Dublin North Central Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Republican Women HerStory - Mairéad Farrell

Mairéad Farrell

(Taken from "They stood as one, the Story of Revolutionary Women)

Mairéad Farrell was born on the 3rd March 1957 on the Falls Road area of Belfast. Mairéad was the only girl in the family of five brothers and was doted on by her Mother and Father. Mairéad had a very happy childhood going to primary school and then onto Rathmore Grammar School after t6he Family moved to the Lenadoon area. Mairéad always had a keen interest in the Irish language and spent many happy hours in the Gaelteacht area of Donegal. Mairead loved listening to stories about her grandfather who had fought in the war of independence and Irish history was one of her favourite subjects.

Lendoon in the early seventies had just witnessed Operation Motorman, Peoples Homes had been occupied by British troops. Schools had been taken over and turned into barracks, British soldiers patrolled our streets. Gun battles were the order of the day, innocent civilians had been mown down in Derry. Internment was at its highest and it was against this backdrop that Mairéad spent her teenage years. Injustice was very visible and Mairéad like many young girls at that time had a strong urge to do something about it. Mairéad joined the I.R.A, and left "normality" of childhood behind. Life for Mairéad was never the same.

A committed volunteer right from the beginning, the I.R.A became the most important thing in her life, she was involved in many operations and on the 5th of April 1976 Mairéad was caught on a bombing mission. Mairéads comrade Séan Mc Dermott was shot dead and Mairéad was captured just after her nineteenth birthday found herself in Armagh Goal sentenced to fourteen years. Political status had just been removed so Mairéad at the forefront of protests for the restoration of political status. Mariéd became O.C of the prisoners in Armagh Gaol and was a great source of inspiration for all the women, guiding them through some of the darkest days in the prison struggle. The women embarked on a no wash protest and Mairéad went on hunger strike in 1980.
Mairéad was released from prison in 1986 and immediately reported back to the I.R.A., her commitment and resolve to the Republican struggle even more resolute than before. Unfortunately freedom for Mairéad didn't last long. On 6th of March 1988 Mairéad was shot dead in Gibraltar along with her comrades Seán Savage and Dan Mc Cann.
Mairéad was a very popular young woman who loved life, she was the life and soul of the party, the girl with the infectious smile. Mairéad touched so many during her short life, she was and still is an inspiration to all who knew her and she will never be far away from our hearts.