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IRA-MAN COWARD AND MURDERER GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! DEATH TO THE IRA!!!
'''Gerard "Gerry" Kelly''' ({{lang-ga|Gearóid Ó Ceallaigh}}, born 5 April 1953) is an ] ] and former ] (IRA) ] who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the ] on 10 April 1998.<ref></ref> He is currently a member of ]'s Ard Chomhairle (National Executive) and an ] for ].<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,291887,00.html | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=The peace warriors | date=29 June 1999}}</ref>

==Early life==
Kelly was born in the lower ], ] in ] into a family of 11 siblings. He was educated at ] level by the ] ] at St. Finian's ] Primary School, located in the Falls Road area of west Belfast which was also ]' primary school. Kelly was educated to a secondary level at St Peter’s Secondary School in Britton’s Parade, Belfast.

Kelly became involved in ] in 1972.

==Old Bailey attack==
The IRA planted four ] in ] on 8 March 1973. Two of the car bombs were defused but the other two exploded, one near the ] and the other at ]. As a result of the explosions one person was killed and almost 200 people were injured.<ref></ref>

Kelly, then aged 19, and eight others, including ] and sisters ] and ], 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.<ref></ref><ref></ref>

==Imprisonment and hunger strike==
Upon imprisonment in England, Kelly, and the other prisoners went on hunger strike demanding political prisoner status and to be transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland. After 205 days on hunger strike, when Kelly was force fed 170 times by prison officers, Kelly was transferred to ] prison in Northern Ireland in April 1975.<ref>'' Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, the Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary'' by Robert White (ISBN 978-0253347084), page 235</ref>

Whilst 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 the ], the largest break-out of prisoners in Europe since ] and in British prison history.<ref>{{cite book | last = O'Day | first = Alan | authorlink = | title = Political Violence in Northern Ireland: Conflict and Conflict Resolution | publisher = Praeger Publishers | date = 1997 | pages = 88 | doi = | isbn = 978-0275954147}}</ref><ref name="time">{{cite news | title = The I.R.A.'s "Great Escape" | author = Louisa Wright | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,955225,00.html | publisher = ''TIME'' | date = 10 October 1983 | accessdate = 29 July 2007}}</ref> Kelly, along with 37 other republican prisoners, armed with 6 hand-guns, hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out of ] past 40 prison wardens and 28 alarm systems. During the escape Kelly shot and injured a prison warden in the head as the officer attempted to foil the escape.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/nireland/story/0,,1046621,00.html | location=London | work=The Observer | first=Nicola | last=Byrne | title=Maze party with jelly and ice cream | date=21 September 2003}}</ref>

After the mass break-out Kelly was on the run for three years and again became involved in an ] in Europe. Whilst on the run Kelly claimed that he was aided in his escape by "all kinds of people," including prominent ] and ] supporters in the ].<ref name="mult"> Unisoon Ireland</ref>

On 16 January 1986, Kelly was recaptured in the ] along with ] at their flat in ]. 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 and ] were recovered by the Dutch Police.<ref>{{cite web | title = Passport in man's home bore the name of another man | author = | url = http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/05/08/ihead.htm | publisher = '']'' | date = 30 April 1998 | accessdate = 11 March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Westminster accepts them, but we don't | author = | url = http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=36&si=683235&issue_id=6833&printer=1 | publisher = '']'' | date = 3 February 2002 | accessdate =14 March 2007}}</ref> On 4 December 1986, the pair were extradited from the Netherlands by RAF ] to the ] and returned to the Maze prison.<ref>{{cite news | title = Dutch Extradite Two I.R.A. Fugitives | author = | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFDE113EF937A35751C1A960948260 | publisher = '']'' | date = 4 December 1986 | accessdate =11 March 2007}}</ref> On 2 June 1989 Kelly was released in line with the ] conditions agreed with the Dutch authorities.<ref>{{cite book | last = De Baróid | first = Ciarán | authorlink = | title = Ballymurphy And The Irish War | publisher = ] | year = 2000 | doi = | isbn = 0-7453-1509-7 | page = 337}}</ref>

==Political career==
Upon leaving prison Kelly became actively involved in politics and was seen by Unionists as a communication link between the IRA and Sinn Féin. Kelly, and fellow Sinn Féin member, ] both engaged in protracted secret negotiations with representatives of the ] from 1990 until 1993. All of these meetings are documented in the Sinn Féin booklet ''Setting the Record Straight''<ref></ref>. Kelly also published a collection of poetry entitled ''Words from a Cell'' in March 1989.

Kelly later became a leading member of Sinn Féin and played a role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998. In promoting the ] he had talks with ], former South African President ], ], ] and ] ].<ref name="Gerry Kelly"> Sinn Fein</ref>

On 27 June 1998 Kelly was elected to the ]. He was Deputy Chair of the Social Development Committee in the 1998-2003 Assembly, and is currently Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Policing and Justice.<ref name="Gerry Kelly"/><ref></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* from BBC News
* Northern Ireland Assembly
*

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| years = 2007 -}}
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| DATE OF BIRTH =9 April 1953
| PLACE OF BIRTH =], ]
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| PLACE OF DEATH =
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Gerry}}
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Revision as of 14:25, 19 November 2010

For the Northern Irish broadcaster of the same name, see Gerry Kelly (broadcaster). For the English footballer, see Gerry Kelly (footballer). For the golfer, see Jerry Kelly.
Gerry Kelly
Gearóid Ó CeallaighMLA
Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 May 2007Serving with Ian Paisley Jnr (2007-08); Jeffrey Donaldson (2008-09); Robin Newton (2009-)
Preceded byOffice Suspended
Last officeholder: Denis Haughey
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Belfast North
Incumbent
Assumed office
25 June 1998
Preceded byNew Creation
Personal details
Born (1953-04-09) 9 April 1953 (age 71)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political partySinn Féin

IRA-MAN COWARD AND MURDERER GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! DEATH TO THE IRA!!!