Joe Cahill

Joe Cahill (Seosamh Ó Cathail; 19 May 1920 – 23 July 2004) was a prominent figure in the Irish republican movement in Northern Ireland and former chief of staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Cahill was born above his father's small printing shop at 60 Divis Street on 19 May 1920 in West Belfast.

Cahill was the first child of eleven siblings born to Joseph and Josephine Cahill.

Both of his parents supported republicanism.

Cahill spoke of his family's interest in Irish culture and history: "I was always taught to attend to things that were Irish. For instance, do Irish dancing. Do Irish things, a lot. In the house there would be lots of Irish history books. You wouldn't be forced to read them, but because they were in the house you would naturally read them. I suppose from that point of view there was a certain amount of indoctrination."

His father was involved with the Irish National Volunteers and would print republican material at his print shop.

Joseph Senior applied to be a part of the Irish Republican Army but was asked to remain in the print business as his way of assisting the republican movement.

He was arrested in 1932 for printing illegal material, but was acquitted for any crimes.

Cahill's childhood was marked by hardship and his family was very poor.

Cahill's grandparents were neighbours of the Scottish-born Irish socialist and Easter Rising leader James Connolly, who co-founded the Irish Citizens Army.

Cahill was educated at St. Mary's Christian Brothers' School, then located on Barrack Street.

At age 14 he left school to assist in the print shop.

Soon after, he joined the Catholic Young Men's Society, which campaigned on social issues with a focus on eradicating moneylenders from working-class areas of Belfast, as they often charged usurious interest rates.

At the age of seventeen, Cahill then joined Na Fianna Eireann, a republican-orientated Scouting movement.

Na Fianna Eireann was regarded as the "Junior Irish Republican Army".

He joined a junior-republican movement, Na Fianna Eireann, in 1937 and the following year, joined the Irish Republican Army.

The following year, 1938, at the age of 18, Cahill joined the local Clonard-based 'C' Company of the Belfast Brigade of the Irish Republican Army.

By 1942, Cahill was serving as second in command.

That year, during an anniversary march by the IRA for the Easter Rising, Cahill got into a shootout with five other IRA men against four Royal Ulster Constabulary Officers.

Several men were wounded and Constable Patrick Murphy was killed.

Cahill and four of the other men spent time in prison in Belfast, where they were interrogated daily.

Tom Williams, the sixth IRA man to be charged, spent time in the Royal Victorian Hospital due to his injuries.

It was there that he made a statement taking full responsibility for killing Constable Patrick Murphy.

All six men were found guilty and sentenced to death in August 1942.

The men's legal team managed to suspend the execution date after the verdict.

An appeal campaign began and 207,000 signatures were collected.

The United States State Department and the Vatican also supported the campaign.

As a result, the men's sentences were changed to life in prison, except for Tom Williams who was executed.

The IRA declared a formal ceasefire in 1945.

Afterwards, republican prisoners began to be released.

In 1969, Cahill was a key figure in the founding of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

During his time in the Provisional IRA, Cahill helped import weapons and raise financial support.

He served as the chief of staff in 1972, but was arrested the following year when a ship importing weapons was intercepted.

After his release, he continued to serve on the IRA Army Council and lead all financial dealings for Sinn Féin.

In the 1990s, the IRA and Sinn Féin began to work on seeking peace.

Cahill served on the council that called a cessation on 21 July 1997.

Cahill attended several of the talks that finally led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998.

Shortly after the agreement was made, Cahill resigned as treasurer of Sinn Féin.

To honour his service, he was made honorary Sinn Féin vice-president for life.

Cahill served the republican movement in Ireland all his life, as one of the longest-serving political activists in Ireland of any political party.