John O'Reilly and Ta Power: Fallen Comrades of the IRSM -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Thu, Jan 20 2011, 0:52:59 PST
Author: Danielle Ni Dhighe
Subject: John O'Reilly and Ta Power: Fallen Comrades of the IRSM

Fallen Comrades of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement

*******

John O'Reilly
Chief of Staff - Irish National Liberation Army
Assassinated on 20 January 1987

John O'Reilly, a 26-year-old from Eliza Street in South Belfast, began
his career as a republican activist in the 1970s as a member of the
Official Irish Republican Army's youth wing. As an adult he joined the
INLA, where he was instrumental in securing its European arms supply
network and eventually succeeded Dominic McGlinchey as its chief of
staff.

In 1986, individuals who had resigned or been purged from the Irish
Republican Socialist Movement came together as the Irish People's
Liberation Organisation to attack the IRSM.

O'Reilly, along with Thomas "Ta" Power and two other INLA members,
went to Drogheda to meet with representatives of the IPLO to discuss
avoiding conflict between the two organisations. Under a flag of
truce, the IPLO attacked the four INLA members, killing O'Reilly and
Power.

http://www.irsp.ie/Background/fallen/oreilly.html

*******

Thomas "Ta" Power
Staff Officer - Irish National Liberation Army
Assassinated on 20 January 1987

Thomas "Ta" Power, age 34, was from Friendly Street in the Markets
area of South Belfast. He was a member of the Official Irish
Republican Army before joining the INLA in 1975 while in the Long
Kesh prison camp. His brother Jim was an INLA staff officer who was
killed in 1981.

Noted for having spent the longest time on remand (four years and four
months) based on the testimony of informer Harry Kirkpatrick, he had
been released from Crumlin Road Gaol in North Belfast a short time
before he was killed.

He was widely respected in republican circles as a thinker and a
theorist, having drawn up a plan while in prison for the
reorganisation of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement. This
ambitious plan, known as the Ta Power Document, called for the INLA
to be subordinate to the political direction of the Irish Republican
Socialist Party. It was adopted by the INLA shortly before his death
but wasn't fully implemented until 1995.

He was assassinated in Drogheda, along with INLA chief of staff John
O'Reilly, by the Irish People's Liberation Organisation, an
organisation composed of individuals who had resigned or been purged
from the IRSM and then came together to attack it.

The Ta Power Document:
http://www.irsp.ie/Background/history/tapowerdoc.html

http://www.irsp.ie/Background/fallen/tpower.html

*******

A memorial to O'Reilly, Power, and two other comrades was unveiled in
the Markets area of South Belfast on 11 May 2003.

Article about the memorial unveiling:
http://tinyurl.com/29dqu83

They died as they lived: as Republican Socialists. Remember them with
honour and pride.John O'Reilly and Ta Power: Fallen Comrades of the IRSM

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