Ivor Malachy Bell is an Irish Republican, and a former volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who later became Chief of Staff on the Army Council. Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol, is a term used by a number of Irish republican Paramilitary organisations to describe their members The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA was the largest of the organisation's command areas based in the city of Belfast. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the The following is the list of those who are reported to have served as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army in the various incarnations of organisations bearing that name The IRA Army Council is the decision-making body of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, more commonly known as the IRA a Paramilitary group dedicated to bringing ^[1]

Contents 1 IRA career 2 Escape from Long Kesh 3 Chief of Staff 4 Libyan connection 5 Court martial 6 References

IRA career

Bell was involved with the Irish Republican Army during the 1956-1962 campaign, but left over the decision to call a cease-fire. This article deals with the Irish republican organisation opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty styling itself "Irish Republican Army" as it existed from the time of the Treaty He rejoined the republican movement in 1970, and become the commander of the Kashmir Road based B Company of the Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade. The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA was the largest of the organisation's command areas based in the city of Belfast.

During Gerry Adams' initial leadership of the republican movement he took much of his direction from Brendan Hughes and Bell. Brendan Hughes (1948 – 16 February 2008) also known as "The Dark", who was mainly known as the leader of the 1980 Irish hunger strike At this time Bell was Adams' adjutant in the Second Battalion of the Belfast Brigade and Hughes was the commander of the D Coy. Adams looked to Bell for political strategy and to Hughes for the opinion of the "rank and file" volunteers. ^[2]

In 1972, Bell, now Belfast Brigade adjutant, along with Seamus Twomey, Martin McGuinness, and Gerry Adams were flown to London by the Royal Air Force for secret ceasefire talks with British ministers. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Seamus Twomey ( 5 November 1919 &ndash 12 September 1989) was an Irish republican and twice chief of staff of the James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (Máirtín Mag Aonghusa born in Derry on 23 May 1950 is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. Gerry Adams, MLA, MP (Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh born 6 October 1948 is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[3][4]

Adams and Bell were sceptical about the proposed cease-fire and they did not trust the British Government. The truce soon broke down, followed by twenty deaths over three days.

Escape from Long Kesh

In February 1974, Bell was arrested on on information provided by supergrass Eamon Molloy. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. A supergrass is slang term for an Informer, which originated in London. He was placed in Cage 11 at Long Kesh along with Brendan Hughes and Gerry Adams. Her Majesty's Prison Maze (known colloquially as The H Blocks, Long Kesh, or The Maze) was a Prison used to house Paramilitary prisoners Brendan Hughes (1948 – 16 February 2008) also known as "The Dark", who was mainly known as the leader of the 1980 Irish hunger strike Gerry Adams, MLA, MP (Gearóid Mac Ádhaimh born 6 October 1948 is an Irish Republican politician and abstentionist Westminster Fellow internees had nicknamed it the `General's Cage' because of the number of senior republicans held there. ^[5]

On 15 April 1974 Bell escaped when he swapped places with a visitor and walked out of the prison. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. He was recaptured two weeks later at a flat in the affluent Malone Road area of south Belfast after Molloy had informed the security services of his whereabouts.

Chief of Staff

In 1982, Martin McGuinness quit as Chief of Staff and Bell took over his position. Bell was arrested, on evidence provided by another supergrass, Robert “Beano” Lean, in 1983. In line with IRA rules, contained within the Green Book, Bell lost his position as Chief of Staff which was then held by Kevin McKenna from the Tyrone Brigade. The IRA Green Book is a training and induction manual issued by the Irish Republican Army to new volunteers ^[6]

Upon release Bell, and fellow prisoner Edward Carmichael, stated that they had both been offered immunity if they would incriminate Sinn Féin elected representatives Danny Morrison, Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Daniel Gerard Morrison (born 1953 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) known generally as Danny Morrison is an Irish republican activist and writer Carmichael had been offered £300,000 and Bell stated that was told he could "name my own figure". ^[7]

Libyan connection

On release from prison in 1983, Bell was appointed a place on the Army Council but did not regain his position as Chief of Staff and much of the power he previously held was eroded and Bell was informed that he should focus on his role with Libya. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab

Bell was the IRA's ambassador to Libya, during the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Libya and the IRA had a common enemy, namely the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Thatcher was heavily criticised in Libya for allowing American planes to take off from British air bases for raids on Libya in which more than seventy people were killed, including the Qaddafi's baby daughter, Hana, who died when the planes bombed the Qaddafi family home. ^[8]

In late 1984 and early 1985 the Libyan Intelligence Service moved to put in place a supply of arms to the IRA in order that they could more effectively fight the British Army, and Bell and Joe Cahill were instrumental in putting in place the Libyan arms smuggling plan. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Joe Cahill ( Seosamh Ó Cathail; 19 May 1920 &ndash 23 July 2004) was a prominent Irish republican and former ^[9]

Court martial

In 1984, Bell and the Belfast Brigade openly opposed Adams’ proposal to increase spending on election campaigns instead of the war against Britain. Bell was a hard-line militarist who opposed the use of funds by Sinn Féin and resented moves to strengthen Gerry Adams' hold on the organisation and moves to end abstentionism. Abstentionism is standing for Election to a Deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business Bell emerged as the head of a group, which included senior figures like Danny McCann. In the end, a court martial held in his absence in June 1985 dismissed Bell from the IRA. ^[10][11]

References

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