Terri Gavin McWeeney

Liam McIntyre and Cinaed De Canntun remember a life long republican activist.

The Anti Internment Group London would like to pay tribute to our dear friend, patron and comrade Terri Gavin Mcweeney who passed away at the Butterworth Nursing Home in St. John’s Wood London in June 2020. Terri (Theresa) Gavin was born in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim in Ireland on September 3rd 1931.

Carrick town 1890s

The Gavins were a Republican family and Terri’s father and her brother Jimmy were both active in the IRA struggle against British rule. The 1930s and 1940s were a turbulent period in Ireland. Terri grew up in the early years of the Irish Free State during the Economic depression, the Economic War with Britain and the conflict with Churchill over Irish neutrality during World War Two. Those years were a tough time for most people in Ireland and it was no different for the Gavin family but they also faced state persecution because of their Republican beliefs. By 1937 Éamon De Valera had long since abandoned the Republican struggle and he formed the first Fianna Fáil government in that year. Fianna Fáil instigated a ferocious repression of Republicans in the 26 counties. Terri knew from a young age that she must be careful not to speak about her family’s political activities outside the home. Terri always described Carrick as a Fianna Fáil town and she didn’t mean that as a compliment! Terri had a happy childhood and she also spoke about the way that poor people in her home town helped each other with food donations when they could, this kindness allowed people to survive.

Paddington in the 1950s

Terri left Ireland at the age of 17 and came to London to work as a nurse. Her friends from those days described Terri as a 100% genuine Leitrim Republican. She became a central figure in Kilburn and other Irish areas around London. The late Danny Burke commented that Terri was like a Trojan Horse and never wavered. Terri was always kind and welcoming, and often shared beautiful memories of her dog, Paddington who was a short haired Chinese Crested dog. Terri had happy times living in her flat in Brewer’s Court, Paddington. She often sent money to prisoners, and comrades in Ireland for books and for Republican projects for the homeless, and would often put others before herself. She was a generous supporter of the National Graves Association who maintain Republican graves in Ireland. Terri enjoyed speaking the Irish language which she learned while living on Tory Ireland off the coast of Donegal and took the opportunity to converse in Irish when speaking to Michelle Lyons, Jim McIntyre and Pól MacAdaim amongst others.

Terri at Pól MacAdaim gig 2017.

Pir Sultan centre Edmonton

Terri loved music and poetry especially in her beloved Irish language. She was also a great supporter of the Grup Yorum political band from Turkey and her friends in the Anti-Imperialist Front. Terry loved to listen to rebel songs from all of the 32 counties of Ireland she knew all the words and would always sing along. She had a lovely sense of humour and would enjoy jokes with the Lyons family especially her great friend, Tom Lyons. Terri loved to hear news from her friend Fionnbarra O’Dochartaigh, the Civil Rights veteran from Derry. Fionnbarra kindly travelled to London for a celebration of Terry’s activism in 2012.

IRA volunteers during the Border Campaign 1957

Terri was a lifelong Republican activist, who campaigned tirelessly for the freedom of Irish Political prisoners, and dedicated her life to fighting for the Workers’ Republic and the campaign for Irish Self-determination. During the IRA border campaign of 1956 to 1962 Terri was active in solidarity work. Her partner, John McWeeney, wrote songs and poems in support of the IRA campaign under the pen name Crom Abú. At this time Terri also supported the EOKA political prisoners from Cyprus who fought for their rights alongside the IRA prisoners in Wormwood Scrubs and other gaols. Although in her later years Terri’s eyesight deteriorated she would instruct the late Michael Holden when he wrote letters to prisoners on her behalf.

IRA Volunteers Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg

who died on Hunger Strike in England

Terri shared fond memories of her late brother Jimmy, who lived in the North Strand, Dublin. She accompanied Sister Sarah Clarke when she went to visit Republican POWs in English prisons. She visited Judith Ward, and the IRA hunger strikers Michael Gaughan and Frank Stagg amongst others. Terri recounted that Sister Sarah Clarke would on occasion spray holy water on the prison guards as an act of defiance.

Bloody Sunday, Derry 1972

Following the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1972, when the Parachute Regiment murdered 14 unarmed demonstrators on the streets of Derry, Terri challenged Brian Faulkner, the then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland on his way into Downing Street. Terri was subsequently arrested and detained in Paddington Green police station.

Marian and Dolours Price

Terri campaigned for the IRA volunteers Marian and Dolours Price when they were arrested in the 1970s and force-fed. During the 1981 hunger strike she protested outside Downing Street for the five demands, which were: the right not to wear a prison uniform; the right not to do prison work; the right of free association with other prisoners, and to organise educational and recreational pursuits; the right to one visit, one letter and one parcel per week; full restoration of remission lost through the protest. Much later on in 2011 Terri supported Marian Price when she was incarcerated for holding a document while a statement was read at an Easter Commemoration. Terri campaigned tirelessly for prominent Republicans such as Mickey McKevitt, and campaigned for the release of Stephen Kaczynski, imprisoned in a Turkish jail.

Terri at Downing Street, 2001 with IPSC comrades

Terri was one of the founding members of the Irish Political Status Committee formed in 2000 to support Irish Republican prisoners, and she attended activities such as public meetings and pickets of the Irish Embassy, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. Terri often stood with Republicans and FRFI supporters at pickets outside Downing Street, calling for freedom for imprisoned Republican Tony Taylor and the Craigavon Two. She attended these protests into her 80s even though she had major problems with her health. Terri was a member of the IRPSG then she joined the AIG when it was formed in 2017.

Resistance Tent 2016

Terri did not restrict her activism to the Irish struggle, she was an Internationalist who supported the Anti-Apartheid struggle and attended the Non-stop Picket of the South African Embassy. In April 2016, after the Anatolian People’s Cultural Centre was closed down by the Metropolitan Police, Terri came down to support the Resistance Tent in Tottenham. She was known as Terri Mother by her comrades from Turkey.

Terri addressing celebration for Steve Kaczynski.

Steve had just been released from a Turkish gaol

after 54 days on Hunger Strike

Terri’s last picket was outside 10 Downing Street in the summer of 2018, and after that day Terri had to leave her flat in Paddington due to ill health. Later on Terri moved to the Butterworth care home in St. John’s Wood. Terri received great care there and she spoke highly of her carers.

Terri attending an AIG protest

The loss of Terri will be felt by the Irish solidarity movement for a long time. She is sadly missed. Messages of condolence have been received from members of the Anti-Internment Group of Ireland, Dublin Anti-Internment Committee, The Civil Rights Network amongst others.

The following messages are from Terri's comrades:

Comrade Emma, - so sad to hear that our comrade Terri has gone. She will never be forgotten. Rest in peace and power;

Comrade Carol Foster: Terri had the unique gift of making you feel better about yourself. She brought out hidden qualities in people which not only helped them but helped the cause we all believed in. I miss her greatly.

Comrade Leah; that is so sad. She was really lovely to me. I'm sorry for your loss Cinaed, I know she was like a mum to you and you spent a lot of time with her. I'm so sorry;

Comrade Diarmuid Breatnact, Terri was one of the founder-members of the IPSC. Terri attended our public functions such as fund-raisers, protest meetings in solidarity with the struggle of Turkish political prisoners. I remember Terri, greeting me warmly in Irish. I remember singing “Gráinne Mhaol” with her and she knew the words not only of the “Óró sé do bheatha abhaile” chorus but of all three verses. She was always full of good humour except when serious about the plight of Irish prisoners or of people struggling in far-off lands.

Comrade Juan Terri, true fighter!!!

Comrade Ed, Very sad news. RIP;

Comrade Andrew seeing Terri at the BBC protest was an inspiration and made me think as individuals we are small in terms of what we can do with life but it is our connection to something greater. It is only by connecting to that great collective that our true unique contribution can live, in the struggle for justice and to end capitalism.

Let us never forget the great work that Terri Gavin and other women did for the republican movement in Ireland and the struggle for the workers republic, i ndíl-chuimhne uirthi agus orthu.

Sleep well, Terri, beautiful daughter of Ireland

Codladh sámh, a Therri, a iníon álainn na hÉireann

➽ Liam McIntyre and Cinaed De Canntun are activists with the The Anti Internment Group London.