User:Serial Number 54129/Michael Connolly case

South Derry Independent Republican Unit
Leaders	Francis Hughes
Dates of operation	1973–1976
Headquarters	Bellaghy
Active regions	mainly south Derry, also north Tyrone
Ideology	Irish Republicanism, Revolutionary socialism
Opponents	British Army, Royal Ulster Constabulary, Economic targets.
Battles and wars	the Troubles

The South Derry Independent Republican Unit (SDIRU) was a independent Irish Republican Active Service Unit that operated & carried out attacks around the South Derry area and sometimes they would patrol & operated around the north/west Tyrone area but not as much as in the Derry area.

Overview

During the time the unit was active it was not linked to any large Republican paramilitary like the Official IRA, Provisional IRA, or the INLA known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from 1974 - 1976. The SDIRU was active from 1973 up until 1976 when the unit merged with the Provisional IRA's South Derry brigade. While the SDIRU was active it carried out ambushes & sniper attacks on British Army patrols as well carrying out bomb attacks in neighbouring towns such as Magherafelt, Castledawson, and Maghera. Although the unit was in no way part of another paramilitary ot would borrow weapons from time to time from both the Official & Provo IRA, and if a operation was successful the SDIRU would claim the attack on behalf of which ever organizations weapons they used.

Members

Some members of the SDIRU went on to play a very big role in the northern conflicts history.

• For example Francis Hughes, who left the Official IRA in 1972 over their ceasefire, became a legend in the Provisional IRA for his exploits & shoot-outs with the British Army & RUC and was the second hunger striker to die after Bobby Sands during the 1981 Hunger Strike, Hughes began his hunger strike on the 15 March & died 59 days later on the 12 May 1981.
• Hughes formed the unit along with cousin Thomas McElwee. McElwee also took part in the 1981 Hunger Strike. He was the nineth hunger striker to die, after 62 days on hunger strike he died on the 8 August 1981, aged just 23 he was the youngest hunger striker to day out of the ten who evntually did.
• Dominic McGlinchy was another member of the unit who would go on to make his own mark on the conflict, first a Volunteer in the Provisional IRA and then as leader of the Chief of Staff of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) in the early 1980's. Under McGlinchy's leadership the INLA enjoyed it's most successful military period. The INLA was at it's most active under McGlinchy & two of the INLA's most famous attacks happened under his leadership, first the Droppin Well bombing in December 1982 in which 17 people were killed (11 British soldiers & 6 civilians) and in November 1983 the Darkley killings in which three armed INLA members using the cover name Catholic Reaction Force shot dead three worshippers inside a Pentecostal Church. McGlinchy admitted to being in some part responsible for these attacks. McGlinchy was himself shot dead in County Louth in February 1994 by unknown killers.
• Also part of the unit was Ian Milne. Milne along with Hughes & McGlinchy became the North's three most wanted men, and the RUC issued wanted posters for them. When the unit merged with PIRA South Derry Brigade the brigades activity dramatically increased, making it one of the most active brigades of the mid - late 1970s.

See Also

• South Armagh Republican Action Force
• Provisional IRA's Balcome Street Gang
• Catholic Reaction Force
• 1975 Central Bar bombing