IRA pull off the 'Escape of the Century' from Mountjoy Prison

On 31 October 1973,one of the most spectacular and audacious escapes from an Irish prison took place when three of the IRA's key personnel were airlifted to freedom in a seconded helicopter from Mountjoy Prison.

At 12 o'clock on 31 October 1973, a mysterious Mr Leonard, wearing a white suit and hamming up a mid-Atlantic accent, arrived at the Westpoint Hangar (Dublin Airport) to take a flight in the five-seater Alouette II helicopter. The helicopter had a long history already. It had seen service in the French Air Force and President General DeGaulle had presented it to the wife of the South Vietnamese leader President Thieu. The South Vietnamese later sold the machine to Irish Helicopters Ltd.

This helicopter had been booked to shoot a film location in County Laois. When in the air, the pilot was told by Mr Leonard that he needed to pick up some photographic equipment and to touch down beside a farmhouse at Dunmace, near Stradbally. On landing, the unsuspecting pilot saw two men coming out of the trees before him, one armed with a revolver and the other carrying an armalite rifle. He was then told at gunpoint that the helicopter was to fly to Mountjoy Prison, following the path of the Royal Canal and railway lines.

As he entered the Dublin area, he dropped his helicopter height to 700 feet and approached the prison from the rear. The helicopter touched down in the centre of the compound outside D-Wing, where political prisoners had been exercising. Upon landing, Séamus Twomey, Chief of Staff of the IRA, JB O'Hagan, Quartermaster of the IRA, and Kevin Mallon, an IRA activist since the 1950s campaign, ran forward and boarded the aircraft.

Prison warders realised what was happening too late. Some of them even thought that the helicopter's arrival was a visit from the Minister of Defence. As the reality of an IRA escape dawned on them, they tried to intercept the escape but the IRA prisoners in the yard began grappling with them and blocking their way. One of the more intelligent of the prison officers kept screaming "close the f**king gates close the f**king gates", before reality dawned on him that the escape was going up and not out the gates.

As the helicopter cleared the prison walls, with the escapees on board, the pilot was ordered to take his aircraft to the Baldoyle Racecourse just outside Dublin city centre. The helicopter touched down at Baldoyle, where a car taken in O'Connell Street earlier that day was ready to drive them to safe houses.

Back in Mountjoy, the prisoners continued to run around the exercise yard to confuse the screws, who were attempting to carry out a headcount to discover the identities of the escapees.
Eamonn Mac Thomáis, OC of the prison, eventually held a parade in the yard and addressed the men. He said he had been informed by the prison authorities that a helicopter had landed in the yard and that a number of prisoners had escaped. He said: "I didn't see a helicopter and this being Hallowe'en, the prisoners that escaped must have gone out on witches' broomsticks. I don't see who is missing but the prison authorities want to do a headcount, which necessitates all men going to their cells." A count was carried out as the men filed inside and it was discovered that three prisoners were missing; their identities were discovered after a cell check.

The escape was a great morale boosting exercise for republicans, particularly to the 1,400 POWs then imprisoned. It had been planned meticulously by an outside IRA escape committee. The three escapees had been selected because of their high profile within the media, rather than men who were serving longer sentences. The primary purpose was to embarrass Liam Cosgrave, his Fine Gael Party, and the Labour Party with Conor Cruise O'Brien, who had boasted in September that their government was having greater success than the British in crushing the Republican Movement.

In Belfast, bonfires blazed in celebration of the event while in Dublin over 300 Garda detectives searched hundreds of homes in a vain attempt to track down the escapers.
A typically downbeat IRA statement referred to the Mountjoy escape at the end of a list of IRA operations against the British crown forces: "Three republican prisoners were rescued by a special unit from Mountjoy Prison on Wednesday. The operation was a complete success and the men are now safe, despite a massive hunt by Free State forces."

Rest In Peace Dave Browne - 32csm Gaughan Stagg Cumann

Dave Browne - R.I.P

Fuair siad bás ar son Saoirse na hÉireann

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement, Ard Chomhairle, and wider membership, would like to express our shock and sadness, upon hearing of the untimely death of Dave Browne.

We extend our heart felt sympathies to Dave's family, and his wide circle of friends across Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Funeral details will follow in due course. 

Dave Browne founder member of the 32CSM in England, died on Monday 26 October 2015.

Dave Browne joined the 32CSM from the onset. He like others recognised the path being advocated by the provisional movement would not secure Irish National Sovereignty.

Dave was a tireless advocate for the 32CSM and one of the founder members of the Gaughan Stagg Cumann in England. Dave along with others in Liverpool continued to maintain the name of the James Larkin RFB when others sought to abandon the name. He was a tireless worker highlighting the plight of Irish Republican Prisoners.

In recent years Dave suffered two serious physical attacks from reactionary fascist elements, resulting in very serious injury. The British response was to charge Dave with offences, and denied him medical treatment despite being attacked with a hammer! 

Dave went on trial in Liverpool, charged with trumped up offences of assault, the case against him was dismissed. Dave proceeded to admonish the prosecuting solicitor from the dock!

Dave refused to allow these elements to silence him, or his belief that Britain continues to deny the Irish people national sovereignty. He went on to arrange marches and fundraisers in Liverpool, Manchester, London and Wakefield.

Dave was an active Antifacist who stood by the battle cry 'No Pasaran'

.

We send condolences to his family, friends and comrades.

Ard Comhairle 32 County Sovereignty Movement

Gaughan Stagg Cumann 32 County Sovereignty Movement

Vol Charles Carrigan Cumann (Scotland)

James Larkin RFB

Coatbridge United Irishmen RFB


Antifacist Movement (Liverpool, Manchester and York )

Márie Drumm, a tribute.

Máire Drumm

A tribute



MAIRE DRUMM'S dedicated life of service to her people is at an end. That she lived and died for Ireland her comrades in the Republican Movement proudly acknowledge. She lived and toiled ceaselessly face to face with the stem realities of life in Belfast and hers was the authentic voice of the beleaguered people suffering and resisting British and pro-British terror in their streets and homes.She gave leadership fearlessly for close on seven years as a member of the Sinn Fein Ard-Chomhairle and later as Vice-president. She realised full well that the political activists and her role in the Republican Movement was purely political -were in the front line, but that did not deter her from the rigorous code of duty she imposed on herself.


Concern for Political Prisoners

Apart from her public commentary and her activity in street demonstrations, her especial concern was for the political prisoners, their families and their welfare, the securing of compassionate parole and every humanitarian consideration affecting the casualties of the struggle. She also maintained contact with British Government representatives right
through the 1975 bi-lateral Truce.

In addition. Marie Drumm had to cope with the internment without trial of her husband. Jimmy, for thirteen years, the rearing of a family of five. the arrest and ill-treatment of her son Sean, the internment without trial of her son Seamus in Long Kesh and the imprisonment of her daughter, Maire Óg, in Armagh Jail.

Now the worst has happened. Death came to her in the most brutal and callous of cir- cumstances, while a patient in a hospital ward - surely a place of refuge and healing. But she died as much to liberate those who murdered her as those who would have defended her had they been present.


Warm and compassionate

Firm and uncompromising in her public attitudes, she was in private the most warm, compassionate and hospitable of people, she had a genuine love of human kind. and especially of her own oppressed people, who in their turn, took her to their hearts long ago.

Now that Maire Drumm is dead, the uncharitable expressions of some public figures who lead closely guarded lives surroun-
ded by maximum protection of the British Occupation Forces, ill becomes them and reminds the Irish people of similar sentiments expressed by them following the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry.

Indeed, some of the commentsby politicans and pressmen on both sides of the Irish Sea in the past have not helped and have assisted in making a political figure like Maire Drumm, the target for assassination squads.

The refusal of a visa to her to enter the United Slates is likewise difficult to interpret; one wonders what the American State Department, acting under British pressure, had to fear in exposing Americans to a realistic exposition of the facts of life under English rule in Ireland.

One aspect of Maire Drumm's life is clear to all who worked with her; she ceaselessly advocated the rights of the Loyalist communities in the New Ireland, and consistently guarded and developed lines of contact with them. Those with whom she was in touch among the Loyalists knew well of her persistent work for a just peace in Ireland; it devolves on them to come forward and acknowledge this now that she is no longer there to survey one such vital work.


Inspiration to all

For her comrades, Maire Drumm is not dead, she lives, she inspires us- On every street barricade, at every prison gate, at every mass demonstration and confrontation, she is there, urging us on to even greater effort. Her tireless spirit beckons us forward in our struggle for the New Ireland, for the liberation of all mankind, tor freedom, justice and peace. We salute
you, Maire Drumm, fearless anti-imperialist fighter: for us you live forever.




Issued by the President of Sinn Fein, Ruairi O Bradaigh, in the aftermath of Drumm's death in 1976.