IRA Volunteer and Guerrilla leader, Seamus McElwain was born on April 1st 1960, to a Republican family in Knockacullion, close to Scotstown and Knockatallon in North County Monaghan, not far from Britain’s illegal border in Ireland. From a young age Seamus was aware of the continuing injustice of partition and British Occupation and in 1974, at age 14 he joined Na Fianna Éireann and took his place in the ranks of the Revolutionary Movement. Turning down the opportunity to study in America, Seamus defiantly declared, ‘nobody will ever accuse me of running away’.

By age 16 Seamus had been sworn into Óglaigh na hÉireann and was a member of the IRA’s South Fermanagh Brigade. Seamus quickly earned the reputation as an exemplary volunteer and by just 19 years of age had earned the command as O/C of the IRA in South Fermanagh.

Seamus led his Volunteers from the front and was involved in many of successful operations against the British forces of occupation, with British Intelligence releases in the media linking him to the killing of at least 12 members of the Crown Forces.

In March 1981, while on Active Service, Seamus and three other volunteers were captured by the British Army. Held first in Crumlin Road Jail while on remand, at a political show trial Seamus was convicted of the killing of a number of members of the RUC. The judge referred to him as a “dangerous killer “ who should spend at least 30 years in prison. This demonstrated the fear British Imperialism had for a Republic Soldier of the calibre of Seamus McElwain.

Transferred to the H-Blocks, as a Republican Prisoner of War, Seamus viewed it as his duty to escape from Prison to return to the Struggle for National Liberation. On September 25 1983, Seamus and his comrade Padraig McKearney and 36 other IRA Volunteers staged a spectacular break out from the H-blocks that was a massive propaganda victory for the IRA.

Seamus immediately reported back for duty and continued to engage in active service, his unit now operating on the Monaghan- Fermanagh border carrying out a highly successful Guerrilla warfare campaign against the British Forces of occupation.

Seamus was a deeply committed Socialist Republican, who believed that the Revolutionary Armed Struggle was the path to National Liberation and Socialist Revolution in Ireland. Seamus took the study of revolutionary theory seriously and was well read in the work, of Marx, Connolly, Lenin and Mao. With his comrades Padraig McKearney and Jim Lynagh, Seamus was involved in drawing up plans for escalating the War for National Liberation. These IRA cadres, particularly in the border region had come to uphold the teachings of the Chinese Communist Revolutionary Mao Tse- Tung, who they had studied more deeply while in prison. The Republican Cadre believed that the success of the war lay in developing it to a new height as a Protracted People’s War, the Proletarian Military Line developed by Chairman Mao in the course of the successful Chinese Revolution.

The IRA Guerrilla Leaders in the Border regions including McElwain, Lynagh and McKearney planned to execute this strategy by establishing a full time flying column of up to 30 Volunteers, that would be based in the Free State, but would pull off 5 or 6 spectacular operations in the occupied six counties a year. The Column would guard against infiltration by informers by refusing to break camp, remaining together on a full time basis to train, while in between operations two and three man units would carry out intelligence, finance and smaller Guerrilla operations. The plan of the Maoist Cadre was to launch a Protracted People’s War in the border regions, creating liberated zones by driving the crown forces out of the country side and into the cities. Republican Power could then be developed in the liberated areas.

When the IRA leadership, by then already intent on a compromise with imperialism, rejected this plan as impractical, the Maoist IRA Cadre decided to go ahead on their own. Along with McElwain, Lynagh and McKearney, the plan had the support of Padraig Kelly, O/C of the IRA’s legendary East Tyrone Brigade along with Kieran Fleming (Derry), Antoin MacGiolla Bhride (South Derry), Dessie Grew (Armagh), Michael ‘Pete’ Ryan and Liam Ryan, (both East Tyrone). The IRA Cadre listed represented the most militant IRA Guerrilla Leaders leading the Revolutionary war in the 1980’s and all were to die at the hands of Britain’s Terrorists in Ireland in what amounts to a targeted campaign of assassination against targeting these who could and would have continued the war.

For now the Maoist Cadre would remain within the Provisionals and continue to push the strategy of People’s War, but while they gathered strength they were also arranging their own arms routes and making contact with other guerrilla leaders such as Dominic McGlinchey, then Chief of Staff of the INLA, to ensure that when they were ready, they would be able to break with the Provisionals and establish their own Revolutionary Organisation to continue the war for National Liberation and Socialist Revolution.

On April 26 1986, McElwain was preparing an ambush on the British Forces of Occupation, when he was himself ambushed in a targeted shoot to kill operation by the SAS. Upon capturing a woundef McElwain, Britain’s terrorists interrogated him for at least five minutes and then murdered him at point blank range in an extra judicial killing. Another IRA volunteer wounded alongside Seamus managed to crawl away.

Volunteer Seamus McElwain died as he lived, a fearless Socialist Republican Soldier of the All Ireland Republic.

Seamus McElwaine was buried with full military honours at an IRA funeral attended by thousands. His friend and comrade Jim Lynagh took charge of the honour guard and was personally involved in firing the final volley over the coffin.

Seamus McElwain was just 26 years old at the time of his death, but had become a revolutionary legend in his own lifetime. A true hero of the Revolution and the All Ireland Republic, Volunteer Seamus McElwain continues to inspire all those who remain committed to the struggle for National Liberation, and in particular, the Revolutionary Youth.

Volunteer Seamus McElwain, Socialist Republican and Maoist IRA Cadre, died for our freedom 34 years ago today.

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