Dáithí Ó Conaill (a brief biography)
Dáithí Ó Conaill first came to prominence during the raid on Bessbrook barracks on New Years Day 1957 that saw both Fergal O'Hanlon (Monaghan) and Seán South (Limerick) killed in action. Later he was to be interned only to escape along with Ruairí Ó Brádaigh. In 1959 he was wounded in action against the British Army, was captured by the RUC and was imprisoned until 1963.
In 1970 Dáithí sided with the Republic and helped to reorganise the Movement with the temporary prefix of "Provisional". Dáithí was not only a military man however, he had a great political mind. He was the chief architect of Éire Nua in the early seventies and continued updating it throughout his life. In 1986 he went on to reorganise those members of Sinn Féin who remained true to their Republican principles under the name of Republican Sinn Féin and became Vice President of that organisation. He expanded upon his Éire Nua work to produce Saol Nua and at the time of his death he had just completed Towards A Peaceful Ireland.
Dáithí Ó Conaill died on the First of January 1991, thirty four years after his comrades O'Hanlon and South. He is still sadly missed by his many comrades in the Republican Movement and we in Monaghan take great pride in the fact that our cumann is named after him.
