Sean Garland

Seán Garland was a prominent figure in the Irish republican movement and the left-wing politics of Ireland. He joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1953 and participated in several armed actions, including the raid on Gough Barracks in Armagh and the attack on Brookeborough police station, where he was wounded and two of his comrades were killed. He was imprisoned several times by the Irish and British authorities for his involvement in the IRA. He became a Marxist in the 1960s and was one of the leaders of the Official IRA and the Official Sinn Féin, which later became the Workers' Party of Ireland. He advocated for a peaceful and democratic solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland and a socialist transformation of the whole island. He was the president of the Workers' Party from 1977 to 1999 and remained active in the party until his death. He also wrote a political autobiography, The Irish Way, which was published in 2009. He faced extradition attempts by the US government for his alleged involvement in a counterfeit scheme with North Korea, but he denied the charges and fought against them until they were dropped in 2012. He died at his home in County Meath in 2018, after a long illness. He was widely respected and admired by his comrades and supporters for his courage, integrity, and dedication to the cause of Irish republicanism and socialism.