Former IRA man seeks decree lifting excommunication over his 1950s Border mission

Former IRA member Jimmy Linehan, who was imprisoned in the 1950s for participating in the IRA's Border campaign, is seeking a decree from the Catholic Church to lift his excommunication. Linehan, now 90, remains excommunicated due to his refusal to renounce the IRA, despite being a devout Catholic. His case has drawn attention as part of a broader campaign he has launched to have the Church formally acknowledge and rectify historical excommunications imposed on Irish individuals since the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in Wexford in 1169. Linehan was arrested in December 1956 during an IRA mission in County Antrim. He spent seven years in Belfast’s Crumlin Road jail before his release in 1963. During his imprisonment, he was denied absolution at Confessions held every Saturday and was unable to receive Communion at Masses. Upon returning to Cork in 1963, Bishop Cornelius Lucey arranged for a priest to visit Linehan multiple times over two years. The priest advised Linehan to declare he had “finished with the IRA” to resolve the issue, but Linehan refused, stating he could not make such a statement truthfully. Linehan joined the IRA at age 14 in 1950 and participated in attacks, including one on a Royal Air Force station in County Antrim in 1956. He recounts in his unpublished memoir, A Rebel Spirit, that he attended Confession before joining the IRA, where the priest acknowledged his sincerity and offered general absolution. However, Linehan believes the Church's stance on the IRA has been historically adversarial toward Irish nationalism. He points to the 1922 excommunications of IRA members, including his father, by Bishop Daniel Cohalan in Cork. Despite his excommunication, Linehan continued attending Mass daily until recently, when he stopped primarily due to mobility issues related to his age. He has since initiated a campaign calling for the Catholic Church to formally rescind all excommunications imposed on Irish citizens since 1169 and to offer an apology from Rome. Linehan argues that the Church has consistently opposed Irish resistance to British rule, unlike other groups that faced similar circumstances. According to Linehan, the God he reveres is not one of vengeance, and he maintains that excommunication is a human construct rather than a divine mandate. He notes that many Irishmen died without receiving absolution throughout history, and he hopes for recognition from the Vatican that these actions constituted an injustice. He emphasizes that the Church should express regret for its historical treatment of Irish nationalists. Linehan's involvement in the 1956 attack on the RAF station occurred during a period when the IRA's Border campaign was active from 1956 to 1962. At the time, the IRA unit was unaware that the region was heavily monitored due to a NATO exercise in the North Sea. This lack of awareness led to a swift response from security forces, resulting in Linehan and his fellow IRA members being captured after a brief exchange of gunfire in County Antrim. They were subsequently taken to Crumlin Road jail in Belfast. His story reflects the complex interplay between religious doctrine, political allegiance, and personal conviction. As he continues his efforts to seek reconciliation with the Church, Linehan remains steadfast in his belief that justice and forgiveness must extend beyond the boundaries of time and conflict. His campaign continues to draw interest and debate within both religious and historical circles.