Dessie Ellis
TD
Ellis in 2008
Teachta Dála
Assumed office
February 2011
ConstituencyDublin North-West
Personal details
Born
Desmond Ellis

(1953-09-23) 23 September 1953
Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
Alma materDublin Institute of Technology
Websitedessieellis.ie

Desmond Ellis (born 23 September 1953) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency since the 2011 general election.[1] During the 1970s and 1980s Ellis was a member of the Provisional IRA until his arrest in Ireland in 1981. Ellis subsequently fled Ireland before being recaptured in the United States and returned to Irish authorities. In 1983 Ellis was found guilty of possessing materials used to make explosive devices for the IRA and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Irish court. In 1990 Ellis was the first person extradited from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom under the 1987 Extradition Act, on charges of terrorism on charges related to the 1982 Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings as well as the 1983 Harrods bombing, however Ellis was acquitted of these charges in 1991. Ellis moved into constitutional politics in 1999 when he was elected to Dublin City Council, a position he held until he was elected to his current position as a Teachta Dála.

Early life

Ellis was born in Finglas in 1953. He is from an Irish republican family, and both of his grandfathers fought in the Easter Rising in 1916.[2] He later owned a television repair business.[3][4]

Extradition and prison term

A poster from October 1990 promoting a march against Ellis' extradition

He is a former Provisional IRA prisoner. He was arrested in 1981, when explosives and bomb making equipment were found under his bed. He was charged with possession of explosives.[3] He jumped bail, but was arrested in Buffalo, New York in February 1982 and extradited to the Republic of Ireland,[3] where in April 1983, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in Portlaoise Prison. He was convicted of possessing multiple power-timer units for IRA bombs, including those suspected of being used in the Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings.[5] In 1983, Ellis' fingerprints were found on a huge cache of IRA explosives found in a forest outside the Berkshire town of Pangbourne. The cache was linked to the Harrods and Hyde Park bombings. On 14 November 1990, after thirty-five days on hunger-strike, Ellis became the first person extradited from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom under the 1987 Extradition Act. He went on hunger strike to protest efforts to send him to Britain, but was extradited in the sixth week of his fast. Ellis's hunger strike drew considerable domestic and international attention, and at one point Taoiseach Charles Haughey intervened, asking Ellis' parents to ask him to give it up, but they refused.[6] Ellis was acquitted at his trial in London in October 1991.[7]

Political career

Ellis was first elected to Dublin City Council in 1999, for the Finglas local electoral area.[8] He unsuccessfully contested the 2002 general election in the Dublin North-West constituency, and received 4,781 first preference votes (18.3%). He was again unsuccessful at the 2007 general election in the same constituency, receiving 4,873 votes (15.7%).

At the 2011 general election, he was elected to the 31st Dáil with 7,115 (21.7%) of the first-preference votes.

In October 2014, following claims made by Mairia Cahill that she had been raped as a 17-year-old by members of the Provisional IRA, Ellis stated that "If an allegation was made against a volunteer it would have to be investigated [internally]...To be honest they were not qualified to deal with something like sexual abuse". Based on this, Philip Ryan of the Irish Independent accused Ellis of admitting that the PIRA ran "Kangaroo courts".[9]

In 2015, Ellis refused to comment on if Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams should distance himself from Thomas 'Slab' Murphy, an Irish republican found guilty of tax fraud and an allegedly a former PIRA Chief of Staff.[10][11][12]

At the 2016 general election Ellis was again elected with 7,571 (20.5%) of the first preference votes.

In September 2016, a bill was put forward, which if passed would have criminalised hare coursing. Sinn Féin supports the legalisation of hare coursing and decided to apply the party whip. As Ellis opposes it he declined to vote. He defied party instructions by not informing party whip Aengus O'Snodaigh that he would not be taking part in the vote so he could be excused. He was subsequently given a written warning.[13][14]

In December 2016, during a session of the Dáil, Ellis and his fellow Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris were accused by Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell of having information in relation to the Shooting of Brian Stack, the chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison, in 1983. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams had just delivered an address to the Dáil in relation to Stack when Farrell rose and used Dáil privilege to state Gerry Adams had listed Ellis and Ferris as amongst people who may have information about the Stack death in an e-mail to the Garda Commission in February 2014, and asked that the two should also address the Dáil on the matter.[15] Ellis immediately responded by stating "I refute [sic] any allegations. For the information, the man in question claims to be a solicitor, I was actually in jail for the period. In Portlaoise, and before that in America, so you should check your facts. You’re a disgrace". Ferris followed Ellis, and stated "On the record of this house; In 2013 I met with gardaí at their request regarding the death of Brian Stack, I co-operated fully with them and I have nothing to answer for, and it’s a disgrace what you have come in here naming. You should be ashamed of yourself".[16] In December 2016 Ellis stated he had received death threats following the exchange in the Dáil.[17]

In February 2018 Ellis was censured by Sinn Féin after he stated publicly that fellow party member and councillor for Ballymun Noeleen Reilly was "not fit to represent Sinn Féin" and that she had waged a social media campaign against him. For her part, Reilly was suspended by the party for six months.[18]

At the 2020 general election Ellis was again elected with 14,375 first preference votes (44.4%). He was a poll topper in the 2020 general election along with many Sinn Féin TDs in the 2020 election. He was criticised for joining his supporters singing Come Out, Ye Black and Tans at the count, but he dismissed the suggestion it was inappropriate.[19]

Political views

Ellis is in favour of the abolition of the local property tax. Ellis supported the repealing of the 8th Amendment, which forbade abortion in the Republic of Ireland. Ellis believes refugees should have the right to work in Ireland and believes the system of direct provision should come to an end.[20]

2012 allegation of connection to "50 murders"

In 2012 the Irish Independent, citing released internal documents held by the British government that were previously sealed for 30 years, alleged that by 1982 British authorities believed Ellis to be linked to "50 murders" as part of his time in the Provisional IRA. The allegation specifically cited a telegraph from the British embassy in Washington to American counterparts in which they claimed that Ellis was linked by "forensic evidence to some 50 murders” across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Independent claimed another document stated that Ellis was a "leading member" of the Provisional IRA.[21][22][23][24]

Sinn Féin denounced the allegations as an "Indo Smear" and released a statement declaring "This is not the first time such unsubstantiated allegations have been made and Dessie Ellis rejects them as he has repeatedly done. Following a prolonged hunger strike in the 1990s to protest his extradition to Britain, Dessie successfully beat these trumped-up charges in court. Dessie Ellis has made no secret of his involvement in the republican struggle over many decades, including within the ranks of the IRA. Dessie has also been an important persuader for the Peace Process for many years." Ellis did not make any personal statement on the allegations and referred journalists to Sinn Féin's official statement.[21][22][23][24]

Personal life

Ellis is proficient in karate, holding a black belt, and teaches martial arts to young people.[25] He is married to Anne Ellis[26] (née Dunne) with grown up children.

References

  1. ↑ "Dessie Ellis". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Ó Faoleán, Gearóid (2019). A Broad Church: The Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland, 1969–1980. Merrion Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-1785372452.
  3. 1 2 3 "IRA Hunger Striker Tests Extradition Act". Los Angeles Times. 14 November 1990. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Profile: Dessie Ellis (SF)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "IRA man charged with 1982 Hyde Park bombing". CBS News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Ambassador rebuked over Thatcher IRA comments". RTÉ News. 27 December 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ex-IRA bomb maker cleared after extradition". The Herald. 31 October 1991. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Dessie Ellis". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  9. ↑ Ryan, Philip (17 October 2014). "Sinn Fein TD: 'IRA did hold kangaroo courts'". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Ó Cionnaith, Fiachra (22 December 2015). "Sinn Féin members rally behind Gerry Adams over his backing for Tom 'Slab' Murphy". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  11. ↑ O'Connell, Hugh (21 December 2015). "Very few Sinn Féin-ers want to talk about the 'Slab' Murphy story". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  12. ↑ Downing, John (19 December 2015). "Sinn Fein TDs silent over party's connections to IRA tax dodger". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Two Sinn Féin TDs face suspension over hare coursing Bill". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "SF TDs issued with 'written warnings'". Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  15. ↑ O'Connor, Niall (8 December 2016). "Sinn Féin in turmoil as senior TDs linked to Stack murder". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022. However, the Dáil was left shellshocked when Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell then named Mr Ferris and Mr Ellis using the protection of Dáil privilege. He said the two TDs should also make statements - since they were two of the four people named in the email sent by Mr Adams to the Garda Commissioner on February 23.
  16. ↑ Duffy, Rónán (7 December 2016). "'I was actually in jail' - Mayhem in Dáil as FG TD links SF deputies to Brian Stack murder". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  17. ↑ Murray, Sean (15 December 2016). "'You're going to be shot': Sinn Féin TDs detail death threats received over Brian Stack Dáil row". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  18. ↑ Edwards, Elaine (4 February 2018). "Sinn Féin censures TD and suspends councillor for six months". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "Sinn Féin's Dessie Ellis dismisses criticism of joining rebel sing-song". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  20. ↑ Tranum, Sam (24 February 2016). "Dessie Ellis". Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  21. 1 2 Hickey, Shane (28 December 2012). "The Sinn Fein TD who is linked to 50 murders". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  22. 1 2 De Breadun, Deaglan (29 December 2012). "SF denies British claims from 1982 linking Ellis to 50 murders". The Irish Times.
  23. 1 2 O'Connell, Hugh (28 December 2012). "Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis rejects allegations of involvement in 50 IRA murders". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  24. 1 2 "Sinn Fein rejects claim that TD was linked to 50 murders". BBC News. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Dessie Ellis". Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  26. ↑ Doyle, Kevin (27 April 2018). "Minister complains after TD's wife says he has 'blood of Elisha Gault on his hands' on live TV". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
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