Martin Ferris

Martin Ferris (born 28 March 1952) is an Irish former Sinn Féin politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 2002 to 2020.

Ferris was born in Strand Street in Tralee, County Kerry, in 1952.

His father was a farmer who was also a caretaker for Barrow House, which was at that time owned by an aunt.

He was educated locally at Barrow National School, St Mary's CBS, and Tralee Technical School.

He left school early, working on his family's farm and as a fisherman.

His father died from a stroke in 1970.

Ferris joined the Provisional IRA shortly after the death of his father on 29 May 1970.

Aged 18, he was sworn in by Paddy Kelly and Liam Cotter, a former vice-chairman of the Kerry County Board of the GAA.

The IRA in Kerry was under the direction of the IRA Southern Command, whose main responsibility was to support IRA activity in Northern Ireland.

He began his inter-county career in 1972 playing Under-21 football for Kerry.

He lined out as a forward, beating Cork at the Munster final, although the team was beaten by Galway at the All Ireland Final.

Despite being on the run, he was selected in 1973.

He won an All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship medal with Kerry, beating Mayo 2–12 to 0–13.

His career was interrupted by his imprisonment later that year.

From September 1974 to February 1975, Ferris was on the run.

He was suspected of having taken part in a robbery at the Tralee post office, which resulted in £74,000 being stolen, and a robbery at the Chase Manhattan Bank in Shannon, County Clare in December 1974 which led to the theft of £159,000.

He was arrested by Gardaí in Youghal, County Cork, on 14 February 1975, along with two other IRA members, viz., Danny O'Sullivan and Robert McNamara.

The Gardaí had been on the alert after a robbery at Central Dairies in Dungarvan, County Waterford.

They were later tried by the Special Criminal Court where O'Sullivan was sentenced to six and eight years concurrently.

Ferris was not convicted of robbery but was remanded to Portlaoise Prison pending further charges of membership in the IRA as a proscribed organisation.

He was sentenced to 12 months in Portlaoise.

He was released after nine months in November 1975.

He was arrested again in February 1976 at a Garda roadblock in Ballinrobe, County Mayo after attending the funeral of Frank Stagg.

On 16 February, he was charged with IRA membership at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Martin met his wife, Máire Hoare, after his release from Portlaoise Prison in 1977.

In March 1977, Ferris took part in a hunger strike along with 20 other prisoners, demanding a public inquiry into conditions in the prison.

After 32 days he was transferred to Curragh Military Hospital.

The hunger strike ended after 47 days.

A guarantee had been given to the prisoners by Bishop James Kavanagh that the government would work to improve prison conditions.

Although conditions improved somewhat, Tim Pat Coogan, a nationalist historian and former editor of The Irish Press, noted that after a visit in 1977 tensions still remained, and mentioned reports of visitors being denied visits after long distances and that strip searching was still carried out.

Ferris was released two months later in June 1977.

They married in January 1978 and have six children.

A daughter, Toiréasa, is a former Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council and councillor for the Tralee electoral area.

Ferris played in the Cotter Cup at the under-14 age group as a back.

He played as centre forward for Churchill GAA.

After being released he resumed playing for Churchill and was selected by Mick O'Dwyer to play for the Seniors in 1978.

Ferris left the Kerry training panel after the Munster final that year (in which he was unable to play), owing to poor health and Garda Special Branch surveillance.

In September 1984, Ferris attempted to import seven tons of explosives, firearms and ammunition, as well as medications, training manuals, and communications equipment, using the fishing vessel Marita Ann, which was piloted by Mike Browne, another IRA member.

The plan involved rendezvousing with the trawler Valhalla, captained by Bob Anderson, which sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, transferring arms and ammunition to the Marita Ann and sailing to the south coast of County Kerry, where a number of cars were on standby to deliver the weapons to various Provisional IRA arms dumps.

The Marita Ann was intercepted by the Irish Navy vessels the LÉ Emer and the LÉ Aisling off the south coast of Kerry with the weapons and ammunition on board.