18 Facts About Michael McKevitt

Michael McKevitt was an Irish republican and paramilitary leader.

Michael McKevitt was the Provisional Irish Republican Army's Quartermaster General.

Michael McKevitt joined the Provisional IRA during the outbreak of the Troubles.

Michael McKevitt was a longtime senior member of the Provisional IRA and served as the organisation's Quartermaster General, with oversight of their arms caches.

Michael McKevitt quit the organisation in protest at the movement's ceasefires and its participation through Sinn Fein in the Northern Ireland peace process, which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Michael McKevitt was expelled from the Real IRA after a disagreement between a group of Real IRA prisoners in Portlaoise Prison and the outside leadership.

In June 2009, Michael McKevitt was one of four men found by a civil court to be liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing in a case taken by relatives of the victims.

Michael McKevitt was convicted by the Republic of Ireland's non-jury Special Criminal Court on 6 August 2003 of two offences: "membership of an illegal organisation" and "directing terrorism" between 29 August 1999 and 23 October 2000.

Michael McKevitt appealed against his convictions to the Court of Criminal Appeal, arguing that Rupert's testimony was unreliable since he had been paid large sums of money for his role as an informant, and because of Rupert's long criminal record.

In July 2006, Michael McKevitt was given leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In February 2014, The Court of Criminal Appeal heard a petition from Michael McKevitt arguing that he should receive a new appeal based on a Supreme Court decision in 2012 which ruled an unrelated Garda search of a suspect's home illegal.

On 1 September 2014, Michael McKevitt withdrew his appeal and was granted release to prepare a new challenge based on judicial review.

In March 2015, Michael McKevitt was granted temporary release in order to treat a cancerous growth on his kidney.

On Easter Sunday 2016, Michael McKevitt was formally released from prison upon the completion of his sentence.

Michael McKevitt was married to Bernadette Sands Michael McKevitt, a sister of 1981 Provisional IRA hunger striker and Member of Parliament, Bobby Sands, who died during his hunger strike.

Sands Michael McKevitt was a leading member of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and had been described in media reports as the third highest ranking Real IRA officer.

Michael McKevitt left the 32 County Sovereignty Movement following the imprisonment of her husband.

Michael McKevitt died on 2 January 2021, at the age of 71, of cancer.