Pádraig McKearney

Pádraig Oliver McKearney (December 1954 – 8 May 1987) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army paramilitary. He was killed during a British Army ambush at Loughgall, County Armagh in May 1987.

Pádraig McKearney was raised in Moy, County Tyrone, in a staunchly Irish republican family. Both his grandfathers had fought in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence, his maternal grandfather in south County Roscommon and his paternal grandfather in east County Tyrone. He was educated at local Catholic schools in Collegeland and Moy, and went on to St Patrick's Academy in Dungannon.

He joined the Provisional IRA and was first arrested in 1972 on charges of blowing up the post office in Moy. He spent six weeks on remand, but was released due to insufficient evidence. In December 1973 he was arrested again and later sentenced to seven years for possession of a rifle. He was imprisoned in Long Kesh and later in Magilligan prison. During this period of incarceration his younger brother Seán, also an IRA paramilitary, was killed whilst engaged in IRA activity on 13 May 1974. He was released in 1977 but was sentenced to 14 years in August 1980 after being caught by the British Army with a loaded sten gun along with another IRA member Gerard O'Callaghan. That same year his older brother Tommy, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, nearly died on hunger strike after refusing food for 53 days. Another brother, Kevin, a civilian, and an uncle, Jack McKearney, were both shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries.

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