Sad passing of Ella O’Dwyer in Roscrea

Tipp Republicans bid a fond farewell; Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald among attendance

On Thursday, June 13, Republicans from Tipperary and across Ireland gathered in Couraguneen to bid farewell to Óglach Ella O’Dwyer. A guard of honour was provided by Tipperary Sinn Féin, and in attendance were Gerry Adams, Mary Lou McDonald and former Sinn Féin MEP and close friend of Ella O’Dwyer, Martina Anderson, from Derry. While music was provided by the Rebel Hearts.

In her oration Martina Anderson praised Ella’s commitment to the republican movement from her decision to join the IRA in the aftermath of the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes, her commitment as a volunteer and the dignity with which she endured strip-searches for 13 years in British jails. She also spoke of Ella’s intellect and political commitment, which saw her earn a Doctorate in Philosophy while in prison, and later work for Sinn Féin following her release.

Ella joined the Republican movement because she was deeply influenced by the hunger strikes in 1980 and ’81; her involvement lead to her arrest in Glasgow 1985 alongside Martina Anderson, Pat Magee, Gerry ‘Blute’ McDonald and Peter Sherry.

Ella was one of only two women among 600 male prisoners in Brixton Prison, where she was subjected to daily verbal and sexual abuse from the male inmates. As well as enduring daily strip and body searches at the hands of the warders, something which Ella described as ‘being mauled’.

Following her release in 1998 Ella went on to stand as a Sinn Féin election candidate in 2004 in Nenagh and worked for Sinn Féin in Dublin. Ella passed away at her home in Killarney Street, Dublin, on June 6 and her neighbours in Dublin flew tricolours from all the houses in the street in a fitting tribute to a proud Irish woman.