Tributes paid to Fr Patrick Ryan

A legendary priest said to have proclaimed his pride in being at the forefront of the IRA’s armed campaign, including taking part in an attack against British warlord Margaret Thatcher, has died.

Tributes have been paid to Fr Patrick Ryan, who was a native of Rossmore, County Tipperary, and who beat attempts to extradite him to Britain for his republican activities. He died in Dublin on Sunday at the age of 95 following a short illness.

Fr Ryan was ordained as a priest in 1954 and later served in Tanzania and London, and worked to raise money for nationalist victims of the conflict.

He was also the first priest to contest an election in Ireland, when he ran in the 1989 European Parliament election in the Munster constituency as an Independent with Sinn Fein support. He failed to be elected but received more than 30,000 votes.

He was arrested in Belgium in 1988 but went on hunger strike after Britain sought his extradition, which was rejected due to Britain’s record of human rights abuses against Irish republicans. He was ultimately deported to Ireland. Despite Thatcher’s petulant description of him as a “very dangerous man”, her extradition efforts failed again.

Interviewed by the BBC in 2019, he reportedly confirmed a number of IRA allegations against him, including planning, logistical and engineering roles, and helping to organise key arms shipments from Libya.

Asked if he had “any regrets”, Mr Ryan said: “I regret that I wasn’t even more effective, absolutely. I would have liked to have been much more effective, but we didn’t do too badly.”

Several republican organisations paid tribute to a colourful and classic ‘unrepentant Fenian’. Saoradh offered its condolences to his family, comrades, and friends.

“Fr Ryan dedicated his life to the cause of social and economic liberation for the Irish people. His unwavering commitment, ingenuity, and specialised skills played a crucial role in advancing the struggle for national freedom,” they said.

“From his work within the Irish Republican Army [IRA] in fundraising and engineering, to his instrumental involvement in forging the historic Libya-Gaddafi connection, Fr Paddy was a key figure in a pivotal phase of the Irish revolutionary movement.

“We remember Fr Paddy Ryan with immense pride and deep respect. His legacy endures in the continued fight for a just and free Ireland.

“Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam uasal.”

Urgent Appeal