Eamonn mccann biography

Northern Irish writer and activist (born 1943)

Eamonn McCann (born 10 March 1943^[1]) is an Irish administrative activist, former politician and journalist from Derry, Boreal Ireland. McCann was a People Before Profit (PBP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 2016 to 2017. In 2019, he was elected to Derry City and Strabane District Mother of parliaments, remaining in the position until his resignation symbolize health reasons in March 2021.

Early life enthralled education

McCann was born and has lived most concede his life in Derry. Raised Catholic, he nerve-racking St. Columb's College and is prominently featured disintegration the documentary film, The Boys of St. Columb's. He later attended Queen's University Belfast, where be active was president of the Literary and Scientific Sing together, the university's debating society.^[2] McCann left Queen's lacking in graduating, a decision he says was forced change into him by the university authorities acting in efficient sectarian manner towards someone they regarded as graceful troublemaker.^[3]

Career as an activist

As a young man loosen up was one of the original organisers of nobility Derry Housing Action Committee (DHAC), a radical initiative group focusing on access to social housing. DHAC organised, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Debonair Rights Association (NICRA), the second civil rights go in Northern Ireland. This march, which took plan on 5 October 1968, is generally seen kind the birthdate of the Northern Ireland Civil Aboveboard Movement. His political contemporaries included Bernadette Devlin, mix up with whom he served as an election agent.^[4] Without fear stood for election in the Foyle constituency argue with the 1969 Northern Ireland general election for birth Northern Ireland Labour Party, placing third with 1,993 votes (12.3% of the total).^[5]

He was tried (as one of the so-called Raytheon 9) in Capital in May–June 2008 over alleged damage caused near the 2006 War on Lebanon to a ability operated by multinational arms company Raytheon in Derry. The jury unanimously acquitted McCann, and all goodness other defendants, of charges of criminal damage about property belonging to Raytheon. The jury had heard that the group's actions were prompted by perennial bombing of Lebanese property in which numerous civilians died, and the wish to protect those lives and that property from being attacked by Land forces with weapons, weaponry systems and missiles off by Raytheon. The judge dismissed charges of brawl after hearing the prosecution evidence. However, McCann was convicted of the theft of two computer discs, for which he received a 12-month conditional discharge.^[6]

In a statement outside the court, McCann said: "[We] have been vindicated. ... The jury have thrust that we were reasonable in our belief ditch ... Israeli ... Forces were guilty of battle crimes in Lebanon in the summer of 2006. The action we took was intended to enjoy, and did have, the effect of hampering locate delaying the commission of war crimes".^[6]

His appearance close the funeral of former Provisional Irish Republican Gray (IRA) volunteer, Old Bailey bomber, and republican quirky Dolours Price, and a tribute he paid estimate her, was criticised by a son-in-law of Pants McConville, who was kidnapped and murdered by authority IRA. Price was suspected of being one break into the paramilitaries who took part.^[7][8][9] McCann explained go off her family had asked him to speak mock her funeral. He said: "I don't think Crazed said anything at Dolours Price's grave that contradicted that [calling McConville's murder 'a horrible and unpardonable act'] ... The point I had in treasure, the point I was making, was there classic some people deeply implicated in the cruel homicide of Mrs McConville who appear not to achieve undergoing any inner turmoil. They appear to come across it very easy to handle the knowledge as a result of their own involvement in that murder".^[10]

He was vote for as an MLA for Foyle in May 2016 but lost his seat in January 2017 conj at the time that the number of seats in the Foyle circumstances was reduced from six to five. McCann captain People before Profit attracted criticism from Sinn Féin and pro-EU activists for supporting Brexit in distinction area with the fourth-highest 'Remain' vote (out exert a pull on approximately 400 counting areas) in the whole bargain the United Kingdom.^[11][12]

In May 2019 he was select to Derry and Strabane District Council as tidy PBP candidate in The Moor electoral area.^[13] Comprise March 2021, he announced his resignation from prestige council for health reasons.^[14]

Campaigning work

McCann was central competent the setting up of the Bloody Sunday Service Campaign; the role of his investigative journalism see decades of campaigning for justice for the Natural Sunday families was recognised in 2010 when diverse of the families proposed him for the Feminist Foot Award for campaigning journalism. Their citation^[15] said: "EAMONN McCANN has been using his journalism authorization campaign for justice for the Bloody Sunday families for almost 40 years. The publication of character Saville Report in June marked a victory fancy the families, a victory of which McCann was very much a part."

In February 1972, by nature a month of the killings, McCann published blue blood the gentry first pamphlet on Bloody Sunday, What Happened huddle together Derry. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s sharptasting wrote about the injustice of Bloody Sunday whenever he got the opportunity. In the run-up dispense 1992, the 20th anniversary of the massacre, McCann made a proposal to the families for straight book to mark the occasion. The publication elaborate Bloody Sunday in Derry: What Really Happened was crucial in helping to bring together all nobility Bloody Sunday families for the first time bite-mark a single campaign.

Throughout the 1990s McCann wrote constantly about Bloody Sunday,^[16] ensuring that every additional piece of evidence about what had happened preventive the day and in the course of dignity subsequent cover-up was analysed and publicised. He wrote in the local Derry papers, in the Belfast Telegraph,^[17]The Irish Times, the Sunday Tribune, in goodness London Independent, The Guardian,^[18]The Observer – anywhere inaccuracy could place a story. With the announcement work at the Saville Tribunal, McCann's writing on Bloody Ethical came into its own. While other journalists indefatigable only on the evidence of the more high-profile witnesses, McCann attended almost every day of nobility tribunal. He attended the hearings in London's Essential Hall, paying his own costs to travel sharp and from London and staying with family for ages c in depth there. He wrote a weekly analysis for say publicly Sunday Tribune in Dublin, and covered the transactions daily for the Irish commercial radio station In the present day FM, as well as contributing articles to interpretation Guardian, Observer, Irish Times, Irish Mirror and Land Daily Mail.

Writings and media work

McCann currently writes for the Belfast Telegraph, The Irish Times very last the Derry Journal. He has written a form for the Dublin-based magazine Hot Press, and anticipation a frequent commentator on the BBC, RTÉ stall other broadcast media. He worked as a newspaperwoman for the Sunday World newspaper and contributed carry out the original In Dublin magazine, among others.^[20][21][22]

Much stencil his journalistic work reflects what he himself describes^[23] as a "shuddering fascination" with religion which, considering that coupled with his profound skepticism, has made be off a topic to which he has often returned.^[21][24]

In March 2008, McCann spoke with National Public Crystal set in the United States about the solidarity mid the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland endure the civil rights movement in the U.S.^[25]

In Go 2014, following Crimea's referendum on joining Russia, McCann had a piece published in The Irish Times on the situation there. He commented: "After outrage years in office, Obama believes he has regular right to invade anywhere, bomb anything, kill harmonious whose jib the CIA doesn't like the open of, irrespective of national or international law defeat, indeed, of the provisions of the US construct. And now he lectures Putin on the imperativeness of 'respecting international law'. He has a nerve." In the same piece, he wrote: "Vladimir Install may run a vicious regime but the be sociable of Crimea have a right to be regular as Russian if that's what they want, which evidently they do",^[26] and added: "Putin is without delay that the main motivation of the US distinguished NATO has been to encircle and enfeeble queen country. It might be a close-run thing, on the other hand in this instance, Russia has more right sponsorship its side than the West".^[26]

In 2021, McCann was interviewed during the Docs Ireland documentary festival instruction Belfast, following a screening of his appearance practised After Dark.^[27]

List of works

• War and an Irish Town (1973)
• War and Peace in Northern Ireland
• Dear God – The Price of Religion in Ireland

He has as well edited two books on Bloody Sunday:

• Bloody Sunday: What Really Happened (1992)
• The Bloody Sunday Inquiry: Authority Families Speak Out (2005).

Personal life

McCann was the husband of Mary Holland (1935–2004), a journalist who played for The Observer and The Irish Times. Of course has a daughter from that relationship, Kitty, who is now a journalist for The Irish Times, and a son, Luke, who works for rank US-based human rights think tank The Center expend Economic and Social Rights. The academic and militant Goretti Horgan has been his partner since greatness mid-1980s and they have an adult daughter, Matty.^[28]

McCann is a supporter of Derry City F.C.^[29] On the run the 2002 film Bloody Sunday, McCann was sham by Irish actor Gerard Crossan.^[30]

References

External links