Proinsias Mac Airt

Indeed, in early 1970 his Padraig Pearse cumann, which he set up in the Clonard area of the Falls Road, was the first branch of Provisional Sinn Féin established in Belfast and proved central to the growth of the dissident party in the city.

[5] Despite his advancing age Mac Airt also became involved in the gun battles that raged between the republicans from Falls and loyalists from the neighbouring Shankill Road.

[9] According to Brendan Hughes Mac Airt's Kane Street home doubled as Belfast Brigade headquarters at this early stage in the movement's history.

The make-up of this group saw Mac Airt and McKee representing the PIRA, Spence and an associate identified only as "Robert" representing the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ned McCreery and James Craig as Ulster Defence Association delegates, with members of the Official IRA and Irish National Liberation Army eventually added.

Indeed, on 19 January 1975 one of the ministers, Rev William Arlow of the Irish Council of Churches, even introduced Mac Airt and his ally Jimmy Drumm to British government officials Michael Oatley and James Allan in an attempt to have the republican grievances heard.