Gerard Tuite
Encyclopedia
Gerard Tuite was a senior member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
. Upon his escape from Brixton prison during the Hunger Strike
in the winter of 1980, he was declared the most wanted man in Britain
. Following his capture, at 26 years of age, in the spring of 1982 he made Irish legal history by being the first Irish citizen charged with an offence committed in another country in a case which made international headlines. His prosecution in Ireland
, for offences committed in Britain was a landmark one in international law.
County Cavan
, near the border with County Meath
. He was one of the nine sons and two daughters born to Michael Tuite, a small farmer, and Jane Dermody. Their wedding day on 30 September 1942 made national headlines in Ireland
when the wedding party was stormed by An Garda Síochána. According to the family the Garda
shot a traditional musician
called Finnegan in the leg and this was followed by a gun battle reminiscent of the Irish Civil War
. The Garda
were seeking the bride's brother, Patrick Dermody, who was the commanding officer of the IRA's Eastern Command and was on the run at the time. By the end of the battle Patrick Dermody lay dead, and a Detective Garda, M.J. Walsh, died later in hospital.
Gerry Tuite attended Kilnacrott Abbey secondary school in Ballyjamesduff
in Cavan. In 1982 a fellow student remembered him thus: 'The only thing remarkable about him in those days was that he was unremarkable. He was a very inoffensive person- a nice quiet fellow.' He was viewed locally as the one member of the family most likely to stay out of politics, and was better known as a motorcycle enthusiast. In his late teens he became a merchant sailor. Little is known about him from this point until 1978.
and royal
figures. According to J. Bowyer Bell
, Tuite had also been involved in no less than eighteen bombing attacks in five British cities with Patrick Magee, the Brighton bomber, alone.
Tuite served his sentence in Brixton prison until 16 December 1980 when, in one of the most daring prison breakouts witnessed in Britain he escaped with two British inmates, one of whom was Jimmy Moody
. Tuite and company escaped by tunnelling through walls of their cells in Brixton's top security remand wing and dropping into a yard where they used builders' planks and scaffolding piled up for repairs to scale the 15 ft perimeter wall. Coming during a major IRA hunger strike this proved to be an enormous boost to the morale of the movement, and consequently his escape was deemed to be a political emergency. Tuite's escape led the British police to immediately issue 16,500 posters of him under the heading "Terrorist Alert. This Man Must Be Caught." On the 4 March 1982 Tuite was finally discovered, during a Special Branch raid on a flat in Drogheda
Ireland
. He received ten years in prison. In July 1982 he made Irish legal history when he became the first man sentenced in the Republic of Ireland
for offences committed in the United Kingdom
. He was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court
to 10 years imprisonment for possessing explosives in London
.
Tuite is today a businessman in the south Cavan
and north Meath
region.
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
. Upon his escape from Brixton prison during the Hunger Strike
1981 Irish hunger strike
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
in the winter of 1980, he was declared the most wanted man in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Following his capture, at 26 years of age, in the spring of 1982 he made Irish legal history by being the first Irish citizen charged with an offence committed in another country in a case which made international headlines. His prosecution in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, for offences committed in Britain was a landmark one in international law.
Background
Gerry Tuite was born into a staunchly republican family in MountnugentMountnugent
Mountnugent, historically known as Dalysbridge , is a village in southern County Cavan, in the province of Ulster, Ireland. It is located on the R194 regional road on the River Inny near Lough Sheelin.-Facilities:...
County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, near the border with County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He was one of the nine sons and two daughters born to Michael Tuite, a small farmer, and Jane Dermody. Their wedding day on 30 September 1942 made national headlines in Ireland
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...
when the wedding party was stormed by An Garda Síochána. According to the family the Garda
Garda
Garda may refer to:* An Garda Síochána, the national police of the Republic of Ireland* Lake Garda, a lake in northern Italy.* Garda , a commune on the shores of the Italian Lake Garda in the province of Verona....
shot a traditional musician
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
called Finnegan in the leg and this was followed by a gun battle reminiscent of the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. The Garda
Garda
Garda may refer to:* An Garda Síochána, the national police of the Republic of Ireland* Lake Garda, a lake in northern Italy.* Garda , a commune on the shores of the Italian Lake Garda in the province of Verona....
were seeking the bride's brother, Patrick Dermody, who was the commanding officer of the IRA's Eastern Command and was on the run at the time. By the end of the battle Patrick Dermody lay dead, and a Detective Garda, M.J. Walsh, died later in hospital.
Gerry Tuite attended Kilnacrott Abbey secondary school in Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff is a medium-sized town with a population of 2,240 in County Cavan in Ireland, located on the R194 regional road. Formerly a market town and winner of the 1966 and 1967 Irish Tidy Towns Competition, Ballyjamesduff is now one of the fastest growing towns in the region due to its...
in Cavan. In 1982 a fellow student remembered him thus: 'The only thing remarkable about him in those days was that he was unremarkable. He was a very inoffensive person- a nice quiet fellow.' He was viewed locally as the one member of the family most likely to stay out of politics, and was better known as a motorcycle enthusiast. In his late teens he became a merchant sailor. Little is known about him from this point until 1978.
IRA Activity
In that year, he was using the nom de guerre David Coyne and was believed to be a young businessman of German-Irish extraction when he met a nurse called Helen Griffiths at a party in London in the summer of 1978. Within a short time he had moved into Helen's flat in 144 Trafalgar Road, Greenwich. Helen's work allowed him much time in the flat on his own. Before the end of the year he was found guilty of possession of explosives with intent to endanger life. A sawn-off shotgun and Armalite rifle were also found at the flat. These and other items, including car keys and voice recordings, linked him to other bombings as well as the targeting of senior British ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and royal
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
figures. According to J. Bowyer Bell
J. Bowyer Bell
J. Bowyer Bell was an American historian, artist and art critic.-Background and early life:Bell was born into an Episcopalian family on 15 November 1931 in New York City. The family later moved to Alabama, from where Bell attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, majoring in...
, Tuite had also been involved in no less than eighteen bombing attacks in five British cities with Patrick Magee, the Brighton bomber, alone.
Tuite served his sentence in Brixton prison until 16 December 1980 when, in one of the most daring prison breakouts witnessed in Britain he escaped with two British inmates, one of whom was Jimmy Moody
Jimmy Moody
James Alfred 'Jimmy' Moody was a British gangster and hitman whose career spanned more than four decades and included run-ins with Jack Spot, Billy Hill, "Mad" Frankie Fraser, the Krays, the Richardsons and the Provisional IRA....
. Tuite and company escaped by tunnelling through walls of their cells in Brixton's top security remand wing and dropping into a yard where they used builders' planks and scaffolding piled up for repairs to scale the 15 ft perimeter wall. Coming during a major IRA hunger strike this proved to be an enormous boost to the morale of the movement, and consequently his escape was deemed to be a political emergency. Tuite's escape led the British police to immediately issue 16,500 posters of him under the heading "Terrorist Alert. This Man Must Be Caught." On the 4 March 1982 Tuite was finally discovered, during a Special Branch raid on a flat in Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
Ireland
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...
. He received ten years in prison. In July 1982 he made Irish legal history when he became the first man sentenced in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
for offences committed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court
Special Criminal Court
The Special Criminal Court is a juryless criminal court in the Republic of Ireland which tries terrorist and organized crime cases. Article 38 of the Constitution of Ireland empowers the Dáil to establish "special courts" with wide-ranging powers when "the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure...
to 10 years imprisonment for possessing explosives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Tuite is today a businessman in the south Cavan
Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff is a medium-sized town with a population of 2,240 in County Cavan in Ireland, located on the R194 regional road. Formerly a market town and winner of the 1966 and 1967 Irish Tidy Towns Competition, Ballyjamesduff is now one of the fastest growing towns in the region due to its...
and north Meath
Oldcastle, County Meath
Oldcastle is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the north-west of the county near the border with Cavan, approximately 21 km from Kells. The R154 and R195 regional roads cross in the town's market square...
region.