Mick
Kenny
= RELEASED MARCH 2004 =
Irish Republican POW Mick Kenny has held a life-long commitment to
social justice and to the ideal of a United, 32-County All-Ireland Republic.
Mick was born in Dublin on May 5,1953 in Crumlin, a predominantly
working-class area of the city; the fifth child of six children. He was
six years old when his father died. Mick left school at 13 to work on a
milk float to help support his large family, then at age 15 became an apprentice
bricklayer. Although he quickly qualified and became successful at the
trade, Mick could not forget his mother's difficulties raising six children by
herself, or the social inequality he saw all around him. Mick began to
read socialist theory and history, became involved with the trade union and
finished in the executive.
Eventually Mick's political education led him to conclude that
British Military occupation of Ireland was the root cause of so much social
injustice. In 1997 Mick was arrested, and he was sentenced at a three-judge
Special Court in June of 1999 to 5 years; despite exculpatory evidence which
judges agreed would show that Mick was innocent. The full sentence must be
served despite the years of reporting weekly to the police barracks to be
interviewed on his doings, following his arrest. An appeal date which had
been set for March of 2001 has been postponed to March 2002 onward.
Mick was originally sent to Portlaoise Prison, but was brutally and
nearly fatally attacked on his arrival. After being led to his cell by
prison guards, Mick was jumped and attacked in darkness, sending him unconscious
to hospital in serious condition. No one was charged with the attack, and
the prison governor concluded that no one was to be blamed; not even the prison
officers who had left him on the landing and closed the door. Mick was
moved to Wheatfield Prison in July of 2001 for what was to have been "4 to
6 weeks", and remained there until being transferred to the Mountjoy
Training Unit in May 2002, where he is now being held over two years since his
scheduled appeal date.
Since his incarceration Mick has been openly
toyed with by the prison administration and every attempt has been made to break
him. Mick has resisted at every turn. At Wheatfield he was denied phone
privileges, and visits from his wife and family members were repeatedly cancelled once
they arrived at the prison; despite the very
great distance his wife must travel from Scotland in order to see him.
Letters have often been "lost" going in and out. He also has been refused
permission to study towards a degree, and may read books and court documents
only once a week during 10 minutes of locker privilege. He has repeatedly petitioned
for his right to a scheduled appeal since March 2001, but has been refused on the wishes of Irish Free State
Mick is also a talented poet, and
won the prestigious Listowell award, taking first prize in the Prison category,
in 2001. You may read some of Mick's poetry here.
Please sign the Petition
for Mick Kenny, and visit the Justice
for Mick Kenny Discussion Group
For more information on what
you can do to help, please email
us.
The Irish Freedom Committee
POW Department