Raymond McCartney

Infobox Politician | name=Raymond McCartney MLA


imagesize = 150px
width=
term_start=2004
term_end=
predecessor=Mary Nelis
successor=
birth_date=1954
birth_place=Derry
constituency=Foyle
party=Sinn Féin
office=MLA
spouse=
website= [http://www.sinnfeinassembly.com/en/assembly-candidates/entry/4 Sinn Féin profile]

Raymond McCartney ((Scottish: "Réamann McCartney". [Surnames in Ireland, Seán E. Quinn, Irish Genealogy Press, Dublin, 2000, ISBN 1 871509 39 4, pg. 56 (from the "Gaelic" meaning son of "Artan", a diminutive of "Art".)] 1954 in Derry, Northern Ireland) is a Sinn Féin politician, and a former hunger striker and volunteer within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

IRA membership

McCartney took part in the civil rights march in Derry on 30 January, 1972, an event widely known as Bloody Sunday. [cite book | last = Taylor | first = Peter | authorlink = Peter Taylor (Journalist) | title = Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing | date = 1997 | pages = pp. 121-122 | doi = | isbn = 0-7475-3818-2 ] His cousin, Jim Wray, was shot and killed by the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment, and as a result of this McCartney joined the IRA several months later. [Ibid., pp. 126-127.] On 12 January, 1979 at Belfast Crown Court McCartney and another man, Eamonn MacDermott, were convicted of the murder of Detective Constable Patrick McNulty, who was shot several times outside a garage in Derry on 27 January, 1977. McCartney was also convicted of IRA membership and the murder of Jeffrey Agate in February 1977, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. [cite web | title = Commission refers murder convictions of Raymond McCartney and Eamonn MacDermott for appeal | author = Boris Worrall | url = http://www.ccrc.gov.uk/NewsArchive/news_414.htm | publisher = Criminal Cases Review Commission | date = 20 January, 2006 | accessdate = 2007-02-21]

Imprisonment

McCartney was involved in the blanket and dirty protests, then took part in the 1980 hunger strike, along with fellow IRA members Brendan Hughes, Tommy McKearney, Tom McFeeley, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and Irish National Liberation Army member John Nixon. [cite book | last = English | first = Robert | authorlink = | title = Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA | publisher = Pan Books | date = 2004 | pages = p. 193 | doi = | isbn = 0-330-49388-4 ] McCartney spent 53 days on hunger strike, from 27 October to 18 December. [cite book | last = Taylor | first = Peter | authorlink = | title = Provos The IRA & Sinn Féin | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing | date = 1997 | pages = pp. 232-234 | doi = | isbn = 0-7475-3818-2 ] From 1989 to 1991 he was Officer Commanding of the IRA prisoners in the H Blocks, and was released in 1994. [cite book | last = English | first = Robert | authorlink = | title = Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA | publisher = Pan Books | date = 2004 | pages = p. 228 | doi = | isbn = 0-330-49388-4 ]

Freedom

Since his release he has been active with ex-prisoners' groups Tar Abhaile and Coiste na n-Íarchimí, and was the first member of Sinn Féin to have their own voice heard on television after the lifting of the broadcasting ban in 1994. [cite web | title = Foyle | author = | url = http://www.stratagem-ni.com/foylemlas.php | publisher = Strategem | date = | accessdate = 2007-02-21] McCartney was arrested on 4 April, 2002 following a breach of security at Belfast's police headquarters, but released without charge the next day. [cite web | title = Security breach inquiry: Three released | author = | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1912024.stm | publisher = "BBC News" | date = 5 April, 2002 | accessdate = 2007-02-21] Later that year on 5 September McCartney was the first former IRA member to appear before the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, and encouraged anyone, including paramilitaries, with information to come forward. [cite web | title = Former IRA man recalls shootings | author = Rosie Cowan | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/bloodysunday/article/0,,786935,00.html | publisher = "The Guardian" | date = 6 September, 2002 | accessdate = 2007-02-21] McCartney has been the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Foyle since 15 July, 2004, when he replaced Mary Nelis. [cite web | title = Northern Ireland Assembly Election - 26 November 2003 | author = | url = http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/constits/const_fo03.htm | publisher = Northern Ireland Assembly | date = | accessdate = 2007-02-21] On 15 February, 2007 McCartney and MacDermott had their murder convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal, following an investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2002. [cite web | title = Murder convictions ruled unsafe | author = | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6364791.stm | publisher = "BBC News" | date = 15 February, 2007 | accessdate = 2007-02-21]

References

External links

* [http://www.sinnfeinassembly.com/en/assembly-candidates/entry/4 Sinn Féin - Raymond McCartney]