Gary Donnelly (Irish republican)

Gary Donnelly is an Irish republican politician, former Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA) prisoner, and an elected member of the Derry and Strabane District Council.[1]

Republican activity

Donnelly is a member of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM) and formerly the Real IRA.[2]

Arrests and convictions

In March 2010, Donnelly was convicted of assaulting a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer and sentenced to seven months imprisonment. While serving his sentence Donnelly briefly went on hunger strike following his removal from the republican wing of HM Prison Maghaberry. Prison officials explained the decision claiming Donnelly had received a death threat from the Real IRA, a charge Donnelly denied.[3][4]

In August 2010 Donnelly was charged under the auspices of "terrorism legislation" in connection with three pipe bomb attacks in September 2009. Authorities accused Donnelly of being in possession of a mobile phone linked to the attacks.[5] On 22 December of the same year the charges were dropped.[6]

In addition to Donnelly's March 2010 conviction, he has been charged with assaulting police officers on two other occasions. In both cases the charges were eventually dropped.[7][8]

In November 2014, Donnelly, along with two co-defendants, was sentenced to six-months in prison for "causing criminal damage" by writing an anti-internment slogan on the historic walls of Derry. Donnelly's solicitor asserted that "writing political slogans had been a long-standing tradition and there were no objections from local residents to the graffiti."[9] In January 2015, Donnelly was successful in his appeal of the sentence and was granted a 12-month conditional discharge.[10] He was supported by TDs Éamon Ó Cuív, Clare Daly, Thomas Pringle, and Maureen O'Sullivan. They claimed the charges were unfair.[11]

In July 2015, following a three-volley salute at the funeral of Patsy O'Hara's mother, Donnelly's house was searched by the PSNI. No arrests were made.[12]

On 7 January 2018, Donnelly was arrested and questioned in connection with the 2006 murder Denis Donaldson, an ex-Sinn Fein member turned British agent. Donnelly was released without charge a day later.[13]

Political career

On 24 May 2014, Donnelly was elected to the Derry and Strabane District Council. Although a purported member of the 32CSM at the time, Donnelly ran as an independent and received 1,154 votes.[14]

He supported Independents 4 Change candidate Thomas Pringle in the Donegal Constituency election in the Irish general election of 2016.[15]

Donnelly was re-elected to his council seat on 4 May 2019 with 1,374 first-preference votes.[16][17]

References
  1. "Gary Donnelly elected in Derry & Strabane". BBC. 24 May 2014.
  2. "Martin McGuinness criticised by republican dissidents for toast to Queen". The Guardian. 21 April 2014.
  3. "Gary Donnelly on hunger strike". Derry Journal. 16 March 2010.
  4. "Donnelly ends Maghaberry hunger strike". Irish Republican News. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  5. "32 CSM man charged under terrorism legislation". BBC. 20 August 2010.
  6. "Timeline of dissident republican activity". BBC. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  7. "Gary Donnelly charges dropped 'without prejudice'". BBC. 25 July 2011.
  8. "Gary Donnelly has assault charge dropped". BBC. 23 September 2013.
  9. "Londonderry councillor Gary Donnelly receives six-month prison sentence - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  10. "Gary Donnelly: Londonderry councillor wins jail sentence appeal - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  11. Jackson, George (7 January 2015). "TDs support dissident Republican in court case". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  12. "Gary Donnelly: Londonderry councillor's home searched by police". BBC. 22 July 2015.
  13. Kearney, Vincent (2018). "Councillor released over Donaldson murder". BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  14. "Republican dissident elected to Derry and Strabane Council as SDLP loses dominance". Belfast Telegraph. 26 May 2014.
  15. "Donegal count: Independent Thomas Pringle takes final seat". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  16. "Dissident Republican wins election in Derry ward where journalist Lyra McKee was killed". The Independent. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  17. McClements, Freya. "Ex-speaker for dissident republican group Gary Donnelly tops Derry poll". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
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