What is Michael McKevitt?
'''Michael McKevitt''' (4 September 1949 – 2 January 2021) was an [[Irish people|Irish]] [[Irish republicanism|republican]] [[paramilitary]] leader. He was the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]]'s [[IRA Quartermaster General|Quartermaster General]]. In 1997, he created the [[Real Irish Republican Army]], a [[splinter group]], in protest at the PIRA's [[ceasefire]] that year. He was in charge of the RIRA during the [[Omagh bombing]] of 1998. In 2003 in [[Dublin]], he was [[criminal conviction|convicted]] of directing [[terrorism]] as its leader. He was also convicted of membership of an illegal organisation. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He was released in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/real-ira-leader-jailed/ |title=Real IRA Leader Jailed |publisher=CBS News |date=7 August 2003|agency=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Harnden | first = Toby | author-link = Toby Harnden | title = Bandit Country | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton | year = 1999 | pages = 188–189 | isbn = 0-340-71736-X}}</ref> McKevitt was born in [[County Louth]], [[Republic of Ireland]]. He was married to [[Bernadette Sands McKevitt]], a sister of furniture shop [[bomb]]er, [[1981 Irish hunger strike|hunger striker]] and [[member of parliament]] [[Bobby Sands]]. McKevitt died on 2 January 2021 from [[cancer]], aged 71.<ref>[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/former-real-ira-leader-michael-mckevitt-dies-following-illness-39923969.html Former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt dies following illness]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:McKevitt, Michael}} [[Category:1949 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Irish Republican Army]] [[Category:People from County Louth]] [[Category:Provisional Irish Republican Army]] {{bio-stub}}