Gerard Steenson
Encyclopedia
Gerard Steenson was an Irish
republican
socialist paramilitary
activist. He was a member of the Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA) group during the Troubles in Northern Ireland
.
He was born in Belfast
, Northern Ireland, and grew up in a Roman Catholic family in the republican Falls Road
area of west Belfast.
Nicknamed "Doctor Death" by sections of the Irish media
, he is widely associated with internecine violence between Irish republican groups. He joined the Official IRA
's C Company in 1972 at the age of 14. Two years later, he left to join the INLA upon the paramilitary group's formation consequent to their split from the Official IRA. He came to notoriety as a 16 year-old for killing Billy McMillen
the Official IRA's Belfast
leader during the IRSP
/INLA's feud with the rival Official IRA. He had been dubbed "Dr. Death" by the RUC
for the chain of assassinations he purportedly accomplished.
Steenson, Jimmy Brown
and others formed the Irish People's Liberation Organisation
with the express intention of wiping out the INLA and IRSP which they had seen as becoming corrupt and an obstacle to the fight for socialism
and Irish freedom. Steenson argued in letters written while he was in prison in the early 1980s that the INLA had become militarily inefficient and undisciplined and that this had led to involvement in criminality and sectarian attacks.
In 1987, Steenson himself was killed with his friend Tony McCarthy
by the INLA. Two revenge killings of INLA men followed before the end of the feud.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
socialist paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
activist. He was a member of the Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
(INLA) group during the Troubles in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
He 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...
, Northern Ireland, and grew up in a Roman Catholic family in the republican Falls Road
Falls Road
The Falls Road is the main road through west Belfast in Northern Ireland; from Divis Street in Belfast city centre to Andersonstown in the suburbs. Its name is synonymous with the republican communities in the city. It is known as one of the more famous streets in Northern Ireland, drawing many...
area of west Belfast.
Nicknamed "Doctor Death" by sections of the Irish media
Media in Ireland
The media in Ireland include all the media and communications outlets of any other developed nation.-Press freedom:Ireland has freedom of the press enshrined in its constitution. The NGO group Reporters sans frontières named Ireland in joint first position in their "Worldwide press freedom index"...
, he is widely associated with internecine violence between Irish republican groups. He joined the Official IRA
Official IRA
The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA is an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to create a "32-county workers' republic" in Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Irish Republican Army in December 1969, shortly after the beginning of "The Troubles"...
's C Company in 1972 at the age of 14. Two years later, he left to join the INLA upon the paramilitary group's formation consequent to their split from the Official IRA. He came to notoriety as a 16 year-old for killing Billy McMillen
Billy McMillen
Billy McMillen was an Irish republican activist and an officer of the Official Irish Republican Army...
the Official IRA's 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...
leader during the IRSP
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
/INLA's feud with the rival Official IRA. He had been dubbed "Dr. Death" by the RUC
RUC
RUC may refer to: or Coimbra University Radio, a Portuguese university station* Rapid Update Cycle, an atmospheric prediction system* Renmin University of China* Roskilde University or Roskilde Universitetscenter...
for the chain of assassinations he purportedly accomplished.
Steenson, Jimmy Brown
Jimmy Brown (Irish nationalist)
Jimmy Brown was a Belfast member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party , the Irish National Liberation Army , and the Irish People's Liberation Organisation ..Jimmy Brown left the IRSP in the mid-eighties to join up with the IPLO...
and others formed the Irish People's Liberation Organisation
Irish People's Liberation Organisation
The Irish People's Liberation Organisation was a small Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed in 1986 by disaffected and expelled members of the Irish National Liberation Army whose factions coalesced in the aftermath of the supergrass trials...
with the express intention of wiping out the INLA and IRSP which they had seen as becoming corrupt and an obstacle to the fight for socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and Irish freedom. Steenson argued in letters written while he was in prison in the early 1980s that the INLA had become militarily inefficient and undisciplined and that this had led to involvement in criminality and sectarian attacks.
In 1987, Steenson himself was killed with his friend Tony McCarthy
Tony McCarthy
Anthony Paul "Tony" McCarthy is a retired Irish footballer who played as a defender.Tony started his League of Ireland career with University College Dublin A.F.C. in 1988. During his last season at Belfield Park he was capped by the Republic of Ireland U21 in April 1990 at Oriel Park. After...
by the INLA. Two revenge killings of INLA men followed before the end of the feud.
Sources
- Henry McDonald, Jack Holland, INLA - Deadly Divisions, published by Poolbeg Press, 1994, ISBN#10189814205X, ISBN# 139781898142058