substances Act 1883 (c. 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It makes it illegal to use (or conspire or intend to use) any explosive substance to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury ...

and sent to

Crumlin Road Gaol HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since 1996 it is the only remaining Victorian era former prison in Northern Ireland. It is colloquially known as ' ...

. In the prison the two men were recognised as the leaders of the republican prisoners, a role held by

Gusty Spence Augustus Andrew Spence (28 June 1933
. ''

Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former British Army soldier from Northern Ireland. The group undertook an armed campaign ...

and Ned McCreery and James Craig as

Ulster Defence Association The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is an Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 as an umbrella group for various loyalist groups and undertook an armed campaign of almost 24 years as one of t ...

delegates, with members of the Official IRA and

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as " the Troubles". The group se ...

eventually added.

Later activity

Mac Airt was involved in the talks held between republicans and clergymen from various

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

churches held at Feakle on 12 December 1974. Whilst the talks produced little Mac Airt was one of those who maintained contact with the clergymen. Indeed, on 19 January 1975 one of the ministers, Rev William Arlow of the Irish Council of Churches, even introduced Mac Airt and his ally Jimmy Drumm to British government officials Michael Oatley and James Allan in an attempt to have the republican grievances heard. Although a new generation of leaders emerged in the PIRA and Sinn Féin Mac Airt remained an influential veteran. He was close to Danny Morrison and

Tom Hartley Tom Hartley may refer to: * Tom Hartley (politician) * Tom Hartley (cricketer) See also * Thomas Hartley Thomas Hartley (September 7, 1748December 21, 1800) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician from York, Pennsylvania. Early life ...

and helped to ensure the removal of

Seán Caughey Seán Caughey ( ga, Seán Mac Eachaidh) (died 18 July 2010) was an Irish republican, and later a monarchist and activist. Based in Belfast, Caughey was the secretary of the local branch of the Gaelic League, He was the founding secretary of the ...

from the editorship of ''Republican News'' in 1975 and his replacement by Morrison.

Irish Songs of Freedom

In 1968 Mac Airt recorded two vocal songs; Croppy Boy and Flag of the Fianna on the LP record 'Irish Songs of Freedom' produced for the Outlet Recording Co. Ltd, Belfast.

Death

Mac Airt died in 1992 at the age of 69.

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gr ...

President Gerry Adams delivered the graveside oration at his funeral, describing him as "a radical in the

Connolly Connolly may refer to: People * Connolly (surname) Places * Connolly, Western Australia, a suburb in Perth, Western Australia * Connolly, County Clare, Ireland * Connolly Park in Collooney, County Sligo, Ireland * Dublin Connolly railway station ...

tradition".English, ''Armed Struggle'', pp. 112–113

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Airt, Proinsias 1922 births 1992 deaths Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) members Irish republicans interned without trial Paramilitaries from Belfast Provisional Irish Republican Army members Republicans imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict Sinn Féin politicians