THE YOUNG GUARD OF ÉIREANN

Twenty-one young men died in the ranks of Na Fianna Éireann during the Long War from 1969 to 1981. This article aims to explore their brief lives and their deaths. As young Republicans, we owe them a great debt for creating a situation where we can carry on their struggle by peaceful means. The sharp decline in deaths of Fianna members on Active Service can be explained by the decision to withdraw them from such dangerous tasks and the development of alternative avenues of struggle such as the Republican Flute Bands and increased mural painting and election work. Of the twenty-one dead, eleven came from West Belfast and six from North Belfast. Two were murdered by loyalists. Eleven were killed by the British army.

It is also important to remember the young men of similar ages who were placed directly in the ranks of the IRA and died on active service, such as sixteen year old Michael Devine, killed in Strabane in 1985. 

1. Fian Gerald McCauley, West Belfast, Aged fifteen, August 15th 1969
From Colinwood Street in Beechmount, he was the first republican killed during the Long War. He was an avid hurling enthusiast and had joined the Fianna at the age of eleven. He was killed during the August 1969 Pogroms while defending Clonard Monastery from Loyalist mobs. He was hit with a shotgun blast and brought to hospital, where he died at 4.45am. He was buried in the Antrim Republican Plot in Milltown Cemetery and was given a Na Fianna Éireann guard of honour.

2. Fian Michael Sloan, West Belfast, Aged fifteen, January 11th 1972. 
From Westview Pass, his main pastime was playing soccer. Instead of growing up in an environment where this would be his main worry, he grew up in heavily fortified West Belfast. He joined Na Fianna Éireann. He was shot by accident during an arms training lecture in New Barnsley Park, Ballymurphy. At the time of his death he was a staff captain in 2nd Battalion, Belfast Brigade Na Fianna Éireann. Two hundred youths, many of them in berets, escorted his body to Milltown Cemetery. In 2012, his niece Caoimhe Ní Shluáin was elected Ireland’s youngest Mayor in 2012 when she became Mayor of Navan.

3. Fian Eamonn McCormick, West Belfast, Aged seventeen, January 16th 1972
From Ballymurphy, he was a hurling champion and a member of the Co. Antrim minor team. After leaving school he was intimidated by Loyalist co-workers from his job in a timber yard. During the frequent attacks on his community by the British Army and Loyalists, he was always one of the first to stand in their defence. On Halloween night 1971, British troops surrounded a dance attended by many IRA volunteers. The Fianna were mobilised to save their older comrades and Eamonn was shot in the spine and liver by a British soldier. He died of his injuries the next year.

4. Fian Gerard Donaghy, Derry, Aged seventeen, January 30th 1972
He came from the Bogside and had cousins in the Ballymacarret area of Belfast, which suffered heavily from Loyalist attacks. He joined the Fianna in 1971 and in April was arrested on a charge of rioting, which he had not been engaged in. He went on the run and went to the south where he attended training camps and raised funds for nationalists. His cousin was evacuated to a refugee camp in Wicklow. After interment he travelled back to Derry and was arrested in October, being released from Crumlin Road Gaol in December.

He was shot in the back on Bloody Sunday while fleeing to safety. British propaganda attempted to claim he was shot for possessing nail bombs that had been planted on his corpse. (A British soldier and several civilians agreed he had not been carrying them prior to the RUC “evidence.” He was shot for being an Irish Catholic, not for being a republican. Another man, John Johnston was shot by the same soldier and later died of his wounds. He is buried with his family in Derry City Cemetery.

5. Fian David McAuley, North Belfast, Aged fifteen, February 19th 1972
He was born and grew up in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast. He joined the Republican Movement when he was only twelve after witnessing the loyalist attacks on his community. He was highly respected by his comrades, old and young. He was accidentally shot in the stomach while in his own kitchen. He was brought to Louth County Infirmary where he died of his wound. While crossing the border, the RUC discovered the true cirumstances of his death, blamed on disease. He was given a Fianna guard of honour in Milltown and a volley of five shots was fired over the coffin. The mourners were attacked by the British army, who found themselves surrounded by the angry crowd.

6. Fian Seán O’Riordan, West Belfast Aged thirteen, March 23rd 1972
He was from Oranmore Street, off the Springfield Road. He was a champion swimmer, hurler and footballer and had won a scholarship to the Donegal Gaeltacht.  He was shot in the back of the head at 8:45pm in Cawnpore Street, shortly after a petrol bomb attack on a British patrol.  It is unknown if he was involved in the attack. He is buried in the Antrim Plot in Milltown cemetery.

7. Fian Michael Magee, West Belfast, Aged fifteen, May 13th 1972
Michael was from Ballymurphy and his hobbies were football and fishing. Like many from his community, he joined the Republican Movement to defend his people. On the day of his death, a Loyalist car bomb killed two people in Kelly’s Bar on the junction of the Springhill and Whiterock Roads. Loyalists and soldiers worked together and began firing into the area, killing another civilian. IRA active service units began to engage the British and Loyalists, killing a soldier. Michael was accidentally shot in the chest by one of his comrades while on active service. 

8. Fian Joseph Campbell, North Belfast, Aged sixteen, June 11th 1972
From Havana Street in Ardoyne, he had joined the Fianna in 1970, determined to fight against the injustices and inequality that his community suffered through. He had started an apprenticeship as an electrical engineer and spent his weekends in Lurgan at his grandmother’s house, hunting rabbits. The day he was killed, there had been heavy firing in the area, the UDA killing a shopkeeper. Joseph went out later that day with a friend. He was shot in the head at Eskdale Gardens by a British soldier from inside an armoured vehicle. He was unarmed, however, the British claimed he was a gunman. They claimed he had been carrying a rifle, but admitted it was never found. He was claimed as an intelligence officer by the Ardoyne Fianna.

9. Fian John Dougal, West Belfast, Aged sixteen, July 9th 1972
From Springhill Avenue, he had a great love of Irish history and fixing old cars. He was one of the victims of the Springhill Massacre. He was shot dead while attempting to assist a man wounded by a British Army sniper firing from a timber yard. It took half an hour before locals could pull his body to safety. He was unarmed. Five people were killed in Springhill, including David Caffey, a member of the Official’s youth wing, a priest and a thirteen-year-old girl. He is buried in the Antrim Plot in Milltown.

10. Fian Tobias Molloy, West Tyrone, Aged eighteen, July 16th 1972
He was from Fountain Street in Strabane. While returning from his girlfriend’s home in Lifford, he was shot by a rubber bullet near the Camel’s Hump Bridge checkpoint. At 2am, he was shot at ten yards range in the chest. He was claimed by both the Official and Provisional IRA’s: In places like Strabane the distinction between them was less clear. His funeral was attacked, once again with rubber bullets. He was buried in Donneyloop cemetery in Donegal and the following cortege stretched five miles. Free State soldiers and Gardaí harassed the mourners, to prevent a volley of shots that had already been fired while in Strabane.

11.  Fian Joseph McComiskey, North Belfast, Aged eighteen, September 20th 1972
From Flax Street, Ardoyne, He had joined the Fianna near the start of the conflict. He was shot on waste ground near his home. Ammunition was found in his pockets. He was shot shortly after a soldier was wounded, he and a girl running away from the scene. She was shot in the leg but escaped, while he was hit in the back. He was described as being on active service at the time of his death.

12. Fian Bernard Fox, North Belfast, Aged sixteen, December 4th 1972 
From Etna Drive, Ardoyne, he was killed in Brompton Park by the British Army. He was on standby duty with other Fianna members, in case of loyalist attack. British soldiers shot him from a derelict house. Whether he was armed is disputed. He was extremely security conscious and few knew he was a member of Na Fianna Éireann, despite being the local Officer Commanding.  He had been part of the guard of honour for his friend David McCauley that February.

13. Fian Seán Hughes, December 4th 1972
Seán Hughes is an enigma. Belfast National Graves Association has no idea who he was or any other details. He did not appear in the Roll of Honour of 1973’s “Freedom Struggle”, but was included as of 1981. He is not included in Tírghrá or Lost Lives. 

 14. Fian Michael Marley, West Belfast, Aged seventeen, November 24th 1973
From Dunville Street off the Falls Road, he was an apprentice bricklayer. He was very enthusiastic about the Irish language. He had joined na Fianna in September 1973. He was shot on the fourth floor of the Divis flats, shortly after a British patrol was attacked with a blast bomb. Whether or not he was connected with the attack is disputed. 

15.  Fian Robert Allsopp, North Belfast, Aged fifteen, March 23rd 1975
From the New Lodge, he was known as “Swab” to his friends. The British referred to him as “Smiler” for his ever present grin. He joined na Fianna in 1969. When corned by a British patrol while wearing an IRA badge, he told them it meant “I’m Robert Allsopp!” He died in hospital after being found in his home, a bullet in his head. He had been accidentally shot during an arms lecture. The O’Neill Allsopp memorial flute band is named in his memory.

 16. Fian James Templeton, South Belfast, Aged fifteen, August 29th 1975
From Peveril Street on the Lower Ormeau road, he worked in a bag factory and is remembered as a fashionable, friendly youth. He joined na Fianna in 1973 and was an eager recruit. He was killed in a random sectarian UVF attack while standing outside a pub on the Ormeau road. It had just reopened after a bombing that killed six people. He was shot twice and lived long enough to say farewell to his mother in hospital.

 17. Fian Kevin McAuley, West Belfast, Aged thirteen, November 6th 1975
From the Ladybrook Estate in Andersonstown, he came from a strong republican family. His grandfather had been a Cavan Volunteer and internee during the Tan war, and his aunt spent four years in Armagh prison during the early 70’s. He and his friends were playing around with an unattended dumper on the Falls Road. He was crushed against another piece of machinery. His flag draped coffin was buried in a family plot just inside the main gate of Milltown.

18. Fian James O’Neill, North Belfast, Aged seventeen, February 12th 1976
From Duncairn parade, he was an apprentice joiner and known to his friends as “Pavlo.” His uncle, Volunteer Michael Kane had died on active service in 1970. It was no wonder that he joined the Republican Movement. During the riots after the death of Volunteer Frank Stagg on Hunger Strike, he was accidentally burned to death while helping burn down a warehouse. The O’Neill Allsopp memorial flute band is named in his memory.

19. Fian Neil McCrory, West Belfast, Aged seventeen, November 4th 1976
From Beechmount Avenue, he was shot by the UDA in the Loyalist Glencairn estate. Little is known about his Fianna service: he is normally listed as a civilian. He is only acknowledged as a member by local memorials. His older brother was murdered by the UDA in 1972.

20. Fian Paul McWilliams, West Belfast, Aged sixteen, August 9th 1977
From Springhill Avenue, he was shot from the same timber yard as those killed in the Springhill massacre. He was on the run after escaping a training school where he had been placed for rioting. The British (and “Ballymurphy and the Irish war”) claim he was shot while petrol bombing their posts, others that he was simply walking past their position and was shot in the back. His brother later killed the notorious loyalist Billy Wright in 1998.

21. Fian John Dempsey, West Belfast, Aged sixteen, July 8th 1981
The last member of Na Fianna Éireann to die in the cause of Irish freedom. He was from Norglen Road in the Turf Lodge area. His father had been in Long Kesh in the 70’s and he joined na Fianna in October 1980. He was rioting three hours after the death of Volunteer Joe McDonnell on hunger strike. He and others drove a commandeered Ford Transit van to the Falls Road bus depot. It was full of petrol bombs.Upon seeing a group of soldiers, the youths fled.  A single shot was fired, hitting John in the back.  He was a member of the Belfast Fianna 1st Battalion. His coffin was draped in a tricolour, gloves and beret and flanked by seven masked youths. He was buried the same day as Joe McDonnell, several hours beforehand.  He is buried in the Republican plot in Milltown.

le Shane Waters, Wexford