Clann na hÉireann is an Irish republican organisation and was closely associated with Sinn Féin.
The organisation sided with the Official IRA after they split with the Provisional IRA in 1969. It was reported on by HN68 'Sean Lynch'HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ was the cover name used by a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer deployed between 1968 and 1974 into groups related to political violence in Northern Ireland. He held a managerial position as second-in-command of the SDS between 1981 and 1983 and retired from the Metropolitan Police in 1993. He is dead.Full page: HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’
and HN340 'Andy Bailey'.HN340 ‘Andy Bailey’HN340 is the nominal given to the former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad ‘Andy Bailey’. He infiltrated the North London Red Circle and spied on the Irish Civil Rights Solidarity Campaign, later known as the Irish Solidarity Campaign, between July 1970 and June 1972. One of the first two SDS officers to travel overseas while undercover, to the Red Europe conference in Brussels in November 1970, he was also the first undercover to be withdrawn because of a possible risk to his safety, in mid-1972 after the landlady of his cover accommodation reported overhearing a threat to him.Full page: HN340 ‘Andy Bailey’
The indirect connection between the organisation and the Aldershot Barrack bombing in 1972 is discussed in HN34 Geoff Craft's profile.HN34 Geoffrey (Geoff) CraftGeoff Craft joined the SDS management as a detective inspector in March 1974. He was promoted to chief inspector in charge of the SDS at the start of 1976, staying in the post until October 1977. He claims not to have known about sexual relationships that took place by undercovers under his command, even though this led to one officer being uncovered and withdrawn. In early 1976, Craft was part of a working party to review the SDS. Full page: HN34 Geoffrey (Geoff) Craft
The group was also of interest to Special Branch more broadly, as is reflected in mentions in their annual reports between 1970 and 1979.Special Branch Annual ReportsSpecial Branch Annual Reports were a review of the calendar year for all of the Metropolitan Police's Special Branch. The Inquiry has published the 1970-1983 reports but in heavily redacted form. Disambiguation: Not to be confused with the Special Demonstration Squad's Annual Reports,
However, most of the SDS reporting focusses on other groups with Clann na hÉireann only mentioned in passing.
Source:
Irish Left Archive.Clann na hÉireann. Irish Left Archive, Clann na hÉireann, 0002.
Report on a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Irish Civil Rights Solidarity Campaign, held at the Dolphin pub on 14 Oct 1969, attaching a copy of 'Free Citizen' a People's Democracy publication
Report on personal family, accommodation, employment, physical and other details of a member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (same one as UCPI0000016013)
Report on meeting of Workers Revolutionary Party, main speaker general secretary Gerry Healey on 'Build the WRP – Demand Labour Gov carry out Socialist Policies', held at The Kings Arms pub, Wood Green High Rd on 19 Feb 1974
