Billy McKee

Billy McKee (Irish: Liam Mac Aoidh; born 1921) is an Irish republican and a founding member and former leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).

McKee was born in Belfast in 1921, and joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1939. During the Second World War, the IRA carried out a number of armed actions in Northern Ireland known as the Northern Campaign. McKee was arrested and imprisoned in Crumlin Road Gaol until 1946 for his role in this campaign. In 1956, the IRA embarked on another armed campaign against the existence of Northern Ireland, known as the Border Campaign. McKee was again arrested and interned for the duration of the campaign. He was released in 1962.

Upon release, he became Officer Commanding (OC) of the IRA's Belfast Brigade. However, he resigned this position in 1963, after a dispute with other republicans after McKee acceded to a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) demand that he not fly an Irish tricolour during a republican march. He was succeeded by Billy McMillen.

As the 1960s went on, McKee drifted away from the IRA. He grew very disillusioned with the organisation's increasing emphasis on socialism and reformist politics over "armed struggle". McKee was a devout Roman Catholic, who attended Mass daily. As a result, he was very uncomfortable with what he felt were "communist" ideas coming into the republican movement.

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