Henry McDonald (writer)
Encyclopedia
Henry McDonald is a writer and is the Irish editor for The Observer
, the sister paper of The Guardian
.
McDonald has written extensively about The Troubles
, its precedents, its consequences, its demographics, and such. He was born in the nationalist
Markets area of Belfast
and attended St. Malachy's College
. McDonald was formerly involved in the Sinn Féin the Workers Party
a left republican party that emerged out of the Official IRA
in the early 1970s. He travelled to the German Democratic Republic
(East Germany) with the youth wing of SFWP around 1980. Much of his writing concerns Northern Irish paramilitaries, like the UDA and the INLA. He has written a book on the Irish National Liberation Army
- INLA - Deadly Divisions, which he co-authored with the now deceased Jack Holland. The book was first published in 1994 and has since been re-printed.
More recently, McDonald has written on loyalist paramilitary groups and has co-authored books on the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association
with Jim Cusack. He also wrote a biography of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble. He was, for a period, a security correspondent for the BBC in Belfast and has since criticised the BBC for burying stories which raised doubts about the intentions of the Provisional Republicans in the peace process. In this regard, he specifically cited the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe. During the 1990s he was a staff reporter at Belfast newspaper The Irish News where he edited the youth pages.
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, the sister paper of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
McDonald has written extensively about The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, its precedents, its consequences, its demographics, and such. He was born in the nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
Markets area of 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...
and attended St. Malachy's College
St. Malachy's College
St. Malachy's College is the oldest Roman Catholic grammar school in the province of Ulster, and one of the oldest in Ireland.The college was founded in 1833 by Bishop William Crolly, about 50 years after the repeal of the penal laws, which had outlawed, among other things, the celebration of the...
. McDonald was formerly involved in the Sinn Féin 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....
a left republican party that emerged out of 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"...
in the early 1970s. He travelled to the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(East Germany) with the youth wing of SFWP around 1980. Much of his writing concerns Northern Irish paramilitaries, like the UDA and the INLA. He has written a book on 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 - Deadly Divisions, which he co-authored with the now deceased Jack Holland. The book was first published in 1994 and has since been re-printed.
More recently, McDonald has written on loyalist paramilitary groups and has co-authored books on the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
with Jim Cusack. He also wrote a biography of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble. He was, for a period, a security correspondent for the BBC in Belfast and has since criticised the BBC for burying stories which raised doubts about the intentions of the Provisional Republicans in the peace process. In this regard, he specifically cited the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe. During the 1990s he was a staff reporter at Belfast newspaper The Irish News where he edited the youth pages.