Des O'Hagan
Encyclopedia
Des O'Hagan is a prominent member of the Workers' Party of Ireland
and was a founding member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
.
O'Hagan was born in Belfast
in 1934 and became active in republican revolutionary politics in the city from an early age. He was imprisoned in Crumlin Road jail in his native Belfast from 1956 to 1960 at the time of the Irish Republican Army
Border Campaign
.
On his release from imprisonment O'Hagan was enrolled in the London School of Economics
from where he graduated in 1964. He subsequently returned to Belfast and was appointed to the post of Senior Lecturer in Sociology
in Stranmillis College of Teacher Education, now known as Stranmillis University College
.
In 1967 O'Hagan was one of the founding members of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
(NICRA) and played an important role in organising many of the campaign's major demonstrations and in the development of NICRA into a serious political machine which forced the British government of the time to make major political concessions.
Des O'Hagan was one of a large number of republicans who were arrested and interned without trial in August 1971. He quickly began documenting the ill-treatment of prisoners by the British authorities and had these articles smuggled out of the Long Kesh internment camp. They were soon serialised by the Irish Times newspaper as Letters from Long Kesh. His articles played a significant role in exposing the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners at the camp and drawing international attention to them.
On his release from internment O'Hagan became once again involved in the official republican movement and played an important role of its development into the Workers' Party
. He was for a time editor of The Irish People and served on the IRA Army Council.
O'Hagan is currently a member of the Central Executive committee of the Workers' Party and is Chairman of the party's Education Committee.
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
and was a founding member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
.
O'Hagan was born in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1934 and became active in republican revolutionary politics in the city from an early age. He was imprisoned in Crumlin Road jail in his native Belfast from 1956 to 1960 at the time of the Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
Border Campaign
Border Campaign
The Border Campaign may refer to several armed campaigns, in particular:*The US Army's Mexican Border Campaign of 1916-17*The Irish Republican Army's Border Campaign of 1956-62...
.
On his release from imprisonment O'Hagan was enrolled in the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
from where he graduated in 1964. He subsequently returned to Belfast and was appointed to the post of Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in Stranmillis College of Teacher Education, now known as Stranmillis University College
Stranmillis University College
Stranmillis University College is a university college of Queen's University Belfast. The institution is located on the Stranmillis Road in Belfast, and has approximately 700 students today and offers the BEd, PGCE and TESOL, as well as other courses....
.
In 1967 O'Hagan was one of the founding members of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
(NICRA) and played an important role in organising many of the campaign's major demonstrations and in the development of NICRA into a serious political machine which forced the British government of the time to make major political concessions.
Des O'Hagan was one of a large number of republicans who were arrested and interned without trial in August 1971. He quickly began documenting the ill-treatment of prisoners by the British authorities and had these articles smuggled out of the Long Kesh internment camp. They were soon serialised by the Irish Times newspaper as Letters from Long Kesh. His articles played a significant role in exposing the torture and ill-treatment of prisoners at the camp and drawing international attention to them.
On his release from internment O'Hagan became once again involved in the official republican movement and played an important role of its development into the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
. He was for a time editor of The Irish People and served on the IRA Army Council.
O'Hagan is currently a member of the Central Executive committee of the Workers' Party and is Chairman of the party's Education Committee.