Martin Ferris

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Martin Ferris
Teachta Dála
Constituency Kerry North
Born February 10, 1952 (age 55)
Political party Sinn Féin

Martin Ferris (born February 1952) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and a former Provisional IRA member (volunteer). He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for Kerry North since 2002 and is one of five Sinn Féin representatives in the current Dáil.

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[edit] Background

Martin Ferris was born in County Kerry and educated locally. He has been involved in Irish republicanism since 1970. His daughter, Toireasa Ferris, is a former Cathaoirleach (chairperson) of Kerry County Council.

[edit] Teachta Dála

He ran for election to the Dáil in 1997 but failed in his attempt. In 1999 Ferris first became an elected politician when he was elected to Kerry County Council and a local town authority in Tralee. On the same day he failed to be elected to the European Parliament, however, he did receive almost 30,000 votes. Ferris was first elected to Dáil Éireann in the 2002 general election for the Kerry North constituency, unseating former Tánaiste Dick Spring. In the Dáil he is currently the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture & Rural Development, as well as the Marine & Natural Resources.

[edit] IRA activity

Ferris served ten years (1984 - 1994) in prison for his involvement in the attempted importation of arms from the United States. In September 1984, the fishing vessel Valhalla, sailed from Boston, while the trawler Marita Ann, sailed from Fenit, County Kerry. Mid Atlantic, seven tons of explosives, arms and ammunition were transferred from the Valhalla to the Marita Ann. Sometime afterwards, the Irish Navy vessels LE Emer and LE Aisling along with members of the Garda Síochána detained the Marita Ann and arrested its crew. Ferris was convicted for the possession of explosive substances for unlawful purpose and for possession of firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

In February 2005 Irish Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, named Ferris, as well as Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, as members of the IRA Army Council, an allegation that has been flatly denied by Ferris and the Sinn Féin leadership. In July of the same year, the Irish Independent reported that Ferris, along with Adams and McGuinness had stepped down from the Army Council in the lead-up to an IRA statement on its future. A Sinn Féin spokesman refused to comment on this report [1].

[edit] Published accounts of Ferris

JJ Barret in his 2005 biography of Martin Ferris 'Man of Kerry'(Brandon Books) ISBN 0 86322 3125 writes that:

The general election campaign of 2002 had been a tough one.For Ferris it began late in 2001 when he was subjected to unhealthily close supervision by the gardaí. Wherever the policy of harassment of Ferris had been dreamed up, it was to backfire seriously.The people of North Kerry obviously did not like the constant stream of headlines under-pinning the clashes of the gardaí with Ferris. The community were well aware that he was instrumental in organising the community to stand up against drug pushers in Kerry.Drugs were a major issue at the election, and for some unknown reason the person doing soemthing about ridding Kerry society of the drug scourge was being constantly harassed by some gardaí....Now as an elected TD , the words of Ferris carry added weight, ....'Certainly I tried to counteract the drug pushers.Not alone I myself but the whole Sinn Féin organisation tried very hard to create an awareness of the problem.To bring about a situation where parents and the general community became aware that this massive problem was growing at an incredible pace in our communities.Despite the fact that at that time the chief superintendent said that there was no drug problem.I have no hesitation in saying that at public meetings in the housing estates, I named the drug pushers openly.

One of the most damaging accounts of Ferris emerged in "The Informer" by former IRA member and police informer Sean O'Callaghan. The book contains the following account of an alleged conversation between O'Callaghan and Ferris:

"... I asked Ferris about the reaction to 'bad' IRA operations, citing the La Mon restaurant atrocity in particular. The La Mon restaurant in County Down had been the target of an IRA firebomb attack in 1978, on the occasion of a dinner for dog breeders and owners. No warning was given because, I think, of bad planning on the part of the bombers rather than deliberate design. Twelve people were burned to death in the resulting inferno. Ferris said to me, "I don't know what all the squealing was about. They were only Orangies anyway."




Oireachtas
Preceded by
Dick Spring
(Labour)		 Sinn Féin Teachta Dála for
Kerry North
2002 – present		 Incumbent

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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