Veteran Irish Republican Frank O'Neill, R.I.P.
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Saturday February 05, 2011 23:05
by Saoirse - Irish Freedom Committee, Inc.
Saoirse at irishfreedomcommittee dot net
Unrepentant soldier for a United and Sovereign Irish Republic
The National offices of the Irish Freedom Committee, and the Charlie Kerins Cumann in Chicago, regrets to inform our friends and supporters of the death of veteran Irish republican Frank O'Neill last night in Chicago. Frank was 88 years old.
IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE NEWSLIST
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net
Saturday, February 05, 2011
FRANK O'NEILL, R.I.P.
Unrepentant soldier for a United and Sovereign Irish Republic.
The National offices of the Irish Freedom Committee, and the Charlie Kerins Cumann in Chicago, regrets to inform our friends and supporters of the death of veteran Irish republican Frank O'Neill last night in Chicago. Frank was 88 years old.
Frank O'Neill was born in Carrickfergus, Ireland in 1922. Frank joined the Republican movement in the 1940's as a volunteer under Charlie Kerins, Harry White, and Owen Macnamee. Frank was subsequently imprisoned in Portlaoise Gaol for his republican activities, and was a three-time hunger striker for political status. Frank came to the US after his release from prison to organize support for the struggle back home, dollar by dollar, from his landmark tavern "O'Neill's" on North Avenue in Chicago, until that establishment closed in the 1990's. Frank was an unrepentant Irish republican who remained absolutely dedicated to the cause of a united Ireland, free of British rule, for his entire life.
Frank O'Neill was instrumental in the establishment of the Irish Freedom Committee (IFC) as a national organization in New York in May 1998, and was Chairman of the Chicago cumann, named in honor of his former OC Charlie Kerins. Frank testified in the Illinois legislature in 1987 as an expert witness in the passage of the McBride principles. Frank belonged to dozens of Irish American organizations over the decades including the Irish Freedom Committee, Irish Northern Aid, the Friends of Irish Freedom, the Irish National Alliance, Americans for Human Rights and Self-Determination, the Irish American Unity Conference, and many, many more.
Frank was a target of the United States government on more than one occasion. In 1993, in a case that was finally thrown out of court, he and three others were accused by a federal mole of exporting surface-to-air missiles to Ireland. Again in 2003 another federal agent working for three governments falsely named Frank O'Neill in an Irish court as being the US director of the RIRA; in a case that framed and convicted Michael Mckevitt. Nothing deterred Frank from his commitment to a united Ireland, free of British rule. On one occasion when summoned to testify before a Grand Jury Frank was asked to give the names of other Irish republicans he knew and the Grand Jury dutifully recorded the names of Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken and James Connolly.
Frank was a true gentleman and regardless of political disagreements, was held in high regard by all who had the good fortune of knowing him. Frank will be greatly missed.
Frank O'Neill will be waked on Tuesday February 8th, 2011 in Gibbons Funeral Home at 5917 West Irving Park Road in Chicago, from 3:00 to 9:00 PM.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.