Matt Devlin

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Matt Devlin (Irish language: Máta Ó Doibhilin) (b. Ardboe, County Tyrone 20 April 1950 d. County Westmeath 28 December 2005) was an Irish member (volunteer) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who took part in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and later a leading member of Sinn Féin in the Republic of Ireland.

1 Background
2 Prison
3 Electoral politics
4 References

[edit] Background

Devlin who was arrested in a 1977, was taken to Cookstown and Omagh RUC barracks were he was interogated for four days. He was charged with the attempted killing of members of the security forces on the basis of an allegedly forced statement given to the RUC.

[edit] Prison

He was sentenced in October 1977 to seven years for the attempted murder of RUC officers.

In 1981, Devlin became the 15th republican prisoner to join Hunger Strike in HMP Maze when he replace Martin Hurson who died after 44 days on hunger-strike on July 13th 1981. He had been involved in the prison protests right through from going "on the blanket" right through until the hunger strikes ended when families began to take their sons off the protest.^[1]^[2]^[3]

[edit] Electoral politics

In 2004, despite serious illness he stood in local elections in Ireland and although failing to get elected is credited for building up the Sinn Féin party in County Westmeath.^[4]

Senior Sinn Féin member, Martin McGuinness said: "It was a testament to Matt’s determination and courage that even when seriously ill he still put himself forward to stand for Sinn Féin in the last Southern elections. Matt continued to play a key role organising and building the party in Westmeath right up until his untimely death a few days ago."^[5]

He was buried on 31 December 2005 in his hometown of Ardboe.^[6]