Sean Kelly (Irish republican)

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Sean Kelly is a former member (volunteer) within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and was responsible for the Shankill Road bombing in October 1993 that killed nine people including a pregnant woman and a young girl, and injured 57 people.

He later said the bombing was a failed attempt to kill leaders of Ulster Defence Association who held meetings above the shop. An 11-second fuse was apparently meant to detonate the bomb as they ran past after a warning was shouted. Kelly's accomplice Thomas Begley was killed in the botched attack, which left Kelly injured; he lost an eye and has limited use of his left arm.^[1] He was arrested after being picked up by rescuers searching for survivors in the wreckage. Kelly, from the republican Ardoyne area of north Belfast, was sentenced to nine terms of life imprisonment at his trail in January 1995.^[2] The judge, Lord Justice McDermott, said: "This wanton slaughter of so many innocent people must rank as one of the most outrageous atrocities endured by the people of this province in the last quarter of a century."^[3]

Kelly served seven years of his life sentence and was released in July 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.^[4] During the Holy Cross dispute, Kelly was reported by Lt. Col. Tim Collins to be present during republican violence in the Ardoyne.^[5]

Kelly was returned to prison on 18 June 2005 when his early release was suspended amid allegations that he had been involved in rioting. Sinn Féin claimed he was trying to calm tensions. Peter Hain, Northern Ireland Secretary, said that he had directed the arrest and return to prison of Sean Kelly on the basis of ‘security information’ available to him. He said he was satisfied that Sean Kelly “had become re-involved in terrorism”.^[6] He was re-released on 28 July later the same year. The next day the IRA ordered an end to its armed campaign.^[7]

[edit] References

1. ^ John Mullin (5 August 2000). Freed Shankill bomber regrets 'accident'. The Guardian. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
2. ^ David McKittrick (28 January 1995). IRA bomber jailed for shop atrocity. The Independent. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
3. ^ Maeve Connolly (21 October 2003). Remembering a black week in our history. Irish News. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
4. ^ Warren Hoge (25 July 2000). Guerrilla who killed 3 mourners released as part of N. Ireland pact. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
5. ^ Rules of Engagement, Tim Collins. Headline Book Publishing 2006. pp.67-73. ISBN: 9780755313754
6. ^ Henry McDonald (19 June 2005). Shankill bomber back in prison. The Guardian. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
7. ^ Glenn Frankel (29 July 2005). IRA Says It Will Abandon Violence. Washington Post. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.