Seamus Twomey
| Seamus Twomey | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 November 1919 Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | 12 September 1989 (aged 69) Dublin, Ireland |
| Allegiance |
 Irish Republican Army (1922-1969)
|
| Service/branch | Irish Republican Army (1922-1969) Provisional IRA |
| Rank | Chief of Staff |
Seamus Twomey (Irish: Séamus Ó Tuama; 5 November 1919 – 12 September 1989) was an Irish republican activist, militant, and twice chief of staff of the Provisional IRA.
Born in Belfast, Twomey lived at 6 Sevastopol Street in the Falls district. Known as "Thumper" owing to his short temper and habit of banging his fist on tables, he received little education and was a bookmaker's (bookie's) 'runner'.
He began his involvement with the Irish Republican Army in the 1930s and was interned in Northern Ireland during the 1940s. He opposed the left-wing shift of Cathal Goulding in the 1960s, and in 1968, helped set up the breakaway Andersonstown Republican Club (later the Roddy McCorley Society).
In 1969, he was prominent in the establishment of the Provisional IRA. By 1972, he was Officer Commanding of the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade when it launched its bomb campaign of the city, including Bloody Friday when nine people were killed. During the 1970s, the leadership of the Belfast Brigade of the IRA was largely in the hands of Twomey and Ivor Bell.
In March 1973, Twomey was first appointed IRA Chief of Staff after the arrest of Joe Cahill. He remained in this position until his arrest in October 1973 by the Garda Síochána. Three weeks later, on 31 October 1973, the IRA organised the helicopter escape of Twomey and his fellow IRA members J.B. O'Hagan and Kevin Mallon, when an active service unit hijacked and forced the pilot at gun-point to land the helicopter in the training yard of Mountjoy Prison. After his escape, he returned to his membership of IRA's Army Council.
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