Joe Cahill
| Joe Cahill Irish: Seosamh Ó Cathail |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
19 May 1920 Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | 23 July 2004 (aged 84) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Allegiance | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
| Unit | Belfast Brigade |
| Commands held | Chief of Staff |
| Conflict | The Troubles |
Joe Cahill (Irish: 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). He joined a junior-republican movement, Na Fianna Eireann, in 1937 and the following year, joined the Irish Republican Army. 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 at the Chief of Staff in 1972, but was arrested the following year whenever 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 Fein. In the 1990s, the IRA and Sinn Fein began to work on seeking peace. Cahill served on the council that called a cessation on July 21, 1996. Cahill attended several of the talks that finally lead to the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998. Shortly after the agreement was made, Cahill resigned as treasurer of Sinn Fein. To honor his service, he was made honorary Sinn Fein Vice President for life.
Cahill served as the Republican movement in Ireland his entire life. He is regarded as a strong leader and one of the longest-serving political activists in Ireland of any political party.
On 19 May 1920, Cahill was born above his father's small printing shop at 60 Divis Street in West Belfast.
Cahill was the first child of eleven siblings born to Joseph and Josephine Cahill. Both of his parents supported Republicanism. 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 his crimes. Cahill’s childhood was marked by hardship. Belfast was in turmoil with British occupation, rationed rood and scare jobs and Cahill’s family was very poor. Cahill’s grandparents where neighbors 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”.
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