Raymond McCartney
Encyclopedia
Raymond McCartney is a Sinn Féin
politician, and a former hunger strike
r and volunteer
within the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA).
. His cousin, Jim Wray, was shot and killed by the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment, and as a result of this McCartney joined the IRA several months later. On 12 January 1979 at Belfast
Crown Court
McCartney and another man, Eamonn MacDermott, were convicted of the murder of Detective Constable Patrick McNulty, who was shot several times outside a garage in Derry on 27 January 1977. McCartney was also convicted of IRA membership and the murder of Jeffrey Agate in February 1977, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. As noted below these convictions were overturned in 2007.
and dirty protest
s, then took part in the 1980 hunger strike, along with fellow IRA members Brendan Hughes
, Tommy McKearney
, Tom McFeely, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and Irish National Liberation Army
member John Nixon. McCartney spent 53 days on hunger strike, from 27 October to 18 December. From 1989 to 1991 he was Officer Commanding
of the IRA prisoners in the H Blocks
, and was released in 1994.
, and encouraged anyone, including paramilitaries, with information to come forward. McCartney has been the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Foyle
since 15 July 2004, when he replaced Mary Nelis
.
On 15 February 2007 McCartney and MacDermott had their murder convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal, following an investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission
in 2002. Notwithstanding the normal expectation of compensation for a wrongful conviction and wrongful imprisonment, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
declined to compensate McCartney and McDermott on the grounds that they had not proven themselves innocent. The decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
which in May 2011 found in favour of the applicants, opening the way for a substantial compensation claim from both for their prison terms of 15 and 17 years.
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...
politician, and a former hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and volunteer
Volunteer (Irish republican)
Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
within 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).
IRA membership
McCartney took part in the civil rights march in Derry on 30 January 1972, an event widely known as Bloody SundayBloody Sunday (1972)
Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...
. His cousin, Jim Wray, was shot and killed by the 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment, and as a result of this McCartney joined the IRA several months later. On 12 January 1979 at 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...
Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
McCartney and another man, Eamonn MacDermott, were convicted of the murder of Detective Constable Patrick McNulty, who was shot several times outside a garage in Derry on 27 January 1977. McCartney was also convicted of IRA membership and the murder of Jeffrey Agate in February 1977, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. As noted below these convictions were overturned in 2007.
Imprisonment
McCartney was involved in the blanketBlanket protest
The blanket protest was part of a five year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army and Irish National Liberation Army prisoners held in the Maze prison in Northern Ireland. The republican prisoners' status as political prisoners, known as Special Category Status, had...
and dirty protest
Dirty protest
The dirty protest was part of a five year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army and Irish National Liberation Army prisoners held in the Maze prison and Armagh Women's Prison in Northern Ireland.-Background:Convicted paramilitary prisoners were treated as ordinary...
s, then took part in the 1980 hunger strike, along with fellow IRA members Brendan Hughes
Brendan Hughes
Brendan Hughes , also known as "The Dark", was an Irish republican and former Officer Commanding of the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army...
, Tommy McKearney
Tommy McKearney
Tommy McKearney is an Irish republican, socialist, and former hunger striker and volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.-Background:McKearney was born into a family with a long republican tradition...
, Tom McFeely, Sean McKenna, Leo Green, and 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....
member John Nixon. McCartney spent 53 days on hunger strike, from 27 October to 18 December. From 1989 to 1991 he was Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
of the IRA prisoners in the H Blocks
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
, and was released in 1994.
Freedom and reversal of convictions
Since his release he has been active with ex-prisoners' groups Tar Abhaile and Coiste na n-Íarchimí, and was the first member of Sinn Féin to have their own voice heard on television after the lifting of the broadcasting ban in 1994. McCartney was arrested on 4 April 2002 following a breach of security at Belfast's police headquarters, but released without charge the next day. Later that year on 5 September McCartney was the first former IRA member to appear before the Bloody Sunday InquiryBloody Sunday Inquiry
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, also known as the Saville Inquiry or the Saville Report after its chairman, Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair after campaigns for a second inquiry by families of those killed and injured in Derry on Bloody Sunday...
, and encouraged anyone, including paramilitaries, with information to come forward. McCartney has been the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Foyle
Foyle (UK Parliament constituency)
Foyle is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Londonderry constituency...
since 15 July 2004, when he replaced Mary Nelis
Mary Nelis
Mary Margaret Nelis, was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. She was born in Wellington Street in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1935. She is the eldest daughter of the late Catherine and Denis Elliott. She was educated at St Eugene's Convent School and left school at...
.
On 15 February 2007 McCartney and MacDermott had their murder convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal, following an investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission
Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is an non-departmental public body set up following the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice itself a continuation of the May Inquiry. It aims to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 2002. Notwithstanding the normal expectation of compensation for a wrongful conviction and wrongful imprisonment, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
declined to compensate McCartney and McDermott on the grounds that they had not proven themselves innocent. The decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
which in May 2011 found in favour of the applicants, opening the way for a substantial compensation claim from both for their prison terms of 15 and 17 years.