Fergus O'Hare
Encyclopedia
Fergus O’Hare was involved in the civil rights movement
in Northern Ireland
as a member of People's Democracy
in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Later he became a founding member and executive member of the Northern Resistance Movement
, which continued to campaign for civil rights in Northern Ireland.
With the introduction of internment without trial
in 1971, O'Hare helped set up and became chairperson of the Political Hostages Release Committee: a group which organised a mass campaign against internment throughout the early 1970s. When internment was phased out in the mid-1970s, and with the decision of the British Government to end special category status
for prisoners, O'Hare became involved with the campaign to "defend political status" for the prisoners. He became a member of the Relative's Action Committee and of the National H-Block Armagh Committee which helped organise the struggle in support of the hunger strikers in the early 1980s.
In 1981
he was elected as member of Belfast City Council
, defeating Gerry Fitt
who was a Westminster MP as well as a Belfast councillor.
The election of O'Hare, and of other candidates who stood in support of the H-Block prisoners during this period, occurred within the context of an ongoing debate within the H-Block movement and within Sinn Féin
with regard to the use of elections as a tactic for building support for the prisoners' campaign, and for the campaign for social and democratic rights in Ireland. Sinn Féin at this time had a policy of boycotting elections. On the National H Block Armagh Committee, O'Hare and others such as Bernadette Devlin McAliskey
argued that participation in elections should be used as a tactic in the campaign. During this debate, McAliskey, supported by People's Democracy and others, stood as a candidate in support of the prisoners, in the election for the European Parliament in 1979
, winning more than 30,000 votes. When Frank Maguire
, a Westminster MP, died in 1981, People's Democracy and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey argued that a candidate should stand in the by-election to demonstrate the high level of support that existed for the prisoners. The outcome of this debate was that hunger-striker Bobby Sands
was put forward as a candidate and elected to the Westminster parliament. After Sands' death, his election agent Owen Carron
of Sinn Féin won the seat.
The substantial vote for Bernadette McAliskey in the 1979 European elections, the success of pro-H-Block candidates in the 1981 Council Elections, especially Fergus O'Hare "unceremoniously dumping Gerry Fitt from the seat he had occupied for twenty three years", the Westminster election victories of Bobby Sands and Owen Carron and the election of hunger-striker Kieran Doherty
and republican prisoner Paddy Agnew in the Irish general election in June 1981
, demonstrated the high level of support for the H-block prisoners, despite the assertions to the contrary by the British Government and others. These election results also helped resolve the debate within Sinn Féin in favour of using elections as part of the republican struggle. Later, in June 1983 Gerry Adams
of Sinn Féin won a Westminster seat from Gerry Fitt and Sinn Féin went on to continued electoral success becoming the largest nationalist party elected to the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly.
Ironically, those who led the argument that elections should be used to further the republican project in Ireland were subsequently sidelined electorally by a resurgent Sinn Féin, so that in the Assembly elections in 1982, O'Hare and the other People's Democracy candidates fared badly,: their vote largely going to Sinn Féin candidates.Belfast West Belfast North
In the 1990s, O'Hare became involved in the Irish language movement and in 1991 he helped set up and became the first head teacher of Meánscoil Feirste (later known as Coláiste Feirste
): the first Irish language secondary school in northern Ireland). He served as a member of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta and Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta; organisations set up after the Good Friday Agreement to help promote Irish language schools in Northern Ireland.
Later, he was involved with the establishment of Raidió Fáilte
: the first legal Irish language radio station in Northern Ireland, of which he became manager in 2006. The station continues to broadcast in Irish in the Belfast area and throughout the world on www.raidiofailte.com
In the early 1980s, Fergus O'Hare wrote a column in Fortnight, a Belfast-based politics and arts review magazine and for An Gael the magazine of the New York Irish Arts Centre. He published a history of the 1907 Belfast dockers and carters strike led by James Larkin, ‘The divine gospel of discontent’. In 2007 he published a book in Irish on Irish flora, Mórbhealaí & Cúlbhealaí.
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
in 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...
as a member of People's Democracy
People's Democracy
People's Democracy was a political organisation that, while supporting the campaign for civil rights for Northern Ireland's Catholic minority, stated that such rights could only be achieved through the establishment of a socialist republic for all of Ireland...
in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Later he became a founding member and executive member of the Northern Resistance Movement
Northern Resistance Movement
The Northern Resistance Movement was an Irish republican organisation set up following the introduction of internment on 9 August 1971.The Tyrone Central Civil Resistance Committee organised a meeting in Omagh on 17 October 1971...
, which continued to campaign for civil rights in Northern Ireland.
With the introduction of internment without trial
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
in 1971, O'Hare helped set up and became chairperson of the Political Hostages Release Committee: a group which organised a mass campaign against internment throughout the early 1970s. When internment was phased out in the mid-1970s, and with the decision of the British Government to end special category status
Special Category Status
In July 1972, William Whitelaw, the British government's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, granted Special Category Status to all prisoners convicted of Troubles-related offences...
for prisoners, O'Hare became involved with the campaign to "defend political status" for the prisoners. He became a member of the Relative's Action Committee and of the National H-Block Armagh Committee which helped organise the struggle in support of the hunger strikers in the early 1980s.
In 1981
Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland in 1981.-Overall:-Belfast:...
he was elected as member of Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
, defeating Gerry Fitt
Gerry Fitt
Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party , a social democratic and Irish nationalist party.-Early years:...
who was a Westminster MP as well as a Belfast councillor.
The election of O'Hare, and of other candidates who stood in support of the H-Block prisoners during this period, occurred within the context of an ongoing debate within the H-Block movement and within 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...
with regard to the use of elections as a tactic for building support for the prisoners' campaign, and for the campaign for social and democratic rights in Ireland. Sinn Féin at this time had a policy of boycotting elections. On the National H Block Armagh Committee, O'Hare and others such as Bernadette Devlin McAliskey
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey
Josephine Bernadette Devlin McAliskey , also known as Bernadette Devlin and Bernadette McAliskey, is a socialist republican political activist...
argued that participation in elections should be used as a tactic in the campaign. During this debate, McAliskey, supported by People's Democracy and others, stood as a candidate in support of the prisoners, in the election for the European Parliament in 1979
European Parliament election, 1979
The 1979 European elections were parliamentary elections held across all 9 European Community member states. They were the first European elections to be held, allowing citizens to elect 410 MEPs to the European Parliament, and also the first international election in history.Seats in the...
, winning more than 30,000 votes. When Frank Maguire
Frank Maguire
Meredith Francis Maguire was an Independent Republican Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.- Early Life :...
, a Westminster MP, died in 1981, People's Democracy and Bernadette Devlin McAliskey argued that a candidate should stand in the by-election to demonstrate the high level of support that existed for the prisoners. The outcome of this debate was that hunger-striker Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands
Robert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
was put forward as a candidate and elected to the Westminster parliament. After Sands' death, his election agent Owen Carron
Owen Carron
Owen Gerard Carron is an Irish republican activist and who was Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1981 to 1983.Carron is the nephew of former Nationalist Party politician John Carron....
of Sinn Féin won the seat.
The substantial vote for Bernadette McAliskey in the 1979 European elections, the success of pro-H-Block candidates in the 1981 Council Elections, especially Fergus O'Hare "unceremoniously dumping Gerry Fitt from the seat he had occupied for twenty three years", the Westminster election victories of Bobby Sands and Owen Carron and the election of hunger-striker Kieran Doherty
Kieran Doherty
Kieran Doherty TD was an Irish republican hunger striker, Teachta Dála and a volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army ....
and republican prisoner Paddy Agnew in the Irish general election in June 1981
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
, demonstrated the high level of support for the H-block prisoners, despite the assertions to the contrary by the British Government and others. These election results also helped resolve the debate within Sinn Féin in favour of using elections as part of the republican struggle. Later, in June 1983 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...
of Sinn Féin won a Westminster seat from Gerry Fitt and Sinn Féin went on to continued electoral success becoming the largest nationalist party elected to the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly.
Ironically, those who led the argument that elections should be used to further the republican project in Ireland were subsequently sidelined electorally by a resurgent Sinn Féin, so that in the Assembly elections in 1982, O'Hare and the other People's Democracy candidates fared badly,: their vote largely going to Sinn Féin candidates.Belfast West Belfast North
In the 1990s, O'Hare became involved in the Irish language movement and in 1991 he helped set up and became the first head teacher of Meánscoil Feirste (later known as Coláiste Feirste
Coláiste Feirste
Coláiste Feirste is the only secondary-level Irish-medium school in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Previously known as Méanscoil Feirste, the gaelscoil is located in the west of the city in a new facility on Belfast's Falls Road...
): the first Irish language secondary school in northern Ireland). He served as a member of Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta and Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta; organisations set up after the Good Friday Agreement to help promote Irish language schools in Northern Ireland.
Later, he was involved with the establishment of Raidió Fáilte
Raidió Fáilte
Raidió Fáilte is an Irish language community radio station, broadcasting from Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It started broadcasting under its current licence on 15 September 2006....
: the first legal Irish language radio station in Northern Ireland, of which he became manager in 2006. The station continues to broadcast in Irish in the Belfast area and throughout the world on www.raidiofailte.com
In the early 1980s, Fergus O'Hare wrote a column in Fortnight, a Belfast-based politics and arts review magazine and for An Gael the magazine of the New York Irish Arts Centre. He published a history of the 1907 Belfast dockers and carters strike led by James Larkin, ‘The divine gospel of discontent’. In 2007 he published a book in Irish on Irish flora, Mórbhealaí & Cúlbhealaí.