Gerry Kelly | |
|---|---|
 Kelly in January 2015 | |
| Junior Minister Assisting the Deputy First Minister | |
| In office 8 May 2007 – 16 May 2011 | |
| Deputy FM | Martin McGuinness |
| Preceded by | Denis Haughey |
| Succeeded by | Martina Anderson |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly forBelfast North | |
| Assumed office 25 June 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Northern Ireland Forum Member forBelfast North | |
| In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerard Francis Kelly[1] (1953-04-05)5 April 1953 (age 72) Lower Falls,Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin(since 1989) |
| Spouse | Margaret Kelly |
| Children | 7 |
| Residence(s) | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | St Peter's Secondary School, Britton's Parade, Belfast |
| Portfolio | Policing |
| Website | North Belfast - Gerry Kelly |
| Military service | |
| Paramilitary | Fianna Éireann(1971–1972)[1]Provisional IRA(1972–1990s)[1][2] |
| Rank | Volunteer |
| Unit | Belfast Brigade |
| Battles/wars | The Troubles |
Gerard Kelly (Irish:Gearárd Ó Ceallaigh; born 5 April 1953) is anIrish republicanpolitician and formerProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA)volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to theGood Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998.[3] He is currently a member ofSinn Féin's Ard Chomhairle (National Executive) and aMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) forNorth Belfast.[4][5][6]
Gerard Francis Kelly was born on 5 April 1953 on Raglan Street in theLower Falls area ofBelfast. He went to St Finian's Primary School on theFalls Road. His family was not particularly political; however his grandfather was a supporter of theLabour Party. Kelly later went to St Peter's Secondary School, obtaining hisO-Levels, before receiving his first job, aged 17, in the Civil Service as a clerical officer with theBelfast Corporation Electricity Department.[1]
In 1971, Kelly joined the militant republican youth organisation,Fianna Éireann. He was later arrested in August 1971 and imprisoned inMountjoy prison for several months. In January 1972 he escaped, and joined the Provisional IRA in theWhiterock/Ballymurphy area on his return to Belfast.[1][7]
The IRA planted fourcar bombs in London on 8 March 1973. Two of the car bombs were defused: a fertilizer bomb in a car outside the Post Office inBroadway and the BBC's armed forces radio studio in Dean Stanley Street. However, the other two exploded, one near theOld Bailey and the other atMinistry of Agriculture offWhitehall. As a result of the explosions one person died and almost 200 people were injured.[8]
Kelly, then aged 19, and eight others, includingHugh Feeney and sistersMarian andDolours Price, were found guilty of various charges relating to the bombings on 14 November 1973. Kelly was convicted of causing explosions and conspiracy to cause explosions, and received two life sentences plus twenty years.[9]
Upon imprisonment in Britain, Kelly, and the other prisoners went onhunger strike demanding political prisoner status and to be transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland. After 60 days on hunger strike, during which he was force-fed by prison officers, Kelly was transferred toHMP Maze prison in Northern Ireland in April 1975.[10]
While imprisoned in the Maze, Kelly again went on protest and made a number of escape attempts in 1977, 1982 and 1983. On 25 September 1983, Kelly was involved in theMaze Prison escape, the largest break-out of prisoners in Europe sinceWorld War II and in UK prison history.[11][12] Kelly, along with 37 other republican prisoners, armed with six handguns, hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out of the Maze past 40 prison officers and 28 alarm systems. During the escape Kelly shot a prison officer, who attempted to foil the escape, in the head with a gun that had been smuggled into the jail. The officer survived.[13]
After the mass break-out Kelly was on the run for three years and again became involved in IRA activity in Europe. Whilst on the run Kelly claimed he was aided in his escape by "all kinds of people", including prominentFianna Fáil andFine Gael supporters in theRepublic of Ireland.[14]
On 16 January 1986, Kelly was arrested in the Netherlands along withBrendan "Bik" McFarlane at their flat inAmsterdam. At the time of their arrest, cash in several currencies, maps and fake passports and the keys to a storage container holding 14 rifles, 100,000 rounds of ammunition andnitrobenzene were recovered by the Dutch police.[15][16]
On 4 December 1986, the pair were extradited from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom by RAF helicopter and were returned to the Maze prison.[17] On 2 June 1989, Kelly was released in line with theextradition conditions agreed with the Dutch authorities.[18]
Upon leaving prison, Kelly became actively involved in politics, becoming a leading member of Sinn Féin. Kelly and fellow Sinn Féin memberMartin McGuinness both engaged in protracted secret negotiations with representatives of theBritish Government from 1990 until 1993.[19] Kelly also published a collection of poetry,Words from a Cell, in 1989.[20]Kelly played a role in theNorthern Ireland peace process negotiations that led to theGood Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998. In promoting thepeace process he had talks withNelson Mandela,Thabo Mbeki,Bill Clinton,Tony Blair andBertie Ahern.[21]
On 27 June 1998, he was elected to theNorthern Ireland Assembly. He was Deputy Chair of the Social Development Committee in the 1998-2003 Assembly, and is currently Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Policing and Justice, and a political member of theNorthern Ireland Policing Board.[21][22][23][24]
In 2013, aged 60, Kelly was criticised by other MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) in Northern Ireland, for holding on to the front of aPolice Service of Northern Ireland vehicle, as it drove away with him during a protest in his constituency.[25]
Kelly was a Sinn Féin representative during the talks chaired byRichard Haass in 2013 on contentious issues in Northern Ireland.[26]
Kelly brought libel proceedings against a journalist who had talked in two 2019 radio interviews about the 1983 prison officer shooting. His case was dismissed by the Belfast High Court in January 2024 as "scandalous, frivolous and vexatious".[27]
In the 2017 filmMaze dramatising the1983 prison break, directed by Stephen Burke, Kelly was portrayed by Irish actor Patrick Buchanan.[28]
Media related toGerry Kelly at Wikimedia Commons| Northern Ireland Forum | ||
|---|---|---|
| New forum | Member forNorth Belfast 1996–1998 | Forum dissolved |
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
| New assembly | MLA forBelfast North 1998–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Junior Minister, Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister 2007–2011 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
