Martin Lynch
Encyclopedia
Martin Lynch is a native of Belfast
, Northern Ireland
and was reportedly a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) Army Council. Not to be confused with the Belfast playwright of the same name, Lynch is alleged to have been the adjutant-general, who had day-to-day control of the IRA. He is a former driver of Gerry Adams
and Martin McGuinness
, and is considered an Adams loyalist.
In 1999 a car used by Lynch, which took Adams and McGuinness to meetings with the Provisional Irish Republican Army, was found to contain an MI5
bugging device. Mo Mowlam
had personally sanctioned the listening and tracking device found in the vehicle, as she later confirmed in a television interview. MI5 later briefed the Sunday Times that the £20,000 device had also been intended to help locate IRA weaponry. The target of the surveillance was Martin Lynch, whose unsuspecting wife owned the car. Adams tacitly confirmed the vehicle's status as IRA transport when he stated that it was used by both Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin
's chief negotiator, and himself when they traveled to meetings with the IRA. He accused the British of endangering the peace process, describing the affair as "an outrageous breach of faith which must be addressed at the highest levels".
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
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...
and was reportedly a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army
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...
(IRA) Army Council. Not to be confused with the Belfast playwright of the same name, Lynch is alleged to have been the adjutant-general, who had day-to-day control of the IRA. He is a former driver of Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
and Martin McGuinness
Martin McGuinness
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland....
, and is considered an Adams loyalist.
In 1999 a car used by Lynch, which took Adams and McGuinness to meetings with the Provisional Irish Republican Army, was found to contain an MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
bugging device. Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
had personally sanctioned the listening and tracking device found in the vehicle, as she later confirmed in a television interview. MI5 later briefed the Sunday Times that the £20,000 device had also been intended to help locate IRA weaponry. The target of the surveillance was Martin Lynch, whose unsuspecting wife owned the car. Adams tacitly confirmed the vehicle's status as IRA transport when he stated that it was used by both Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
's chief negotiator, and himself when they traveled to meetings with the IRA. He accused the British of endangering the peace process, describing the affair as "an outrageous breach of faith which must be addressed at the highest levels".