Leo Martin (Irish republican)

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Leo Martin (1937–2011) was a founder of the

Provisional IRA in Belfast and a prominent figure in The Troubles
.

Early life

Martin was born in 1937, and had been

Border campaign of 1956–1962.[1] In June 1953 he was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment for possessing copies of An Phoblacht.[2]

IRA career

In 1966 he narrowly twice avoided assassination by the

Clonard in an attempt calm the rioting which was occurring almost every Friday night.[9] Imprisoned in Portlaoise Prison in 1977,[10] he led a mass-hunger strike, along with O'Connaíll and Dan Hoban which lasted 47 days.[11]

Later life and death

Martin left the Provisionals and joined

Loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty revealed that Martin had been an intended target of the UVF in an attack planned weeks before the organisation called its 1994 ceasefire.[13] Martin died in Belfast in 2011 and was buried in Milltown Cemetery.[14]

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b English 2005, p. 113.
  2. ^ MacEoin 1997, pp. 248, 423.
  3. ^ Coogan 1996, p. 58.
  4. ^ English 2005, pp. 113–114.
  5. ^ Coogan 1996, p. 111.
  6. ^ Coogan 1996, p. 113.
  7. ^ a b White 2006, p. 146.
  8. ^ a b English 2005, p. 105.
  9. ^ Coogan 1996, p. 132.
  10. ^ Kinealy 2013, p. 87.
  11. ^ Coogan 1995, p. 317.
  12. ^ White 1993, p. 159.
  13. ^ Morris 2014.
  14. ^ BBC News 2011.

Bibliography