This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 82.31.138.48 (talk) at 11:24, 23 June 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 11:24, 23 June 2014 by 82.31.138.48 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) | This article is currently being heavily edited because its subject has recently died. Information about their death and related events may change significantly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The most recent updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Please feel free to improve this article (but edits without reliable references may be removed) or discuss changes on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Gerard Conlon (1 March 1954 – 21 June 2014) usually known as Gerry Conlon was a member of the Guildford Four who spend 14 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of being IRA bombers.
He came from Belfast, his father was Giuseppe Conlon, one of the Maguire Seven, who died in prison, and his mother was Sarah Conlon.
He is remembered for his dramatic exit from the court after his acquittal, when he called for the release of the Birmingham Six.
He was a leading character in the film In the Name of the Father, where he was played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
After his release from prison, Conlon had problems adjusting to civilian life, suffering two nervous breakdowns, attempting suicide, and becoming addicted to drink and drugs. He eventually recovered and became a campaigner for various miscarriages of justice in Britain and around the world. Conlon was diagnosed with lung cancer three weeks before his death, and died in his native Belfast, survived by his partner, daughter and two sisters.
References
- The Guardian, Obituary 22 June 2014
- The Guardian, Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon dies of cancer in Belfast, aged 60, 22 June 2014