John Joe McGirl

John Joe McGirl
Teachta Dála
In office March 1957 – May 1961
Constituency	Sligo–Leitrim
Leitrim County Councillor
In office 29 June 1960 – 8 December 1988
Constituency	Ballinamore
Personal details
Born	Ballinamore, County Leitrim
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin

John Joe McGirl (25 March 1921 – 8 December 1988) was an Irish republican, a Sinn Féin politician, and a former chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Born and raised in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, McGirl became involved with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the 1930s. In 1946, he was arrested along with Cathal Goulding and ten others and was sentenced to 12 months in prison for IRA membership.

McGirl participated in the IRA Border Campaign. In January 1957, he was tried and convicted at Ballinamore courthouse and imprisoned in Mountjoy Prison.

Although a prisoner, he was elected as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) for the Sligo–Leitrim constituency at the 1957 general election, topping the poll with 7,007 votes (15.7%). Running on an abstentionist ticket, Sinn Féin won four seats at the general election (also Eighneachán Ó hAnnluain, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and John Joe Rice). McGirl did not retain his seat at the 1961 general election. His share of the vote was halved and he received only 2,487 votes (7.3%).

In November 1957, he delivered the oration at the funerals of some of the "Edentubber Martyrs", four IRA members who were killed when a bomb they were preparing accidentally exploded. In 1962, he served on the committee which founded St. Felim's College, Ballinamore.

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