34 Facts About Dessie Ellis

Desmond Ellis was born on 23 September 1953 and is an Irish Sinn Fein politician who has been a Teachta Dala for the Dublin North-West constituency since the 2011 general election.

Dessie Ellis subsequently fled Ireland before being recaptured in the United States and returned to Irish authorities.

In 1983 Dessie 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 Dessie 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 Dessie Ellis was acquitted of these charges in 1991.

Dessie 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 TD.

Dessie Ellis is from an Irish republican family, and both of his grandfathers fought in the Easter Rising in 1916.

Dessie Ellis was arrested in 1981, when explosives and bomb making equipment were found under his bed.

Dessie Ellis jumped bail, but was arrested in Buffalo, New York in February 1982 and extradited to the Republic of Ireland, where in April 1983, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in Portlaoise Prison.

Dessie Ellis 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.

In 1983, Dessie Ellis' fingerprints were found on a huge cache of IRA explosives found in a forest outside the Berkshire town of Pangbourne.

On 14 November 1990, after thirty-five days on hunger-strike, Dessie Ellis became the first person extradited from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom under the 1987 Extradition Act.

Dessie Ellis went on hunger strike to protest efforts to send him to Britain, but was extradited in the sixth week of his fast.

Dessie Ellis was acquitted at his trial in London in October 1991.

Dessie Ellis was first elected to Dublin City Council in 1999, for the Finglas local electoral area.

Dessie Ellis unsuccessfully contested the 2002 general election in the Dublin North-West constituency, and received 4,781 first preference votes.

Dessie Ellis was again unsuccessful at the 2007 general election in the same constituency, receiving 4,873 votes.

In 2015, Dessie Ellis refused to comment on if Sinn Fein 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.

At the 2016 general election Dessie Ellis was again elected with 7,571 of the first preference votes.

Dessie Ellis 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.

In December 2016 Dessie Ellis stated he had received death threats following the exchange in the Dail.

In February 2018 Dessie Ellis was censured by Sinn Fein after he stated publicly that fellow party member and councillor for Ballymun Noeleen Reilly was "not fit to represent Sinn Fein" and that she had waged a social media campaign against him.

At the 2020 general election Dessie Ellis was again elected with 14,375 first preference votes.

Dessie Ellis was a poll topper in the 2020 general election along with many Sinn Fein TDs in the 2020 election.

Dessie Ellis was criticised for joining his supporters singing Come Out, Ye Black and Tans at the count, but he dismissed the suggestion it was inappropriate.

At the 2024 general election, Dessie Ellis was re-elected to the Dail.

Dessie Ellis is in favour of the abolition of the local property tax.

Dessie Ellis supported the repealing of the 8th Amendment, which forbade abortion in the Republic of Ireland.

Dessie Ellis believes refugees should have the right to work in Ireland and believes the system of direct provision should come to an end.

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 Dessie Ellis to be linked to "50 murders" as part of his time in the Provisional IRA.

The Independent claimed another document stated that Dessie Ellis was a "leading member" of the Provisional IRA.

Dessie Ellis has made no secret of his involvement in the republican struggle over many decades, including within the ranks of the IRA.

Dessie Ellis has been an important persuader for the Peace Process for many years.

Dessie Ellis is proficient in karate, holding a black belt, and teaches martial arts to young people.

Dessie Ellis is married to Anne Ellis with grown up children.