Seán Ó Brádaigh (; born 1937), sometimes anglicised as Sean Brady, is an

Irish republican Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...

activist. Like his brother, Ruairí, Seán joined

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

at an early age. From 1958 to 1960, he edited the party newspaper, the '' United Irishman'', and then became the party's Director of Publicity. During the 1960s, he worked with Roy Johnston to develop the

Éire Nua Éire Nua, or "New Ireland", was a proposal supported by the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin during the 1970s and early 1980s for a Federation, federal United Ireland. The proposal was particularly associated with the Dublin-based leadership group ...

policy. Like his brother, Seán sided with the provisional wing in the split of 1970. He became the first editor of the party's new newspaper, ''

An Phoblacht ''An Phoblacht'' (Irish pronunciation: ; ) is a Sinn Féin-affiliated online Irish republicanism, Irish republican news platform which also publishes a quarterly print magazine format. Editorially the paper takes a Left-wing politics, left-wing ...

'', holding the post for two years, and also continued in his role as Director of Publicity. In 1972, he was arrested while in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

, and charged with membership of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...

. He immediately launched a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...

, and was soon released due to a lack of evidence. In 1977, he was sent a book bomb, but was on holiday at the time, his brother staying at his house. Ruairí's suspicions led to the package being detonated by the

Irish Army The Irish Army () is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. ...

. Seán stood down as Director of Publicity in 1979, following a dispute with Danny Morrison over the content of the merged ''An Phoblacht'' and '' Republican News'', and from the party's Officer Board the following year. In 1986, he followed his brother into a new organisation, which accepted his proposal that it should be named Republican Sinn Féin.Robert William White, ''Ruairí Ó Brádaigh: the life and politics of an Irish revolutionary'', p.309

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OBradaigh, Sean 1937 births Irish newspaper editors Irish republicans Living people Republican Sinn Féin members Sinn Féin politicians