Dessie O'Hare
Encyclopedia
Dessie O'Hare also known as "The Border Fox", is an Irish republican
paramilitary, who was once the most wanted man in Ireland
.
O'Hare was originally a volunteer
in the Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) but left in the late 1970s following a series of disciplinary clashes. He later joined the Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA). After kidnapping a Dublin dentist and cutting off two of his fingers in 1987 he was imprisoned until 2006, when he was granted extended temporary release.
, County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
into a family with a strong republican background. His grandmother was imprisoned for six months in Holloway Gaol
for "keeping republicans", and his father and six of his uncles were interned between 1940 and 1944.
of the Provisional IRA at the age of 16, and was part of a unit that targeted off-duty members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) and Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR). His colleagues nicknamed him "The Border Fox" following his escape from a number of shootouts with the Garda Síochána
and the RUC. In 1975, he was convicted for the first time for possession of explosives, and received a suspended sentence
. In October 1977 O'Hare and his unit killed Margaret Ann Hearst, a part-time UDR member, in front of her three year old daughter. The RUC and Gardaí also linked him to a series of killings and attacks, including the attempted murder of Ulster Unionist Party
politician Jim Nicholson
. He left the IRA in the late 1970s and joined the Irish National Liberation Army
.
from the RUC Special Patrol Group
(SPG) police unit attempted to assassinate O'Hare at the Rock Bar in Keady. McCaughey and three other SPG officers planned to spray the bar with gunfire then set off a 10 lb gelignite
bomb, but were unsuccessful when a customer prevented them from entering the bar. In August the same year O'Hare was arrested following the attempted murder of a British Army
officer, who was shot at his wedding reception in County Meath
. In 1979 O'Hare was shot twice, and the Gardaí arrested him after a car chase through County Monaghan
. The chase ended when O'Hare crashed his car through a herd of cattle and into a farmer's car, before coming to rest in a field. O'Hare broke both his ankles in the crash; his companion in the car died. At his trial in 1980 he was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for possession of a firearm; he was released in 1986.
, the other going by the 'INLA GHQ'. The IPLO assassinated INLA leaders Ta Power and John O'Reilly and in revenge, O'Hare is accused of the killing of Tony McCloskey, an IPLO associate who had allegedly tipped them off as to O'Reilly and Power's whereabouts. McCloskey was abducted from his home in Monaghan
on February 6, 1987. His ear and finger were cut off with a bolt cutter before he was eventually shot and his body dumped near Middleton
. O'Hare is alleged to have been behind the abduction and killing. Seven INLA members died in the feud.
. It was described as having 'a handful' of members.
In 1987 O'Hare and three other INLA members kidnapped John O'Grady, a dentist from Dublin, and demanded a IR£1.5m ransom
. The gang had intended to seize Austin Darragh, owner of the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, but Darragh had moved three years previously from the house, which was occupied by O'Grady, his son-in-law. He was initially held in a Dublin basement before being moved to Cork
, where he was held in a cargo container
. Gardai happened on the site, but O'Hare and his gang escaped after opening fire and getting away in a hijacked car. The car was later found burnt out in Dundalk
, but O'Hare had moved his captive to a house in Cabra
, north Dublin.
After ransom demands were not met O'Hare cut off the little finger from each of O'Grady's hands with a hammer and chisel and sent them to Carlow Cathedral. In a telephone call to the Gardaí O'Hare stated:
Garda Detectives traced the gang to the Cabra house and a shootout ensued. A Garda detective was seriously wounded and O'Grady was rescued but O'Hare and his gang escaped. O'Hare became the most wanted man in Ireland with the Gardaí offering a IR£100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts. He surfaced in Dunleer
, county Louth, where he is alleged to have fired shots into a takeaway during an altercation with his wife. Two of the gang were arrested near Cahir
, county Tipperary. Three weeks later on 27 November O'Hare was arrested after his car drove through an Irish Defence Forces
check point in Urlingford
, County Kilkenny
. O'Hare was shot eight times during the arrest which was effected after a fire-fight, while the driver of the car, Martin Bryan, died. An Irish Army
soldier was also wounded.
At his trial at the Special Criminal Court
, O'Hare was convicted of false imprisonment
, wounding with intent and possession of firearms, and received a 40 year sentence. He was sent to the maximum security Portlaoise Prison
, where he was isolated by former IRA and INLA associates who accused him of bringing republicanism into disrepute.
In December 1987, the INLA's political wing issued a statement disassociating themselves from the kidnapping and stating that O'Hare, 'is not a member of the INLA'.
In the early 1990s he undertook a vow of silence and did not speak for six years, and also staged a dirty protest
. He re-joined the INLA wing of the prison after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. By 2001 he had become commander of the INLA inmates held there.
, stating that he should have been released under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement
. On 6 April 2001 the High Court
reserved judgement on the case pending information from the Department of Justice. On 8 December 2002 O'Hare was transferred to Castlerea
Prison in preparation for his release, and a week later issued a statement saying his "war was over".
The Irish Republican Socialist Party
(INLA's political wing) also mounted a campaign for his release, stating, "Dessie's "crime", if 'crime' it was, was to be an active Republican".
O'Hare was first granted temporary release from prison in November 2003 when he attended a weekend long course on conflict resolution
in Glencree
, and he was granted further periods of temporary release in November 2004 and March 2005. In November 2005 he was returned to Portlaoise Prison after he was caught with a mobile phone and a bag of pills when returning to Castlerea from temporary release, which jeopardised his chance of release on licence.
O'Hare launched a new High Court bid for freedom in April 2006, and was granted extended temporary release. He returned to Northern Ireland, and was believed to be living in Newtownhamilton
in South Armagh. The Police Service of Northern Ireland
stated O'Hare will not be arrested on suspicion of involvement in up to 30 unsolved killings because the alleged offences predate the Good Friday Agreement. However, investigations have not been ruled out by the Historical Enquiries Team
, which has been assigned to probe all unsolved killings during the Troubles
.
stated in the Dáil Éireann
that a "significant former paramilitary" had been in the company of Hyland during the summer. The Irish Independent
reported that this referred to O'Hare. O'Hare's spokesman, Eddie McGarrigle of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
, denied O'Hare had any involvement with the killings stating that he was working with handicapped people and a charity, and had also been an assistant to a group of pilgrims on a trip to Lourdes
. McGarrigle's statement was supported by the Gardaí, who said there was no evidence to link O'Hare to the shootings.
killer who can be charming and manipulative, and say he is an exceptional risk.
During his time in Portlaoise Prison
, O'Hare became a student of anthropology, psychology, metaphysics, yoga and tai-chi, stating that he had found a "divine force" and gained with "this esoteric knowledge, a newer and better understanding of everything. Some fellow prisoners — and even a few jailers — have remarked that I've changed."
In a 2001 interview, he stated that he had no regrets about his paramilitary career. He said of the John O'Grady Kidnapping; "It was a fundraising operation that failed. I haven't taken it personal [sic] what happened to me as a result of it, and I hope that those on the other side haven't taken it personal what happened to them. In fact, John was a totally innocent victim in that operation and I think he understood that too."
"Anyone who questions the legitimacy of a just war obviously isn't a true soldier and has no place in a revolutionary army," he says." He has described himself as a republican socialist and cited influence from Marxism
and Christianity
, justifying his actions as "War brings circumstances with it that changes our normal concepts of morality. It's a tough, dirty business, caused in the first instance by the filth of corruption." Through imprisonment he says he has developed an identification with the plight of the disabled and participated in fund-raising events for them.
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitary, who was once the most wanted man 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...
.
O'Hare was originally a 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...
in 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) but left in the late 1970s following a series of disciplinary clashes. He later joined 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). After kidnapping a Dublin dentist and cutting off two of his fingers in 1987 he was imprisoned until 2006, when he was granted extended temporary release.
Early life
O'Hare was born in KeadyKeady
Keady is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated south of Armagh city and very close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The town had a population of 2,960 people in the 2001 Census....
, County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, 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...
into a family with a strong republican background. His grandmother was imprisoned for six months in Holloway Gaol
Holloway (HM Prison)
HM Prison Holloway is a closed category prison for adult women and Young Offenders, located in the Holloway area of the London Borough of Islington, in north and Inner London, England...
for "keeping republicans", and his father and six of his uncles were interned between 1940 and 1944.
IRA activities
O'Hare joined the South Armagh BrigadeProvisional IRA South Armagh Brigade
The South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army operated during the Troubles in south County Armagh. It was organised into two battalions, one around Jonesborough and another around Crossmaglen. By the 1990s, the South Armagh Brigade was thought to consist of about 40 members,...
of the Provisional IRA at the age of 16, and was part of a unit that targeted off-duty members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) and Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
(UDR). His colleagues nicknamed him "The Border Fox" following his escape from a number of shootouts with the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
and the RUC. In 1975, he was convicted for the first time for possession of explosives, and received a suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
. In October 1977 O'Hare and his unit killed Margaret Ann Hearst, a part-time UDR member, in front of her three year old daughter. The RUC and Gardaí also linked him to a series of killings and attacks, including the attempted murder of Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
politician Jim Nicholson
Jim Nicholson (UK politician)
James Frederick "Jim" Nicholson is a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party politician, who is currently a Member of the European Parliament .-Career:...
. He left the IRA in the late 1970s and joined 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....
.
Arrest and first prison sentence
In June 1978, Billy McCaugheyBilly McCaughey
William "Billy" McCaughey was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Patrol Group and the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force in the 1970s. He was imprisoned for 16 years for murder from 1980 to 1996...
from the RUC Special Patrol Group
Special Patrol Group (RUC)
The Special Patrol Group in the Royal Ulster Constabulary was a police unit tasked with counter terrorism. Each SPG had 30 members. Many of the SPG units were accused of collusion with the illegal paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force, particularly the actions of a unit based in Armagh.-A...
(SPG) police unit attempted to assassinate O'Hare at the Rock Bar in Keady. McCaughey and three other SPG officers planned to spray the bar with gunfire then set off a 10 lb gelignite
Gelignite
Gelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
bomb, but were unsuccessful when a customer prevented them from entering the bar. In August the same year O'Hare was arrested following the attempted murder of a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, who was shot at his wedding reception in 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...
. In 1979 O'Hare was shot twice, and the Gardaí arrested him after a car chase through County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan 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 Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The chase ended when O'Hare crashed his car through a herd of cattle and into a farmer's car, before coming to rest in a field. O'Hare broke both his ankles in the crash; his companion in the car died. At his trial in 1980 he was sentenced to nine years imprisonment for possession of a firearm; he was released in 1986.
INLA feud
Upon his release, O'Hare found that the INLA had split into hostile armed factions, one calling itself the Irish People's Liberation OrganisationIrish People's Liberation Organisation
The Irish People's Liberation Organisation was a small Irish republican paramilitary organization which was formed in 1986 by disaffected and expelled members of the Irish National Liberation Army whose factions coalesced in the aftermath of the supergrass trials...
, the other going by the 'INLA GHQ'. The IPLO assassinated INLA leaders Ta Power and John O'Reilly and in revenge, O'Hare is accused of the killing of Tony McCloskey, an IPLO associate who had allegedly tipped them off as to O'Reilly and Power's whereabouts. McCloskey was abducted from his home in Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
on February 6, 1987. His ear and finger were cut off with a bolt cutter before he was eventually shot and his body dumped near Middleton
Middleton
Middleton may refer to:-Australia:*Middleton, South Australia*Middleton Beach, Western Australia*Middleton Reef, Tasman Sea-United Kingdom:England*Middleton, Cumbria*Middleton, Essex*Middleton, Greater Manchester*Middleton, Hampshire...
. O'Hare is alleged to have been behind the abduction and killing. Seven INLA members died in the feud.
Kidnapping and second imprisonment
Such was the disarray of the INLA after this internecine feuding that O'Hare broke away from the remaining INLA leadership in Belfast and set up his own group, the 'Irish Revolutionary Brigade', which operated in the border region out of CastleblayneyCastleblayney
Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...
. It was described as having 'a handful' of members.
In 1987 O'Hare and three other INLA members kidnapped John O'Grady, a dentist from Dublin, and demanded a IR£1.5m ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. The gang had intended to seize Austin Darragh, owner of the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, but Darragh had moved three years previously from the house, which was occupied by O'Grady, his son-in-law. He was initially held in a Dublin basement before being moved to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, where he was held in a cargo container
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
. Gardai happened on the site, but O'Hare and his gang escaped after opening fire and getting away in a hijacked car. The car was later found burnt out in Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, but O'Hare had moved his captive to a house in Cabra
Cabra
Cabra is the Spanish word for goat. It may also refer to:*Cabra, Dublin, a district in north Dublin, Ireland*Cabra, County Down, a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland*Cabra, Spain, a municipality in the province of Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain...
, north Dublin.
After ransom demands were not met O'Hare cut off the little finger from each of O'Grady's hands with a hammer and chisel and sent them to Carlow Cathedral. In a telephone call to the Gardaí O'Hare stated:
Garda Detectives traced the gang to the Cabra house and a shootout ensued. A Garda detective was seriously wounded and O'Grady was rescued but O'Hare and his gang escaped. O'Hare became the most wanted man in Ireland with the Gardaí offering a IR£100,000 reward for information on his whereabouts. He surfaced in Dunleer
Dunleer
Dunleer is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland.Dunleer town is situated midway between Dundalk and Drogheda. It is the principal Town Borough in the Barony of Ferrard. It has a Charter dating back to 1252...
, county Louth, where he is alleged to have fired shots into a takeaway during an altercation with his wife. Two of the gang were arrested near Cahir
Cahir
Cahir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. The town is best known for its castle and the Swiss Cottage. It is in the barony of Iffa and Offa West.-Location and access:...
, county Tipperary. Three weeks later on 27 November O'Hare was arrested after his car drove through an Irish Defence Forces
Irish Defence Forces
The armed forces of Ireland, known as the Defence Forces encompass the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force.The current Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence forces is His Excellency Michael D Higgins in his role as President of Ireland...
check point in Urlingford
Urlingford
Urlingford is a town in the barony of Galmoy, County Kilkenny, Ireland.The town lies on the R639. The M8 motorway runs just west of the town, from which both Urlingford and nearby Johnstown are accessed via junction four. Urlingford is a bus hub, with major operator JJ Kavanagh and Sons based there...
, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
. O'Hare was shot eight times during the arrest which was effected after a fire-fight, while the driver of the car, Martin Bryan, died. An Irish Army
Irish Army
The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...
soldier was also wounded.
At his trial at 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...
, O'Hare was convicted of false imprisonment
False imprisonment
False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...
, wounding with intent and possession of firearms, and received a 40 year sentence. He was sent to the maximum security Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise Prison is the Republic of Ireland's only high security prison. It is located in Portlaoise, County Laois. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium security prison situated directly beside it....
, where he was isolated by former IRA and INLA associates who accused him of bringing republicanism into disrepute.
In December 1987, the INLA's political wing issued a statement disassociating themselves from the kidnapping and stating that O'Hare, 'is not a member of the INLA'.
In the early 1990s he undertook a vow of silence and did not speak for six years, and also staged a 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...
. He re-joined the INLA wing of the prison after the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. By 2001 he had become commander of the INLA inmates held there.
Attempts at securing release
In 2000 O'Hare requested a judicial reviewJudicial review
Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary. Specific courts with judicial review power must annul the acts of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher authority...
, stating that he should have been released under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
. On 6 April 2001 the High Court
High Court (Republic of Ireland)
The High Court of Ireland is a court which deals at first instance with the most serious and important civil and criminal cases. When sitting as a criminal court it is called the Central Criminal Court and there is a jury. It also acts as a court of appeal for civil cases in the Circuit Court...
reserved judgement on the case pending information from the Department of Justice. On 8 December 2002 O'Hare was transferred to Castlerea
Castlerea
Castlerea is located in the west of County Roscommon, Ireland. It is the second largest town in the county with a population of 3,055 . Roughly translated from Irish, Castlerea can mean Brindled Castle or King's Castle...
Prison in preparation for his release, and a week later issued a statement saying his "war was over".
The Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
(INLA's political wing) also mounted a campaign for his release, stating, "Dessie's "crime", if 'crime' it was, was to be an active Republican".
O'Hare was first granted temporary release from prison in November 2003 when he attended a weekend long course on conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
in Glencree
Glencree
Glencree is a valley in the Wicklow Mountains in eastern Ireland. It is the second closest valley in the mountains to Dublin city, the first being Glencullen. The river Dargle flows down the valley, which rises to a height of abut 400 metres...
, and he was granted further periods of temporary release in November 2004 and March 2005. In November 2005 he was returned to Portlaoise Prison after he was caught with a mobile phone and a bag of pills when returning to Castlerea from temporary release, which jeopardised his chance of release on licence.
O'Hare launched a new High Court bid for freedom in April 2006, and was granted extended temporary release. He returned to Northern Ireland, and was believed to be living in Newtownhamilton
Newtownhamilton
Newtownhamilton is a small village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Tullyvallan and the barony of Upper Fews. It is part of the Newry and Mourne District Council area...
in South Armagh. The Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
stated O'Hare will not be arrested on suspicion of involvement in up to 30 unsolved killings because the alleged offences predate the Good Friday Agreement. However, investigations have not been ruled out by the Historical Enquiries Team
Historical Enquiries Team
The Historical Enquiries Team is a unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles ....
, which has been assigned to probe all unsolved killings during 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...
.
Alleged links to crime
In December 2006 drug-dealer Martin 'Marlo' Hyland was shot dead at his Dublin home, along with a plumber called Anthony Campbell who was working there. Irish Taoiseach Bertie AhernBertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
stated in the Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
that a "significant former paramilitary" had been in the company of Hyland during the summer. The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
reported that this referred to O'Hare. O'Hare's spokesman, Eddie McGarrigle of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Irish Republican Socialist Party
The Irish Republican Socialist Party or IRSP is a republican socialist party active in Ireland. It claims the legacy of socialist revolutionary James Connolly, who founded the Irish Socialist Republican Party in 1896 and was executed after the Easter Rising of 1916.- History :The Irish Republican...
, denied O'Hare had any involvement with the killings stating that he was working with handicapped people and a charity, and had also been an assistant to a group of pilgrims on a trip to Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
. McGarrigle's statement was supported by the Gardaí, who said there was no evidence to link O'Hare to the shootings.
Beliefs
In 1987 O'Hare told a journalist he was only interested in "the bomb and the bullet" and did not believe in politics, and confessed to murdering 26 people. Garda and prison officers describe him as a psychoticPsychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
killer who can be charming and manipulative, and say he is an exceptional risk.
During his time in Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise Prison
Portlaoise Prison is the Republic of Ireland's only high security prison. It is located in Portlaoise, County Laois. It should not be confused with the Midlands Prison, which is a newer, medium security prison situated directly beside it....
, O'Hare became a student of anthropology, psychology, metaphysics, yoga and tai-chi, stating that he had found a "divine force" and gained with "this esoteric knowledge, a newer and better understanding of everything. Some fellow prisoners — and even a few jailers — have remarked that I've changed."
In a 2001 interview, he stated that he had no regrets about his paramilitary career. He said of the John O'Grady Kidnapping; "It was a fundraising operation that failed. I haven't taken it personal [sic] what happened to me as a result of it, and I hope that those on the other side haven't taken it personal what happened to them. In fact, John was a totally innocent victim in that operation and I think he understood that too."
"Anyone who questions the legitimacy of a just war obviously isn't a true soldier and has no place in a revolutionary army," he says." He has described himself as a republican socialist and cited influence from Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, justifying his actions as "War brings circumstances with it that changes our normal concepts of morality. It's a tough, dirty business, caused in the first instance by the filth of corruption." Through imprisonment he says he has developed an identification with the plight of the disabled and participated in fund-raising events for them.